Galileo (Paperback)

In 1610, Galileo published the Siderius nuncius, or Starry Messenger, a "hurried little masterpiece" in John Heilbron's words. Presenting to the world his remarkable observations using the recently invented telescope--the craters of the moon, the satellites of Jupiter--Galileo dramatically challenged our idea of the perfection of the heavens and the centrality of the Earth in the universe. Indeed, the appearance of the little book is regarded as one of the great moments in the history of science.
Here is a major new biography of Galileo, a fresh and much more rounded view of the great scientist than found in previous works. Unlike previous biographers, Heilbron shows us that Galileo was far more than a mathematician: he was deeply knowledgeable in the arts, an expert on the epic poet Ariosto, a fine lutenist. More important, Heilbron notes that years of reading the poets and experimenting with literary forms were not mere sidebars--they enabled Galileo to write clearly and plausibly about the most implausible things. Indeed, Galileo changed the world not simply because he revolutionized astronomy, but because he conveyed his discoveries so clearly and crisply that they could not be avoided or denied. If ever a discoverer was perfectly prepared to make and exploit his discovery, it was the dexterous humanist Galileo aiming his first telescope at the sky.
In Galileo, John Heilbron captures not only the great scientist, but also the creative, artistic younger man who would ultimately become the champion of Copernicus, the bete-noire of the Jesuits, and the best-known of all martyrs to academic freedom."

General

Imprint:	Oxford UniversityPress
Country of origin:	United Kingdom
Release date:	July 2012
First published:	September 2012
Authors:	John L. Heilbron
Dimensions:	234 x 153 x 39mm (L x W x T)
Format:	Paperback
Pages:	508
ISBN-13:	978-0-19-965598-4
Categories:	Books > Language & Literature > Biography & autobiography > Science, technology & engineering Books > Science & Mathematics > Science: general issues > Popular science Books > Science & Mathematics > Astronomy, space & time > General Books > Humanities > History > World history > 1500 to 1750 Books > History > World history > 1500 to 1750 Books > Biography > Science, technology & engineering Promotions
LSN:	0-19-965598-7
Barcode:	9780199655984

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