"The author of a highly regarded biography of Albert Einstein sums up his own life... chronicle[s] his passage through momentous times, describing his experiences as a privileged onlooker... Authoritative and valuable historically."
Kirkus Review "Mr. Pais was not just an internationally acclaimed physicist; he was also a Jewish survivor of the Nazi occupation of the Netherlands... [He] includes some lively and ... Read moreevocative sketches of the famous people he knew over the decades... [H]is book has many gripping, informative and charming passages, ... a valuable addition to our store of 20th-century lives."
Richard Bernstein, The New York Times "Abraham Pais is the Samuel Pepys of 20th-century physics... Until now, Pais concentrated on other scientists' work. In A Tale of Two Continents, however, he tells us about his own extraordinary life in the charming, rather formal style that has become his hallmark. Autobiography is an unrivaled way of telling the truth about other people and Pais takes full advantage of this, drawing well-observed portraits of some of his most illustrious acquaintances, including 50 Nobel laureates (yes, he has counted)... Pais seems to have met just about everyone important in shaping modern physics. He draws finely observed vignettes of a host of superstars... "
Graham Farmelo, New Scientist "Written in a straightforward, unpretentious, literate manner, A Tale of Two Continents is an engrossing and gripping document."
Silvan S. Schweber, Physics Today Show Less