The Crime of Galileo (Paperback)

by Giorgio de Santillana (Author) "IN MARCH, 1610, Galileo announced to the world, in his Message from the Stars, the discovery of the telescope..." (more)
Key Phrases: personal prohibition, theological letters, salutary penance, Holy Office, Grand Duke, Cardinal Bellarmine (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

"In the gallery of what might be called the martyrs of thought, the image of Galileo recanting before the Italian Inquisition stirs the minds of educated modern men second only to the picture of Socrates drinking the Hemlock. That image of Galileo is out of focus . . . because it has been distorted by three centuries of rationalist prejudice and clerical polemics. To refocus it clearly, within the logic of its own time . . . de Santillana has written The Crime of Galileo, a masterly intellectual whodunit which traces not the life but the mental footsteps of Galileo on his road to personal tragedy."—Time

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Product Details Paperback: 354 pages Publisher: University Of Chicago Press (June 15, 1978) Language: English ISBN-10: 0226734811 ISBN-13: 978-0226734811 Product Dimensions: 9 x 6.1 x 0.8 inches Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies) Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars See all reviews (5 customer reviews) Amazon.com Sales Rank: #467,756 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Front Cover | Table of Contents | First Pages | Index | Back Cover | Surprise Me!

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Inside This Book (learn more)

First Sentence:
IN MARCH, 1610, Galileo announced to the world, in his Message from the Stars, the discovery of the telescope. Read the first page

Key Phrases - Statistically Improbable Phrases (SIPs): (learn more)
personal prohibition, theological letters, salutary penance, solar spots, vehement suspicion, diurnal motion

Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
Holy Office, Grand Duke, Cardinal Bellarmine, Lord Cardinal, Holy Scripture, Signor Galileo, Holy Congregation, Grand Duchess, Maffeo Barberini, Preliminary Commission, Galileo Galilei, Francesco Barberini, Master of the Holy Palace, General Congregation, Father Grienberger, Father Riccardi, Filippo Salviati, Lord's Holiness, Tommaso Caccini, Father Monster, Father Ximenes, Great World Systems, Matteo Caccini, Santa Maria, Collegio Romano

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Front Cover | Table of Contents | First Pages | Index | Back Cover | Surprise Me!

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Citations (learn more)

This book cites 4 books:

• Defense of Galileo (History , Philosophy & Sociology of Science) by Thomas Campanella on 4 pages
• Holy Scripture: The Ground and Pillar of Our Faith, Volume III: The Writings of the Church Fathers Affirming the Reformation Principle of Sola Scriptura. by David T. King on page 23
• What If by Bonnie M. Cardinal on page 89
• What Is to Be Done? (Twentieth Century Classics) by Vladimir Ilyich Lenin on page 79

 

100 books cite this book:

• The Sleepwalkers: A History of Man's Changing Vision of the Universe (Arkana) by Arthur Koestler on 5 pages
• Galileo and the Church: Political Inquisition or Critical Dialogue? by Rivka Feldhay on 4 pages
• Physicists in Conflict by Neil A. Porter on 4 pages
• The Church And Galileo (Studies in Science and the Humanities from the Reilly Center for Science Technology and Values) by Ernan McMullin on 4 pages
• Galileo's Daughter: A Historical Memoir of Science, Faith, and Love by Dava Sobel on 4 pages

See all 100 books citing this book

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Books on Related Topics (learn more)

Galileo's Daughter by Dava Sobel

Discusses:

• salutary penance
• solar spots
• vehement suspicion

Science and Religion by Gary B. Ferngren

Discusses:

• vehement suspicion
• diurnal motion
• Galileo Galilei

The Sleepwalkers by Arthur Koestler

Discusses:

• salutary penance
• solar spots
• vehement suspicion

Galileo, Courtier by Mario Biagioli

Discusses:

• vehement suspicion
• Holy Office
• Signor Galileo

The Galileo Affair by Maurice A. Finocchiaro

Discusses:

• vehement suspicion
• diurnal motion
• Holy Office

Novelties in the Heavens by Jean Dietz Moss

Discusses:

• solar spots
• Cardinal Bellarmine
• Grand Duchess

Galileo's Daughter by Dava Sobel Discusses: salutary penance solar spots vehement suspicion Science and Religion by Gary B. Ferngren Discusses: vehement suspicion diurnal motion Galileo Galilei The Sleepwalkers by Arthur Koestler Discusses: salutary penance solar spots vehement suspicion Galileo, Courtier by Mario Biagioli Discusses: vehement suspicion Holy Office Signor Galileo Loading...

