Agnes Mary Clerke and the Rise of Astrophysics [Hardcover]

M. T. Brück (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0521808448 | ISBN-13: 978-0521808446 | Publication Date: May 20, 2002 | Edition: 1

Born in Ireland in the mid-nineteenth century, Agnes Mary Clerke achieved fame as the author of A History of Astronomy during the nineteenth century. Through her quarter-century career, she became the leading commentator on astronomy and astrophysics in the English-speaking world. This biography describes not only the life and work of this extraordinary woman, but also chronicles the development of astronomy in the last decades of pre-Einstein science. Along the way, it introduces many of the great figures in astronomy of that age, including Huggins, Lockyer, Holden, and Pickering.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"BrÜck has written an excellent book. Her thorough research in numerous archives and in Clerke's publications is well documented in the notes, and numerous well-chosen photographs illustrate the text. There is an extremely informative chapter on women in astronomy in the Victorian era... BrÜck paints a fascinating picture of the rich fabric of British astronomy and astrophysics at the end of the nineteenth century. This is a highly readable, well-produced, attractive book." Nature

"This first full-length biography of Clerke, a woman historian of astronomy of the last half of the 19th century, also details a significangt period in the rise of modern astrophysics with the development of larger and better telescopes, the use of photography in the mapping of the skies, and the invention of the spectroheliograph. Working primarily from archival sources, BrÜck has written a detailed, scholarly, and thorough account of both the life and the work of relatively unknown Irish woman of science. The careful documentation includes photographs of the astronomers and their work." Choice

Book Description

Born in Ireland in the mid-nineteenth century, Agnes Clerke achieved fame as the author of A History of Astronomy during the Nineteenth Century. But how exactly did a woman with no formal education come to write such a work? In this absorbing account, Mary Bruck investigates what drove this woman who would eventually become one of the leading commentators on astrophysics in the world. Her story will fascinate not only scientists, but everyone who admires intellectual achievement brought about through love of learning and sheer hard work.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 286 pages
• Publisher: Cambridge University Press; 1 edition (May 20, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0521808448
• ISBN-13: 978-0521808446
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.5 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #4,151,588 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars THE FIRST LADY OF ASTRONOMY, January 17, 2003

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MISS M.COX (UK) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Agnes Mary Clerke and the Rise of Astrophysics (Hardcover)

This books tells the fascinating story of Agnes Mary Clerke, one of the finest writers on astronomy who has ever lived. She was born in the small Irish town of Skibereen in the mid-nineteenth century, never had an academic education, but by her own efforts and skill became an expert on all aspects of astronomy. Her "History of Astronomy in the Nineteenth Century" went thorough 4 editions - the last one in 1902 - and is still quoted as a classic of its kind.The width and depth of her knowledge and the style of her writing are without match.

Mary Bruck does more than justice to Miss Clerke, chronicling her early life in Ireland, her years in Italy and in London, and introducing us to the best known astronomers of her day, who all met Agnes and corresponded with her. It is written in non-technical language and is an extrmely accessible and readable account of a fascinating life. It would appeal to those interested in the history of science and women's achievments, and in biography in general. Highly recommended.