The History of Astronomy: A Very Short Introduction (Very Short Introductions) [Paperback]

Michael Hoskin (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 31, 2003 | ISBN-10: 0192803069 | ISBN-13: 978-0192803061

This is a fascinating introduction to the history of Western astronomy, from prehistoric times to the origins of astrophysics in the mid-nineteenth century. Historical records are first found in Babylon and Egypt, and after two millennia the arithmetical astronomy of the Babylonians merged with the Greek geometrical approach to culminate in the Almagest of Ptolemy. This legacy was transmitted to the Latin West via Islam, and led to Copernicus's claim that the Earth is in motion. In justifying this Kepler converted astronomy into a branch of dynamics, leading to Newton's universal law of gravity. The book concludes with eighteenth- and nineteenth-century applications of Newton's law, and the first explorations of the universe of stars.

Editorial Reviews

Review

`Packed with information as it is, Hoskin's short introduction makes an astonishingly good read.' Curtis Wilson, JHA

About the Author

Michael Hoskin taught History of Astronomy at Cambridge University for thirty years and was head of the Department of History and Philosophy of Science. He is a Fellow of Churchill College and Emeritus Fellow of St Edmund's College, Cambridge. In 1970 he founded the Journal for the History of Astronomy, which he has edited ever since. He is a former President of the History of Astronomy Commission of the International Astronomical Union, and the only historian to have given an Invited Discourse to the Union. In 2002 the Union named Minor Planet 12223 'Hoskin' in his honor.

Product Details

• Paperback: 136 pages
• Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA (July 31, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0192803069
• ISBN-13: 978-0192803061
• Product Dimensions: 7.1 x 4.4 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #961,132 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Centuries of Astronomy in 123 Pages, March 31, 2007

By 

Steve Ruskin (Colorado, United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The History of Astronomy: A Very Short Introduction (Very Short Introductions) (Paperback)

This is an excellent short history of developments in astronomy from prehistory to the 19th century. And there is perhaps no one better suited than Michael Hoskin to write it: he is the editor of the `Cambridge Illustrated History of Astronomy'; he has also been the long-standing editor of the `Journal for the History of Astronomy.' He if anyone can distill millennia of stargazing to under 125 pages.

The six short chapters cover the sky in prehistory, astronomy in antiquity, astronomy in the middle ages, the Copernican revolution, astronomy in the age of Newton, and developments in stellar and nebular astronomy (looking beyond our solar system). The book also provides a number of useful illustrations.

This is a great primer, a perfect pocket introduction to the history of astronomy.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Wonderful Introduction to Astronomy, September 30, 2010

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Dr. Bojan Tunguz (Indiana, USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The History of Astronomy: A Very Short Introduction (Very Short Introductions) (Paperback)

Astronomy is one of the oldest intellectual disciplines, and together with mathematics it has a distinction that its history can be traced continuously for several thousands of years. In fact, it is probably much older than mathematics, since we have indirect evidence that even the Stone Age peoples had used positions of stars in the sky for navigation, not to mention all the effort that had gone in the understandings of the sun and the moon. It is maybe somewhat surprising to the moderns that for the better part of its history astronomy had a very practical and sometimes crucial role to play in human societies. As has already been mentioned, being able to predict positions of the stars was invaluable in navigation, and the monthly and yearly positions of the moon and the sun were crucial for the planning of large and predictable agricultural projects.

This very short introduction aims to recapture some of these historical developments. It deals with all the major highlights in the (recorded) history of astronomy up to the middle of the nineteenth century. It is a fascinating look at the way that our understanding of the humanity's place in the universe has developed. I particularly enjoyed the fact that the author did not go down the trite and misleading "religion vs. science" path when approaching this subject, and showed how for each astronomical development there have been many points of view within religious community itself. Furthermore, many (most?) religions do rely on astronomical phenomena for their religious observances, and have throughout history been major supporters of astronomical research.

This is very well written and accessible book. As someone who enjoys reading about both history and science I have been practically glued to it. I highly recommend it.

4 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A lucid overview, July 17, 2007

By 

D. Stover (Toronto, ON) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The History of Astronomy: A Very Short Introduction (Very Short Introductions) (Paperback)

Lucid overview of the development of astronomy as a science, from ancient times till the mid-19th century.