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Customer Reviews

5 Reviews 5 star:  (4) 4 star:    (0) 3 star:    (0) 2 star:    (0) 1 star:  (1)           Average Customer Review 4.2 out of 5 stars (5 customer reviews)		Share your thoughts with other customers:
Most Helpful Customer Reviews 45 of 51 people found the following review helpful: 5.0 out of 5 stars Galileo vs. Academia, June 4, 1998 By A Customer A great book! It appears that Galileo is not the perfect icon, after all, for atheistic, modern day academia. The book shows how academia itself, with complete indifference for truth, erupted against Galileo in an effort to protect cherished allegiances to long held Aristotelian philosophies and misguided ideas. It demonstrates how academia was primarily responsible for the inquisitions and suppressions filed against Galileo, and how they used rhetoric and demagoguery to incite church authorities to become involved. "Those he feared," according to the author, "were the professors," not ecclesiastical authorities (p 8). And "like Galileo, Copernicus had foreseen resistance not at all from the Church authorities but from vested academic interests"(p 16). "It was not ... religious convictions that stood in the way but simply ... Aristotelian conditioning and ... fear of scandal" (p 104). The author supports his case with a thorough and chronological review of the letters and legal records of the time. 15 of 17 people found the following review helpful: 5.0 out of 5 stars The most useful book on Galileo so far, June 2, 2002 By  Nick "Nick" (Bloomington, Indiana) - See all my reviews If you're just looking for a casual read then perhaps Dava Sobel's 'Galileo's Daughter' or Arthur Koestler's 'The Sleepwalkers' would be more entertaining. But this is where Koestler gets most of his information so why not go straight to the source? Giorgio de Santillana is obviously a terrific Galileo scholar, making reference to original documents held in the Vatican and other worthwhile resources which put this book on the forefront of academic debate (despite its age). Santillana's line, that the inquisition was moved to action by Aristotelians (many of whom were Dominicans or Jesuits), though not universally accepted, is well argued. The fact that Pope Urban VIII had been one of Galileo's closest supporters and even opposed the censoring of Copernicus when he was Cardinal Maffeo Barberini makes Santillana's the most plausible explanation. To argue that all the church authorities were adamantly opposed to the Copernican cosmology is to ignore this fact. Though one must also allow for the petulant character of Urban who did not like having his instrumentalist views put into the mouth of a simpleton. These are the two factors which conspired to have Galileo tried for heresy and not simply the scriptural objections. 5.0 out of 5 stars Galileo's Trial still timely today, May 21, 2008 By  Ivan D. Alexander "Ivan Alexander" (California, USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)    In 1616 Galileo got the necessary imprimatur for his publication of the famous "Dialogue" from the Roman Catholic Church, with Pope Urban VIII's approval. The Church was shying away from burning heretics, as happened to Giordano Bruno only 16 years earlier in Rome's Campo dei Fiori, whose crime of heresy was punished severely (he said the universe is infinite with no edge and every point its center, among other things Copernican), so Urban agreed that in principle Copernican ideas could be entertained, along with mathematics, as 'speculations' not to contradict Scripture. The Scholars of the time were uncomfortable with this, in addition to which there was scholastic-political contest going between the Jesuits and Dominicans, and 16 years after publishing the Dialogue, Galileo was summoned by the Holy Inquisition to Rome. By then he was already an old man approaching 70, well respected socially; the trip was a great hardship on his frail health, but he did go and answer the call. He really had no choice, and though supported by some members of high social and academic standing who believed he was in the clear, there was an element of dread to this journey. The rest of it is exceptionally fascinating reading, well researched with only a few pieces missing, or guessed at, to bring to completion Galileo's trial and sentencing. I found the book riveting to the end and languished on the last few pages for the joy of reading it. Though de Santillana wrote this book more than half a century ago, it is timely for our day when once again religious dogmas, some of which had been dormant since the Enlightenment, are re-surfacing to challenge the reason of Science, including Sharia sympathizers. The 'trial' appears not yet over.		Ad feedback   Most Recent Customer Reviews 5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent book, if over-written I am enjoying this book very much- it is a gem of historical scholarship, though the writing is a bit odd and overindulgent at points. Read more Published 16 months ago by B. Braun 1.0 out of 5 stars Distortions of history This book offers a selective and distorted history, apparently in an effort to keep the Catholic Church from suffering blame for unsavory little errors in its past. Read more Published on February 20, 2001 by Rena Yount Search Customer Reviews Only search this product's reviews

