We received Stargazers: Galileo, Copernicus the Telescope and the Church by Alan Chapman last year from the publisher, Lion Hudson Plc. Stargazers centers around the history of astronomy and its relevance to the precarious position science found itself in under the wings of the Catholic Church, which was strongly opposed to advancement and the freedom of information for the general public. While the title states it actively addresses the contributions made by Galileo and Copernicus to the study of astronomy, the book actually does a well-rounded and broad review of astronomical history as a whole with a strong concentration on the Renaissance Era between the years of 1500 and 1700.
Galileo's contribution represent about 14% of the book; it goes on to cover the revolutionary and controversial stigma Copernicus' astronomical views had upon the Catholic Church and society at the time. Also addressed in the book is Aristotle's view of the universe, the role Protestants played in the advancement of science at the time and the Jesuit missionaries’ telescope.
Kepler's laws of motion and Tycho Brahe’s view of the Earth being the center of the universe, which was in direct contradiction to Copernicus’ view of the universe, is also covered in the book, as well are historical references to Francis Bacon, the Royal Society and International Fellowship of Science.
What I specifically like about this book, which I always make an effort to highlight, is the thorough research the author has done into the history of astronomy for this publishing. Being a well qualified professional in the field, he has every right to write the text based upon his own knowledge, yet he chose to present ample references for his writings.
Something I believe that many authors that write within the history genre should do, which I do when referencing books or topics in the nonfiction genre, is include relevant reading suggestions. I’ve done this for my latest book analyses for Into Thin Air by Jon Krakauer and The Climb by Anatoli Boukreev about the 1996 Everest Disaster. The author offers quite a few suggested readings, and there are many historically sourced illustrations in the book to provide a complete index that makes this book a true reference source for any project.
In our final review, we give this book a 5 star rating.
We recommend this book to people who enjoy the following genres:
- History
- Astronomy
- Biographies
- The Renaissance Era
- The Catholic Church
- Religious History
- Reference Books
About Stargazers: Galileo, Copernicus the Telescope and the Church
The period from 1500–1700 saw an unprecedented renaissance in astronomy and the understanding of the heavens. In this magnificent tour de force, scientific historian Dr Allan Chapman guides us through two hundred years of mapping the stars. He shows how Copernicus, Galileo, Tycho Brahe, and Kepler were all part of a huge movement, which included many churchmen, questing for knowledge of the skies. Chapman explores whether Galileo and his ilk were so unusual for their time, bright sparks of knowledge in a sea of ignorance. Or were contemporary Popes, churchmen, and rulers actually fascinated by astronomy, and open to new ideas? Within these pages Copernicus and Galileo find company with Jesuit missionary astronomers in China, Calvinist physicists in Leiden, Bishop John Wilkins’s “Flying Chariot” destined for the moon, Johannes Hevelius, Jeremiah Horrocks, Robert Hooke, Sir Isaac Newton, the early Royal Society, and the Revd James Bradley, who finally detected the earth’s motion in space in 1728. -Amazon Description.
About Allan Chapman FRAS
Allan Chapman FRAS is a British historian of science. He was born in Swinton, Lancashire, England and grew up in the Pendlebury and Clifton districts of the then Swinton and Pendlebury borough. Having attended the local Cromwell Road Secondary Modern School for Boys, Sefton Road, Pendlebury (1957–1962), he then gained his first degree from the University of Lancaster. Subsequently, he undertook a history of science DPhil at Wadham College, Oxford. He is a historian by training and his special interests are astronomy and scientific biography. -Wikipedia Bio
Allan Chapman has written other books within the astronomy and science genre, including Mary Somerville: And the World of Science, Astronomical Instruments and Their Users: Tycho Brahe to William Lassell (Collected Studies), and The Victorian Amateur Astronomer: Independent Astronomical Research in Britain 1820 - 1920 (Wiley PRAXIS Series in Astronomy & Astrophysics). The author has also written England's Leonardo: Robert Hooke and the Seventeenth Century Scientific Revolution, Gods in the Sky: Astronomy Religion and Culture from the Ancients to the Renaissance, and Slaying the Dragons: Destroying Myths in the History of Science and Faith, among other works be found on the author's Amazon Author Page.
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