Looking for a really good history book on astronomy

[M_Lewis]

I had recently attended a lecture at the AAQ which had a lot of history involved between the various englishmen, french and germans of the era. After reading the various snippets of history throughout the 2010 astro book, I found I really enjoy a good history read.

Can anyone suggest some books that would really align with the historical progression of astronomy throughout the years, but told in a way that captures the reader, rather than just pages of text with more pages of text following?

Cheers

Mark

[astroron]

Try this book by Fred Watson, it is a great read and very informative:thumbsup:
Stargazer: the life and times of the telescope

By Fred Watson

Fred is also a good friend to us amateur Astronomers

[astro744]

The first book I thoroughly recommend is Planets and Perception: Telescopic Views and Interpretations, 1609-1909 by William Sheehan, University of Arizona Press, Tucson.

This is an excellent book on how astronomers interpreted (and mis-interpreted) their observations with a large part of the book dedicated to the observations of Mars.

The second book is Epic Moon: A history of lunar exploration in the age of the telescope by William P. Sheehan and Thomas A. Dobbins published by Willmann-Bell, Inc. I am yet to read this one but flicking through the book I can see numerous sketches and drawings from the time of Galileo to Apollo.

Sheehan's writing style is very engrossing and I thoroughly enjoyed Planets and Perception although it was many years ago that I read it. I bought Epic Moon solely because Sheehan was a co-author.

See http://www.uapress.arizona.edu/BOOKS/BID425.htm

and http://www.willbell.com/history/index.htm

I think you will enjoy both books very much.

You may also be interested in Bibliography of Astronomers by Paul Luther, Willmann-Bell, Inc but this book is just that, a bibliography nicely presented in hard cloth textured cover.

[M_Lewis]

Thanks for the suggestions - I'll go find a good book store and check them out :)

[Waxing_Gibbous]

"The Sleepwalkers" by Arthur Koestler.
A bit of a 'read' at times, by very detailed.

[Brian W]

Hi Google has digitized many fine astronomy books and they are free. You might start with George F. Chambers book entitled 'Astronomy'. He goes into the history of telescopes, the history of observations on some objects and his singular ambition was to interest people in observing. As well with a little searching E.S. Holdens monograph on the central portions of M-42 is downloadable and it covers just about every significant observation from the very start of telescopes.
Brian

[M_Lewis]

also great info Brian - thanks as well, will be checking this out.

Cheers

[lacad01]

"The Georgian Star", by Micahel Lemonick is a good read about William and Caroline Herschel. Have also read "Stargazer", by Fred Watson and it's an excellent book.

[Rodstar]

I have this book also (a signed copy from Fred), and it is very good. Fred is a great story teller, with lots of funny anecdotes mixed with solid historiography.

However, it is really only a history of the telescope as opposed to being a history of astronomy per se. I would suggest something else if you want to understand the overall history of astronomy, or of astrophysics.

There are lots of good general astronomy texts at most decent second hand book stores. I have picked up quite a few of these....reading them is quite interesting because you see over time how our understanding of the cosmos has changed. For instance, I have one text all about our Milky Way galaxy which was written before Sagittarius A (our black hole) was discovered - indeed before black holes, period, were considered mainstream science.

Happy reading!:thumbsup:

[Jen]

:) Oh i love astro books i have quite a collection now :P
Go to a second hand book store you will be amazed at what you might find in there ;)

[Waxing_Gibbous]

Forgot the bleedin' obvious: "Cosmos" by Carl Sagan.

[iceman]

The "Astronomy 161" podcasts are also a great introduction to the history of astronomy and our understanding of how the night sky works.

[astroron]

Me Too:rolleyes:

[UniPol]

One of my all time favourites is "And There Was Light - The Discovery of the Universe" by Rudolph Thiel 1957 (Translated from the German by Richard and Clara Winston). I have gone through at least three paperback copies since I first read it in the late 1960's as they fell apart. I finally tracked down a first edition hardback from Berkelouws in Paddington. A great read and very hard to put down.

Another great read is the "Astronomy" - Illustrated History published by Cambridge University Press 1997 edited by Michael Hoskin.

Cheers

[Brian W]

Hi, my wife just bought me 'Universe the Definitive Visual Guide' published by DK Books whose web site is WWW.dk.com.

It has stunning visuals, lots of historic tidbits, and understandable science. This is a book worth looking at.
Brian

[Brian W]

Hi again I just checked out their web page and they list the book at @ $90.00
in Australia but we got it for P975 which is about $30.00.
Brian

[Terry B]

I also have the Cambridge book. It is very good.

[dannat]

Cambridge-Concise-History-Astronomy - i think its on the swinburn course booklist

http://www.amazon.com/Cambridge-Concise-History-Astronomy/dp/0521576008

[M_Lewis]

This booklist is growing so I'll have enough material to keep me busy for at least 6 more months of Brisbane cloud :D Really appreciate all the book suggestions, have already finished a few google ebooks since I first asked.

[Quark]

Hi Mark,

The History of Astronomy was one of the units that I did at Swinburne for my Grad Cert Sc in Astronomy and the text, which was excellent, was

"The Cambridge Illustrated History of Astronomy" edited by Michael Hoskin
ISBN 0 521 41158 0 hardback

Regards
Trevor

[lacad01]

Another handy tome I have sitting in the bookshelf is the Collins Encyclopedia of the Universe. Not a bad all rounder in terms of history, science, physics and practical.
http://www.amazon.com/Collins-Encyclopedia-Universe-Ian-Ridpath/dp/0007105851