The Mapping of the Heavens

by Peter Whitfield

Throughout history people have sought ways in which to "map" the heavens, often in the form of very beautiful documents. In this highly illustrated book, the author reveals some of the ways in which the structure of the universe has been conceived, explained and depicted. With examples ranging from the Stone Age to the Space Age - ancient observatories, the angelic visions of Dante, images from Copernican revolution, the rationalized heavens of Newton and Flamsteed, through to modern deep space technology - the book offers a challenging exploration of the tension between rigorous scientific knowledge and the continuing search for cause, certainty and harmony in the universe.

Genres: Science, Maps, Art, History, History Of Science

134 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1995

Reviews

[Alan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Undoubtedly this is an impressive book, and you'll find pictures here from both western and eastern astronomers that you're unlikely to find anywhere else. The balanced description of our understanding of the heavens across multiple cultures is nice to read, along with early contributions of the southern hemisphere.

The pictures are beautiful and impressive, some of the line drawings alone make this a unique volume.

Where the book falls down slightly is the dryness and repetition. The dryness comes from being too factual, repetitive with it, and not consistenly following the overall narrative of the section. It's as if the different sections were written by different people, who all (fairly) want to cover some basic ground so as not to assume, and yet the editor failed to read the book as a whole. Hence some going back and forth over previous ground.

If you're after a more readable and friendly coverage of the same topic, give Anne Rooney's Mapping the Universe: Exploring and Chronicling the Cosmos a go first. More eye friendly, and you can always refer back to Mapping the Heavens for a bit more detail.