Elusive: The Man Behind the Higgs Boson

The first major biography of Peter Higgs, revealing how a short burst of work changed modern physics.

On July 4, 2012, the world witnessed a historic scientific breakthrough—the discovery of the Higgs boson, the elusive particle that explains why matter has mass. At the center of it all stood a quiet, unassuming figure: Peter Higgs, the man whose name became synonymous with one of physics' greatest mysteries. But who was Higgs, and how did a scientist with a relatively modest body of work come to be one of the most celebrated physicists of our time?

In Elusive, Frank Close peels back the layers of both the man and the science, drawing from years of conversations with Higgs and those who knew him. He reveals how scientific rivalries, institutional politics, and global competition were just as crucial in propelling Higgs to fame as his actual discoveries. More than just a biography, this book is a fascinating exploration of modern physics, the nature of scientific progress, and the forces that shape how history remembers its pioneers.

A revelatory and deeply insightful read, Elusive redefines our understanding of the man behind the boson and the era that made him a legend.