Deadly Sunshine : The History and Fatal Legacy of Radium

The element Radium has an extraordinarily chequered history. Touted in ''sunshine units'', it became a fashionable element in the early years of the twentieth century, finding a place in high society salons as well as a galaxy of products; from medicine to food, clothing to toys, hearing devices and even contraceptives. It also inspired all sorts of quackery, leading one ''specialist to claim he could cure myriad complaints with radium, from schizophrenia to the mysterious ''debutante''s fatigue.

In rare situations of excess, Radium can kill, and that singular fact has generated fear and loathing of its pioneering role in our nuclear world. But its contribution in medicine has been vital, and it is important not to assume that all radiation is somehow the evil end-result of collusion by mad scientists, bad politicians and a crazed military.

Deadly Sunshine is more than a catalogue of the development of Radium - it is an insight into the social history of scientific discovery. David Harvie, author of Limeys and Eiffel, the Genius Who Reinvented Himself, uses accessible language and fascinating examples to chart the history of this most potent of elements. From dial painters'' deaths in New York to the 500+ sites in the UK still contaminated with Radium, Deadly Sunshine is an intriguing account of scientific discovery, use and abuse.