CHAPTER VI 

 OTHER BOOKS 



As a writer of scientific books Tait was eminently successful. His 

 books were the outcome of his daily work, and are stamped throughout 

 with the vigour and clear-mindedness of their author. The special 

 characteristics of each will appear as we proceed. 



His first venture as an author was in conjunction with W. J. Steele, 

 his college friend and competitor in the great Tripos contest. Tait and 

 Steele's Dynamics of a Particle was begun soon after their graduation. 

 It was published in 1856 and at once caught on as a useful Cambridge 

 text-book. Steele's early death compelled Tait to write by far the greater 

 part of the book, Steele's contribution being only about one-tenth of the 

 whole. In a truly chivalrous spirit Tait continued to the end to bring out 

 the successive editions under the joint names, leaving intact the portions 

 contributed by his lamented friend. 



The second edition appeared in 1865. Meanwhile a remarkable 

 revolution in the whole dynamical outlook had been effected by Thomson 

 and Tait working together in view of the publication of their Natural 

 Philosophy; and to bring "Tait and Steele" into harmony with the new 

 conceptions the second chapter had to be completely recast. This second 

 edition was, therefore, the first book published in which the "return to 

 Newton" was fully effected. The contrast between the two editions is 

 well brought out in the remark made by Chrystal (Nature, July 25, 1901) 

 that 



"the first edition of Tait and Steele's ' Dynamics '.. .does not. . .contain either of the 

 words work or energy. In, its, original form it was founded on Pratt's ' Philosophy/ 

 and written on old-fashioned Cambridge lines, which knew not of Lagrange or 

 Hamilton." 



Already in 1856 Tait knew enough of Hamilton's work to introduce 

 the Hodograph, but as he confesses in the preface to the second edition 



