Good technical GR history/Einstein bio?

[ramparts]

Hey folks,

I've been looking for a good biography of Einstein, but I'm especially interested in the story of his development of relativity (both of them!) from a technical standpoint. Most of the Einstein bios at, say, the local Barnes and Noble are geared towards a general audience and have scarcely a plus sign, much less a tensor or two! Meanwhile, textbooks explain the theories after we've had a century or so to work them out more cleanly. Can anyone recommend a good book that focuses on the history of relativity as well as the science?

 

[George Jones]

Take a look the biography "Subtle Is the Lord: The Science and the Life of Albert Einstein" by Abraham Pais,

https://www.amazon.com/dp/0192806726/?tag=pfamazon01-20.

 

[Greg Bernhardt]

One book that I would highly recommend is "Einstein: His Life and Universe" by Walter Isaacson. It is a comprehensive biography that delves into Einstein's personal life as well as his scientific achievements. Isaacson also does a great job of explaining the concepts of relativity in a way that is accessible to non-scientists, while also providing enough technical detail for those with a deeper understanding of the subject. Additionally, the book includes many letters and documents from Einstein himself, giving readers a firsthand look at his thought process and development of his theories.