History books

Since its founding in 1954, CERN has placed strong emphasis on documenting its history. In its early years, documentation was primarily internal. The establishment of the Archives in 1981 marked a major step toward systematic preservation. In 1982 CERN began actively engaging with historians of science, who produced the reports Studies in CERN History and later the three-volumes book History of CERN. Oral history projects were launched to capture firsthand accounts from researchers, engineers, and staff, ensuring that tacit knowledge and personal experiences were not lost. Exhibitions, anniversary publications, and collaborations with historians have further contributed to a structured narrative of CERN’s development.

General

• History of CERN
  • This is a three-volumes scholarly history of CERN covering the period from the start up to 1980, edited by John Krige et al. and published by North-Holland between 1987 and 1996. The series documents the scientific, institutional, and political development of CERN from its founding in the early Cold War period through the late 20th century. It is considered one of the most authoritative historical accounts of modern particle physics and large-scale international scientific collaboration.

• Triology to celebrate CERN's 60th anniversary.
  • The books are three separate works, each focused on a specific topic: theory, experiments, and technology. It was the first time that books, published by third party publishers, covering CERN history were published as open access. The three books are titled:
    • The standard theory of particle physics: essays to celebrate CERN's 60th anniversary
    • 60 years of CERN experiments and discoveries
    • Technology meets research: 60 years of CERN technology

• Infinitely CERN: memories of fifty years of research
  • This is a commemorative volume published in 2004 by CERN in collaboration with Editions Suzanne Hurter. The book marks CERN’s 50th anniversary (1954–2004) and presents a human-centered account of the laboratory’s history. The book was published in English, French, German, Italian, and Spanish.

• A photographic record: 1954–1979
  • This photographic record is a French-English edition of the development of CERN during the first 25 years. The accent is put on people because it is the quality of the people who have given their abilities and their devotion to the Organization that established CERN as one of the world's finest research laboratories.

Discoveries

• Discovery of the Higgs boson
  • This book aimed to be the first and an authoritative exposition of the experimental searches for the Higgs boson. It is edited by Vivek Sharma, member of the CMS collaboration, and Aleandro Nisati, member of the ATLAS collaboration.

• CERN and the Higgs boson: The global quest for the building blocks of reality
  • James Gillies tells the gripping story of particle physics, from the original atomists of ancient Greece, through the people who made the crucial breakthroughs, to CERN itself, one of the most ambitious scientific undertakings of our time, and its eventual confirmation of the Higgs boson. From Roger Cashmore review in the CERN Courier: "CERN and the Higgs Boson is a jolly good read and recommended to everyone. Whilst far from the first book on the Higgs boson, Gillies’ offering distinguishes itself with its concise history and the insider perspective available to him as CERN’s head of communications from 2003 to 2015: the denouement of the hunt for the Higgs."

• Prestigious discoveries at CERN: 1973 neutral currents, 1983 W & Z bosons
  • The discoveries of neutral currents and of the W and Z bosons marked a watershed in the history of CERN. The book provides a historical account of those discoveries and of the construction and testing of the Standard Model. It is edited by Roger Cashmore, Luciano Maiani, and Jean-Pierre Revol. The text is accessible for those interested in particle physics including the educated public.

Proton Synchrotron

• Anniversary album: 25 years PS, 1959–1984
  • This is a French–English edition telling the early story of the commissioning of the PS and 25 first years of operation. The book is richly illustrated with pictures of the principle actors of the day.

• The PS scrap book: 1956-1960
  • A photo album of the early PS days presented to John Adams on his leaving CERN in 1961.

Large Electron-Positron Collider

• LEP - The lord of the collider rings at CERN 1980-2000
  • The book is written by Herwig Schopper, the director-general of CERN during the crucial period of the construction of LEP. Schopper recounts vividly the convoluted decision-making and technical implementation processes—the tunnel alone being a highly challenging geo- and civil engineering project—and the subsequent extremely fruitful period of scientific research. Finally he describes the difficult decision to close down LEP, at a time when the discovery of the Higgs boson seemed within reach.

ALEPH Experiment

• The ALEPH "experience" : 25 years of memories

Large Hadron Collider

• The Large Hadron Collider : a marvel of technology
  • The book is edited by Lyn Evans who was involved the LHC planning as of 1994 and served as the LHC project leader until 2008.

• LHC: Large Hadron Collider
  • Bild der Wissenschaft describes the book as "Sumptuous, extra-large coffee-table book with readily understandable texts.". Peter Ginter has documented the making of the LHC over more than 15 years, not only at CERN, but also by visiting locations across the world where significant contributions have been made to the construction of the LHC.

ATLAS experiment

• ATLAS: a 25-year insider story of the LHC experiment

History of particle physics

The International Symposium on the History of Particle Physics is a forum bringing together leading physicists who have worked in the field with historians, philosophers and other scholars of science who study the discipline.

• 1st International Symposium on the History of Particle Physics : the Birth of Particle Physics

• 2nd International Symposium on the History of Particle Physics
• 3rd International Symposium on the History of Particle Physics: The Rise of the Standard Model - Particle Physics in the 1960s and the 1970s

• 70 years of particle physics
  • Felicitas Pauss and Daniel Treille have compiled a report that presents a selection of topics in particle physics, from the early periods of its existence until today. It is neither a physics textbook nor a formal historical work. It is aimed at specialists in the field, hoping to inform the young ones about the past and to recall important moments to the seniors who want to refresh their memory. Many highlights of our field are described, but less bright periods, doubts, and temporarily wrong paths are not kept hidden, and problems are presented as they appeared at the time.