Noboru Hirota has produced a major historical analysis of how the field of chemistry has evolved over centuries. Spanning more than eight hundred pages, this book presents an exhaustive study of the field, showing how ground-breaking discoveries were made and innovative theories were constructed, with personal portrayals and interesting anecdotes of pioneering scholars. Positioning chemistry carefully within the natural sciences, the author rejects the traditional separation of physics, chemistry and biology, defines chemistry broadly as the 'science of atoms and molecules, ' and traces its dynamic history with an emphasis on 20th century developments and more recent findings. Professor Hirota himself has spearheaded research in physical chemistry for more than four decades in Japan and the United States, with cutting-edge engagement with magnetic resonance, spectroscopy, and photochemistry. This publication invites specialized researchers to traverse the pathways along which the subject developed into its present form and to understand how their own research fits into the broad scope of science as a whole. *****Chosen as an Outstanding Academic Title for 2017 by Choice Magazine In addition, the Choice subject editors have chosen A History of Modern Chemistry as one of their top favorite 25 titles ***There are many books on the history of chemistry, but few that provide a comprehensive overview of the field up to the modern day. This book admirably fills that need. Overall, this is an excellent book and is strongly recommended. --Choice, Vol. 54, No. 7, March 2017 Subject: History of Science, Chemistry