The Travel Diaries of Albert Einstein: The Far East, Palestine, and Spain, 1922 - 1923

"The first publication of Albert Einstein's travel diary to the Far East and Middle East. In the fall of 1922, Albert Einstein, along with his then-wife, Elsa Einstein, embarked on a five-and-a-half-month voyage to the Far East and Middle East, regions that the renowned physicist had never visited before. Einstein's lengthy itinerary consisted of stops in Hong Kong and Singapore, two brief stays in China, a six-week whirlwind lecture tour of Japan, a twelve-day tour of Palestine, and a three-week visit to Spain. This handsome edition makes available, for the first time, the complete journal that Einstein kept on this momentous journey. The telegraphic-style diary entries--quirky, succinct, and at times irreverent--record Einstein's musings on science, philosophy, art, and politics, as well as his immediate impressions and broader thoughts on such events as his inaugural lecture at the future site of the Hebrew University in Jerusalem, a garden party hosted by the Japanese Empress, an audience with the King of Spain, and meetings with other prominent colleagues and statesmen. Entries also contain passages that reveal Einstein's stereotyping of members of various nations and raise questions about his attitudes on race. This beautiful edition features stunning facsimiles of the diary's pages, accompanied by an English translation, an extensive historical introduction, numerous illustrations, and annotations. Supplementary materials include letters, postcards, speeches, and articles, a map of the voyage, a chronology, a bibliography, and an index. Einstein would go on to keep a journal for all succeeding trips abroad, and this first volume of his travel diaries offers an initial, intimate glimpse into a brilliant mind encountering the great, wide world."--provided by Amazon.com. Cover 1 Title 4 Copyright 5 Dedication 6 Contents 8 List of Illustrations 10 Preface 14 Acknowledgments 18 HISTORICAL INTRODUCTION 22 TRAVEL DIARY Japan, Palestine, Spain, 6 October 1922–12 March 1923 100 ADDITIONAL TEXTS 264 1. From Sanehiko Yamamoto, 15 January 1922 264 2. Kurt Blumenfeld: Report on a conversation with Prof. Einstein on the day of his departure to Japan, on 29 September 1922, 12 October 1922 265 3. Speech at Reception in Singapore, 2 November 1922 265 4. “Chat about My Impressions in Japan,” on or after 7 December 1922 266 5. To Sanehiko Yamamoto, 12 December 1922 272 6. To Hans Albert and Eduard Einstein, 17 December 1922 273 7. To Wilhelm Solf, 20 December 1922 274 8. To Jun Ishiwara, between 23 and 29 December 1922 274 9. To Bansui Tsuchii (Doi), 30 December 1922 275 10. To Eiichi Tsuchii (Doi), 30 December 1922 276 11. To Yoshi Yamamoto, 30 December 1922 277 12. Speech at Jewish Reception in Shanghai, 1 January 1923 277 13. To Svante Arrhenius, 10 January 1923 278 14. To Niels Bohr, 10 January 1923 279 15. To Nippon Puroretaria Domei, 22 January 1923 280 16. To Arthur Ruppin, 3 or 5 February 1923 282 17. “Prof. Einstein on His Impressions of Palestine,” before 24 April 1923 282 Chronology of Trip 286 Abbreviations 298 Notes 300 References 354 Index 364