Boltzmann's Atom by David Lindley

The story of an idea and a man who defended and proved the idea but suffered greatly for fighting against the old ideas. His nemesis Mach was a thorn in his side. His idol Maxwell understood him then found a serious flaw evoking Maxwell's Demon. Lucretius, Clausius, Hertz, Helmholtz, Planck, Gibbs, all played roles. The clarification of the second "Law" of thermodynamics as probabilistic is interesting. Josiah Willard Gibbs emerges as almost as interesting as the hero of the tale.