James Watt, chemist

Published in 2009 by the University of Pittsburgh Press, David Philip Miller’s 'James Watt, Chemist' represents a significant historiographical effort to reframe the legacy of one of the Industrial Revolution’s most iconic figures. While Watt is predominantly remembered as an engineer and improver of the steam engine, Miller utilizes extensive archival research to shift the focus toward his lifelong immersion in chemistry, positioning him as a serious participant in the scientific discourses of the late eighteenth century.

Miller, a scholar noted for his work on the history of science, designed this text to challenge the traditional hagiographic portrayals of Watt as a purely practical inventor. By detailing Watt's collaboration with contemporaries like Joseph Black and his ongoing experimentation, the book provides a more nuanced portrait of the intellectual cross-pollination between chemical theory and mechanical innovation during the Enlightenment. The work was well-received in academic circles for its meticulous use of primary sources and its ability to bridge the gap between technical history and the philosophy of science.