13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
A compelling, engaging book that you won't put down., June 12, 2002
This review is from: Edwin Hubble: Mariner of the Nebulae (Paperback)
If you ever wondered why the Hubble Telescope is called the Hubble Telescope, I have a book that has the answer for you. In an age where all you have to do to have a highway or bridge or named after you is get elected to some minor office (the "Eric Winkler Parkway" ???) and where all you have to do to be referred to as a "genius" is guide an NFL team to a winning record ("Tampa sure has turned around since Smith arrived to handle the coaching chores haven't they Dandy? Yes Frank, they sure have, Coach Smith is a genius"), it is sobering to meet true genius -- warts and all.
When I was in high school, I studied nothing but sciences - with a particular emphasis on Physics and Astronomy - As a child I dreamed of being an astronomer - I built my own telescope. But then fate intervened and I ended up studying English literature and becoming a music lawyer. But later in life, in my early forties, I returned to my first love via a series of general interest science books. One of those books was "Edwin Hubble, Mariner of the Nebulae".
This compelling, lovely book was written by Gale Christianson, the author of an equally engaging portrait of Isaac Newton. Christianson is a Professor of History and writes with a down to earth, straightforward style. He writes for the general reader and does not presume that you are grounded in science or astronomy. So do not fear - dragons be not here.
Hubble is easily one of the most important figures to have graced the 20th century - or for that matter all of history. If you think that is an overstatement, then factor this into your thinking. This one man is responsible, virtually single-handedly, for several of the most important discoveries of all time. It was with reference to a discovery of Hubble's that the famous Harlow Shapley remarked, "here is the [discovery] that has destroyed my universe".
1. It was Hubble who confirmed the existence of other nebulae, what are now called galaxies, outside of the "Milky Way". This seems trite now, but it was not at ALL obvious at the time. Having discovered a Cepheid variable in Andromeda he was able to measure the distance to that body of stars -- the results of his calculation (using the period/luminosity relationship (discovered by Henrietta Leavitt in 1912) that makes Cepheids the standard candles of the universe) proved beyond a doubt that Andromeda was much farther away athan any star in the Milky Way.
2. It was Hubble who proved that the universe was expanding (and worked out the famous "Hubble Constant")- an insight of incalculable significance that laid the cornerstone for the Big Bang theory.
3. It was Hubble who developed the system of classification for galaxies that is used to this day.
4. It was Hubble who brought forward evidence that the universe is homogenous - i.e., the same in all directions.
Incredibly, he never won the Nobel Prize - he died before they got around to recognising him.
But this is only part of the story. For Hubble was probably one of the most unlikeable men of all time. He was arrogant, unkind, a publicity hound, revoltingly condescending and patronising, and at times even dishonest. A considerable portion of the book is devoted to exploring his extraordinary "reinvention of himself". A polite way of saying that he made up stories about his past life to enhance his reputation - for example he claimed to have practised law.
Shinning out of the pages of this book, like one of his Cepheid Variables, is the story of his truly extraordinary wife Grace who put up with everything and was constant and faithful to a fault.
I guarantee that you will not be able to put this book down. You will be by turns elated, repulsed, amazed, disappointed, astounded and saddened. I very nearly wept during the achingly touching Epilogue. It is one of those special books that you will return to more than once.
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6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A worthy biography of a complex subject..., December 2, 2001
This review is from: Edwin Hubble: Mariner of the Nebulae (Paperback)
One of the most remarkable astronomers of all time, and the one who generally gets the credit for the biggest revolution since Copernicus: Hubble was the one who recognized that the universe is expanding, and who first articulated the principle that bears his name, that of the expansion constant, the "Hubble" constant.
This outstanding work does a good job of tracing his early years, a task made difficult by the fact that his wife destroyed many of his personal papers after his death. Hubble was enigmatic, aloof, and possibly disingenuous. He shed his Missouri roots and donned the polished exterior of a Brit. He was a shameless anglophile to the end of his life.
He had a knack for asking the right questions at the right time, and being a talented enough observer to get the data needed to address those questions. (...)
Christianson's work is an honest treatment of a difficult and complex subject. She doesn't gloss over the rough spots or try to sugar coat his scientific accomplishments. This is thoroughly researched and well written work.
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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Thoughts On the Book, April 2, 2005
This review is from: Edwin Hubble: Mariner of the Nebulae (Paperback)
Gale Christianson's biography on Edwin Hubble is the story of possibly the greatest astronomer of our time. The book includes interesting nuances about Hubble's life as well as all of his discoveries in his work. It was obvious that the author had a great amount of respect for Hubble's discoveries as well as a lot of fascination over his life. The book is extremely informative, sharing all of the details of Hubble's life as well as those of the people important to Hubble. The book is quite recommendable both as a biography, and also as an astronomy book. It teaches a significant amount on the basic terms and ideas of astronomy as well as touching on some of the more advanced concepts. The book is a wonderful account of the life of a great astronomer and the history of astronomy.
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