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Old 01-04-2010, 09:29 PM
astro744
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Join Date: Apr 2007
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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.
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