Star Tales [Hardcover]

Ian Ridpath (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 1988

Every night, a pageant of Greek mythology circles overhead. Perseus flies to the rescue of Andromeda, Orion faces the charge of the snorting Bull, and the ship of the Argonauts sails in search of the Golden Fleece. Constellations are the invention of the human imagination, not of nature. They are an expression of the human desire to impress its own order upon the apparent chaos of the night sky. Modern science tells us that these twinkling points of light are glowing balls of gas, but the ancient Greeks, to whom we owe many of our constellations, knew nothing of this. Ian Ridpath, well-known astronomy writer and broadcaster, has been intrigued by the myths of the stars for many years. Star Tales is the first modern guide to combine all the fascinating myths in one book, illustrated with the beautiful and evocative engravings from two of the leading star atlases: Johann Bode's Uranographia of 1801 and John Flamsteed's Atlas Ceolestis of 1729. This is an excellent reference and the perfect gift for the armchair astronomer and those interested in classical mythology alike.

--This text refers to an alternate Hardcover edition.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

YA-- Ridpath relates an amazing history of star gazing that was first recorded by the Sumerians in 2000 b.c. By 150 a.d. , Ptolemy, the Greek astronomer, had recognized the 48 constellations which are the basis for modern astronomy. An additional 40 constellations that were below the Greek horizon are also discussed. The illustrations, magnificent engravings reproduced from John Flamsted's Atlas Coelestris (1729) and the Uranographia star atlas of Johann Bode (1801), show the figures inhabiting the night skies. Astronomy today deals with quasars, red giants, white dwarfs, and other phenomena. Ridpath's book relates a simpler time in celestial history. A useful book for any situation in which mythology is researched or taught in the curriculum.
- Anne Paget, Episcopal High School, Bellaire, Tex.
Copyright 1989 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal

Ridpath, author of Universe Guide to Stars and Planets ( LJ 1//15/85), explains in readable, concise, and reliable terms the origin and meaning of constellations, the 88 star patterns visible in the night sky. He emphasizes throughout that these configurations are a product of the human imagination and, as such, the patterns have changed throughout history. The author shows how Greek and Roman mythology shaped these celestial images into the assemblages of figures we see today. Each constellation is well explained using sufficient detail. Most public libraries will want this wonderful story of star tales.
- Robert Paul, Dickinson Coll., Carlisle, Pa.
Copyright 1989 Reed Business Information, Inc.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 161 pages
• Publisher: Universe Pub (December 1988)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0876636946
• ISBN-13: 978-0876636947
• Product Dimensions: 10 x 6.8 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,346,432 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Many of today's amateur stargazers learned their way around the night sky with the observing guides of Ian Ridpath. Among these are The Monthly Sky Guide, now in its 8th edition; the Collins Stars and Planets Guide (known in the US as the Princeton Field Guide to Stars and Planets), now in its 4th edition; and Collins Gem Stars. A particular interest of Ian's is the Greek myths of the constellations, which he wrote about in his book Star Tales.

Ian is editor of the authoritative Oxford Dictionary of Astronomy and is a former Council member of the Royal Astronomical Society. He was a major contributor to the recent Dorling Kindersley encyclopedia Universe, and is author of Dorling Kindersley's Eyewitness Companion to Astronomy.

He is also a leading UFO skeptic and is well-known for his investigation and explanation of Britain's leading UFO case, the Rendlesham Forest Incident.

For more about Ian Ridpath, see his personal website
http://www.ianridpath.com
and his entry in Wikipedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ian_Ridpath

Support pages for Ian Ridpath's books in print can be found here
http://www.ianridpath.com/books/support.htm

For talks by Ian Ridpath see
http://www.ianridpath.com/cv/lectures.htm

Read Ian Ridpath's author blog
http://ianridpathauthorblog.blogspot.com/

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars very good for what it is, January 29, 2003

By 

Diana Nier (Ithaca, NY, United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Star Tales (Hardcover)

Ian Ridpath's "Star Tales" is exactly what its title says: a collection of the myths and legends (mostly Greek) attached to the 88 recognized constellations. The constellations are listed in alphabetical order, each with its accompanying history and legends and often with an illustration from old star charts -- ones that drew pictures over the collections of stars instead of linking the stars with straight lines. The use of archaic star charts makes it difficult to properly identify any individual stars Ridpath mentions, since they are only marked as alpha, beta, epsilon, etc. in those pictures -- and the writing is very small! It is also hard to transfer those free-form pictures to the more popular connect-the-dots view of constellations.

However, Ridpath never claims to be writing about how to find constellations or identify interesting stars. He promises to tell stories, and he does. Exhaustively. With all alternate versions, plus references to the ancient Sumerian myths from which many Greek constellations sprang. He also includes a discussion about the origins of star tales and a list of the more well-known obsolete constellations.

In short, "Star Tales" is a book with a deliberately limited subject matter that it treats intelligently and in great detail. So long as you don't expect anything else from it, you'll be fine. (Some of the stories are awfully fun in their own right, too!)