When I started writing papers in the 1960s I had an ambition to have 100 co-authors. This target has been hit (exceeded); this is a study of some of the co-authors- possibly the most notable.
1. Valerie Smalley. Properly the first co-author; the most important person in my life. A rather reluctant co-author- but we did an interesting note in Nature on the tensile strength of granular materials; and a useful review on loess for a Sedimentology book by Messrs.Brookfield & Ahlbrandt.
2. Claudio Vita-Finzi. I went to UCL and met Claudio; almost immediately he proposed a joint paper- we wrote on Desert Loess (for J.Sed.Pet.), and then on Systems Theory for GSAB. Desert loess did well and provoked some responses.
3. David Unwin. Talented people were jostling around at UCL. Dave Unwin wanted to publish a paper in J.Glaciology so we wrote on drumlin formation. This also proved popular and it turned out that we had been more creative than we realised.
4. R.U.Cooke. Another UCL star; Ron Cooke was a fairly junior person back then (we all predicted great things). He wanted to have a piece in Nature so we wrote on salt weathering in deserts. A few simple calculations of thermal expansion, but very popular & long-lasting.
5. J.G.Cabrera. From Bolivia to Leeds; with Joe Cabrera a long term cooperation (1968-1978). I can make some careful claims: we published the first SEM picture of the structure of a clay soil in Nature (we might claim this as the first clay SEM)- no doubt about the first SEM picture of loess material in GSAB. Joe was there at the beginning of the first dive into thermogravimetry and helped set up the first thermobalances. He was interested in the Red Soils (the laterites) and these make good subjects for TG examination. We published the basic paper for the 'inactive particle' theory of quick clay behaviour.
6. R.L.S.Taylor. Dick Taylor was the great leader and activator of the South London Astronomical Society. We wrote several papers for Science Journal. SJ was set up as a sort of British version of Scientific American, and it appeared to be doing quite well (making a modest profit) when it was suddenly closed down by the publishers; a shame, an opportunity missed.
7. Jerzy Cegla. We had great plans but we only published one paper together; the first SEM studies of the Polish loess. Jerzy established the link to Wroclaw but was killed in a tragic accident and a great geo-scientist was lost.
8. David Krinsley. At Queens College (CUNY) and Churchill College (Cambridge) and various other places. The great pioneer of the SEM study of sand grain surfaces, and a very keen co-author. Sponsored me for my membership of the New York Academy of Sciences- which led indirectly to the whole Loess History project. We published a popular paper on Sand in American Scientist; and we pointed out that loess particles are Zingg 3 blades in Science. Dave was keen to publish in Science, and it did prove a very popular paper.
9. Stephen Bentley. The apotheosis of the TG work. Steve applied the thermobalances to the Canadian quick clays- essentially seeking to characterise and measure the clay mineral content. Success with the St.Jean Vianney clay, and an indication of a very low clay mineral content.
Also some neat studies on potassium hydrogen phthalate to establish it as a useful thermal standard.
10. J.A.Leach. Andrew Leach- is the co-author on the 1978 paper on the Danube loess. Can we claim the beginning of serious studies of loess across the whole Danube basin?- why not. A seminal paper which had a lasting influence. The beginnings of the march to the East- eventually we would be encamped in Vojvodina, enjoying the best of the Danubian loess.
see Part Two for Co-Authors 11-20
1. Valerie Smalley. Properly the first co-author; the most important person in my life. A rather reluctant co-author- but we did an interesting note in Nature on the tensile strength of granular materials; and a useful review on loess for a Sedimentology book by Messrs.Brookfield & Ahlbrandt.
2. Claudio Vita-Finzi. I went to UCL and met Claudio; almost immediately he proposed a joint paper- we wrote on Desert Loess (for J.Sed.Pet.), and then on Systems Theory for GSAB. Desert loess did well and provoked some responses.
 |
| Claudio Vita-Finzi |
3. David Unwin. Talented people were jostling around at UCL. Dave Unwin wanted to publish a paper in J.Glaciology so we wrote on drumlin formation. This also proved popular and it turned out that we had been more creative than we realised.
4. R.U.Cooke. Another UCL star; Ron Cooke was a fairly junior person back then (we all predicted great things). He wanted to have a piece in Nature so we wrote on salt weathering in deserts. A few simple calculations of thermal expansion, but very popular & long-lasting.
5. J.G.Cabrera. From Bolivia to Leeds; with Joe Cabrera a long term cooperation (1968-1978). I can make some careful claims: we published the first SEM picture of the structure of a clay soil in Nature (we might claim this as the first clay SEM)- no doubt about the first SEM picture of loess material in GSAB. Joe was there at the beginning of the first dive into thermogravimetry and helped set up the first thermobalances. He was interested in the Red Soils (the laterites) and these make good subjects for TG examination. We published the basic paper for the 'inactive particle' theory of quick clay behaviour.
6. R.L.S.Taylor. Dick Taylor was the great leader and activator of the South London Astronomical Society. We wrote several papers for Science Journal. SJ was set up as a sort of British version of Scientific American, and it appeared to be doing quite well (making a modest profit) when it was suddenly closed down by the publishers; a shame, an opportunity missed.
7. Jerzy Cegla. We had great plans but we only published one paper together; the first SEM studies of the Polish loess. Jerzy established the link to Wroclaw but was killed in a tragic accident and a great geo-scientist was lost.
 |
| Jerzy Cegla |
8. David Krinsley. At Queens College (CUNY) and Churchill College (Cambridge) and various other places. The great pioneer of the SEM study of sand grain surfaces, and a very keen co-author. Sponsored me for my membership of the New York Academy of Sciences- which led indirectly to the whole Loess History project. We published a popular paper on Sand in American Scientist; and we pointed out that loess particles are Zingg 3 blades in Science. Dave was keen to publish in Science, and it did prove a very popular paper.
9. Stephen Bentley. The apotheosis of the TG work. Steve applied the thermobalances to the Canadian quick clays- essentially seeking to characterise and measure the clay mineral content. Success with the St.Jean Vianney clay, and an indication of a very low clay mineral content.
Also some neat studies on potassium hydrogen phthalate to establish it as a useful thermal standard.
10. J.A.Leach. Andrew Leach- is the co-author on the 1978 paper on the Danube loess. Can we claim the beginning of serious studies of loess across the whole Danube basin?- why not. A seminal paper which had a lasting influence. The beginnings of the march to the East- eventually we would be encamped in Vojvodina, enjoying the best of the Danubian loess.
see Part Two for Co-Authors 11-20
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