Fateful Lightning

Born in Austria in 1934, Frank X. Baumann lived seven of his childhood years under the Hitler regime of World War II—during which he experienced the events described in the book. The author eventually studied chemistry, and emigrated to Canada, spending more than two years there as an assayer in the Yukon Territory. He came to the US in 1957—where he worked as a chemist, became laboratory director, obtained a Master's degree in Environmental Engineering and qualified as a Professional Corrosion Engineer (CA). He then took the post of chief of the Southern California Laboratory of the California Deptartment of Health Services, from which he retired in 1999. As well, the author spent time in the US Army (also as described in the book) After retirement, Frank X. Baumann and his wife (now of 66 years) moved to the State of Washington.