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Product Details

• Paperback: 354 pages
• Publisher: University Of Chicago Press (June 15, 1978)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0226734811
• ISBN-13: 978-0226734811
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6.1 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #467,756 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

45 of 51 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Galileo vs. Academia, June 4, 1998

By A Customer

A great book! It appears that Galileo is not the perfect icon, after all, for atheistic, modern day academia. The book shows how academia itself, with complete indifference for truth, erupted against Galileo in an effort to protect cherished allegiances to long held Aristotelian philosophies and misguided ideas. It demonstrates how academia was primarily responsible for the inquisitions and suppressions filed against Galileo, and how they used rhetoric and demagoguery to incite church authorities to become involved. "Those he feared," according to the author, "were the professors," not ecclesiastical authorities (p 8). And "like Galileo, Copernicus had foreseen resistance not at all from the Church authorities but from vested academic interests"(p 16). "It was not ... religious convictions that stood in the way but simply ... Aristotelian conditioning and ... fear of scandal" (p 104). The author supports his case with a thorough and chronological review of the letters and legal records of the time.

15 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The most useful book on Galileo so far, June 2, 2002

By	Nick "Nick" (Bloomington, Indiana) - See all my reviews

If you're just looking for a casual read then perhaps Dava Sobel's 'Galileo's Daughter' or Arthur Koestler's 'The Sleepwalkers' would be more entertaining. But this is where Koestler gets most of his information so why not go straight to the source?
Giorgio de Santillana is obviously a terrific Galileo scholar, making reference to original documents held in the Vatican and other worthwhile resources which put this book on the forefront of academic debate (despite its age).
Santillana's line, that the inquisition was moved to action by Aristotelians (many of whom were Dominicans or Jesuits), though not universally accepted, is well argued. The fact that Pope Urban VIII had been one of Galileo's closest supporters and even opposed the censoring of Copernicus when he was Cardinal Maffeo Barberini makes Santillana's the most plausible explanation. To argue that all the church authorities were adamantly opposed to the Copernican cosmology is to ignore this fact. Though one must also allow for the petulant character of Urban who did not like having his instrumentalist views put into the mouth of a simpleton. These are the two factors which conspired to have Galileo tried for heresy and not simply the scriptural objections.

5.0 out of 5 stars Galileo's Trial still timely today, May 21, 2008

By	Ivan D. Alexander "Ivan Alexander" (California, USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

In 1616 Galileo got the necessary imprimatur for his publication of the famous "Dialogue" from the Roman Catholic Church, with Pope Urban VIII's approval. The Church was shying away from burning heretics, as happened to Giordano Bruno only 16 years earlier in Rome's Campo dei Fiori, whose crime of heresy was punished severely (he said the universe is infinite with no edge and every point its center, among other things Copernican), so Urban agreed that in principle Copernican ideas could be entertained, along with mathematics, as 'speculations' not to contradict Scripture. The Scholars of the time were uncomfortable with this, in addition to which there was scholastic-political contest going between the Jesuits and Dominicans, and 16 years after publishing the Dialogue, Galileo was summoned by the Holy Inquisition to Rome. By then he was already an old man approaching 70, well respected socially; the trip was a great hardship on his frail health, but he did go and answer the call. He really had no choice, and though supported by some members of high social and academic standing who believed he was in the clear, there was an element of dread to this journey. The rest of it is exceptionally fascinating reading, well researched with only a few pieces missing, or guessed at, to bring to completion Galileo's trial and sentencing. I found the book riveting to the end and languished on the last few pages for the joy of reading it. Though de Santillana wrote this book more than half a century ago, it is timely for our day when once again religious dogmas, some of which had been dormant since the Enlightenment, are re-surfacing to challenge the reason of Science, including Sharia sympathizers. The 'trial' appears not yet over.