This might be relevant to understanding Einstein's attitude to Planck:
'According to his sister's memoir, Einstein was anxious about whether his relativity paper would be accepted by the Annalen der Physik. After it was accepted, he eagerly anticipated an immediate reaction to its publication, even though he expected it to be critical. He was greatly disappointed when his paper was not even mentioned in the following issues of the Annalen. Sometime afterward, she recounts, he received a letter from Planck, requesting explanations of a few obscure points in the work. "After the long period of waiting, this was the first sign that his paper was being read at all. The happiness of the young scholar was all the greater, since acknowledgement of his accomplishment came from one of the greatest contemporary physicists. ... At that time Planck's interest signified infinitely much for the morale of the young physicist."'
From Einstein's Miraculous Year by John Stachel (Ed), 1998, P115.
Nearly everything in there does not require a knowledge of physics to understand, though a bit of familiarity with philosophy would make reading it a touch easier.
Question for you guys: Just randomly spotted my post here. I have posted it 2 days ago (as shown in my profile) and thought that it was overlooked or just didn't receive any responses. But, now, on the front page it says that it was posted "5 hours ago".
'According to his sister's memoir, Einstein was anxious about whether his relativity paper would be accepted by the Annalen der Physik. After it was accepted, he eagerly anticipated an immediate reaction to its publication, even though he expected it to be critical. He was greatly disappointed when his paper was not even mentioned in the following issues of the Annalen. Sometime afterward, she recounts, he received a letter from Planck, requesting explanations of a few obscure points in the work. "After the long period of waiting, this was the first sign that his paper was being read at all. The happiness of the young scholar was all the greater, since acknowledgement of his accomplishment came from one of the greatest contemporary physicists. ... At that time Planck's interest signified infinitely much for the morale of the young physicist."'
From Einstein's Miraculous Year by John Stachel (Ed), 1998, P115.