Henry Smith Williams

Henry Smith Williams (1863–1943) was an American physician, historian, and popular science writer, best known to readers for the multi-volume A History of Science, which he co-authored with his brother. Beyond his medical training, he was noted for historical and scientific writing aimed at general readers, and he excelled at shaping the development of science into a coherent narrative so that non-specialists could grasp its key turning points and figures. Volume 2 of A History of Science continues in this vein, discussing the evolution of scientific thought thematically. It should be noted that public information about him is limited; details of his life and a complete bibliography remain to be verified, and the present introduction rests mainly on his representative work and common classification, and should be treated only as preliminary.