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The Resource The book nobody read : chasing the revolutions of Nicolaus Copernicus, Owen Gingerich

The book nobody read : chasing the revolutions of Nicolaus Copernicus, Owen Gingerich

Creator
Summary
Publisher's description: In the spring of 1543 as the celebrated astronomer, Nicolaus Copernicus, lay on his death bed, his fellow clerics brought him a long-awaited package: the final printed pages of the book he had worked on for many years: De revolutionibus (On the Revolutions of the Heavenly Spheres). Though Copernicus would not live to hear of its extraordinary impact, his book, which first suggested that the Sun, not the Earth, was the center of the universe, is today recognized as one of the most influential scientific works of all timethanks in part to astrophysicist Owen Gingerich. Four and a half centuries after its initial publication, Gingerich embarked on an epic quest to see in person all extant copies of the first and second editions of De revolutionibus. He was inspired by two contradictory pieces of information: Arthur Koestler's claim, in his book The Sleepwalkers, that nobody had read Copernicus's book when it was published; and Gingerich's discovery, in Edinburgh, of a first edition richly annotated in the margins by the leading teacher of astronomy in Europe in the 1540s. If one copy had been so quickly appreciated, Gingerich reasoned, perhaps others were as well--and perhaps they could throw new light on a hinge point in the history of astronomy. After three decades of investigation, and after traveling hundreds of thousands of miles across the globe--from Melbourne to Moscow, Boston to Beijing--Gingerich has written an utterly original book built on his experience and the remarkable insights gleaned from examining some 600 copies of De revolutionibus. He found the books owned and annotated by Galileo, Kepler and many other lesser-known astronomers whom he brings back to life, which illuminate the long, reluctant process of accepting the Sun-centered cosmos and highlight the historic tensions between science and the Catholic Church. He traced the ownership of individual copies through the hands of saints, heretics, scalawags, and bibliomaniacs. He was called as the expert witness in the theft of one copy, witnessed the dramatic auction of another, and proves conclusively that De revolutionibus was as inspirational as it was revolutionary. Part biography of a book, part scientific exploration, part bibliographic detective story, The Book Nobody Read recolors the history of cosmology and offers new appreciation of the enduring power of an extraordinary book and its ideas
Language
eng
Work
Publication
Extent
1 online resource (xii, 306 pages
Contents
  • A day in court
  • The chase begins
  • In the steps of Copernicus
  • The lenten pretzel and the Epicycles myth
  • "Embellished by a distinguished man"
  • The moment of truth
  • The Wittich connection
  • Bigger books linger longer
  • Forbidden games
  • The hub of the universe
  • The invisible college
  • Planetary influences
  • Sophisticated ladies
  • The iron curtain : before and after
  • Putting the census to bed
Link
Instance
Label
The book nobody read : chasing the revolutions of Nicolaus Copernicus
Title
The book nobody read
Title remainder
chasing the revolutions of Nicolaus Copernicus
Statement of responsibility
Owen Gingerich
Creator
Subject
Genre
Language
eng
Summary
Publisher's description: In the spring of 1543 as the celebrated astronomer, Nicolaus Copernicus, lay on his death bed, his fellow clerics brought him a long-awaited package: the final printed pages of the book he had worked on for many years: De revolutionibus (On the Revolutions of the Heavenly Spheres). Though Copernicus would not live to hear of its extraordinary impact, his book, which first suggested that the Sun, not the Earth, was the center of the universe, is today recognized as one of the most influential scientific works of all timethanks in part to astrophysicist Owen Gingerich. Four and a half centuries after its initial publication, Gingerich embarked on an epic quest to see in person all extant copies of the first and second editions of De revolutionibus. He was inspired by two contradictory pieces of information: Arthur Koestler's claim, in his book The Sleepwalkers, that nobody had read Copernicus's book when it was published; and Gingerich's discovery, in Edinburgh, of a first edition richly annotated in the margins by the leading teacher of astronomy in Europe in the 1540s. If one copy had been so quickly appreciated, Gingerich reasoned, perhaps others were as well--and perhaps they could throw new light on a hinge point in the history of astronomy. After three decades of investigation, and after traveling hundreds of thousands of miles across the globe--from Melbourne to Moscow, Boston to Beijing--Gingerich has written an utterly original book built on his experience and the remarkable insights gleaned from examining some 600 copies of De revolutionibus. He found the books owned and annotated by Galileo, Kepler and many other lesser-known astronomers whom he brings back to life, which illuminate the long, reluctant process of accepting the Sun-centered cosmos and highlight the historic tensions between science and the Catholic Church. He traced the ownership of individual copies through the hands of saints, heretics, scalawags, and bibliomaniacs. He was called as the expert witness in the theft of one copy, witnessed the dramatic auction of another, and proves conclusively that De revolutionibus was as inspirational as it was revolutionary. Part biography of a book, part scientific exploration, part bibliographic detective story, The Book Nobody Read recolors the history of cosmology and offers new appreciation of the enduring power of an extraordinary book and its ideas
Cataloging source
DLC
http://library.link/vocab/creatorName
Gingerich, Owen
Dewey number
520
Illustrations
illustrations
Index
index present
LC call number
QB41
LC item number
.G38 2004
Literary form
non fiction
Nature of contents
  • dictionaries
  • bibliography
http://library.link/vocab/subjectName
  • Copernicus, Nicolaus
  • Astronomy
  • Cosmology
  • Astronomy
  • History, 16th Century
  • Copernicus, Nicolaus
  • Sterrenkunde
  • De revolutionibus orbium coelestium (Copernicus)
  • Kopernikus, Nikolaus
  • Rezeption
Label
The book nobody read : chasing the revolutions of Nicolaus Copernicus, Owen Gingerich
Link
Instantiates
Publication
Bibliography note
Includes bibliographical references (p. 281-288) and index
Contents
A day in court -- The chase begins -- In the steps of Copernicus -- The lenten pretzel and the Epicycles myth -- "Embellished by a distinguished man" -- The moment of truth -- The Wittich connection -- Bigger books linger longer -- Forbidden games -- The hub of the universe -- The invisible college -- Planetary influences -- Sophisticated ladies -- The iron curtain : before and after -- Putting the census to bed
Extent
1 online resource (xii, 306 pages
Form of item
online
Other physical details
illustrations (some color))
Specific material designation
remote
System control number
(OCoLC)1028856313
Label
The book nobody read : chasing the revolutions of Nicolaus Copernicus, Owen Gingerich
Link
Publication
Bibliography note
Includes bibliographical references (p. 281-288) and index
Contents
A day in court -- The chase begins -- In the steps of Copernicus -- The lenten pretzel and the Epicycles myth -- "Embellished by a distinguished man" -- The moment of truth -- The Wittich connection -- Bigger books linger longer -- Forbidden games -- The hub of the universe -- The invisible college -- Planetary influences -- Sophisticated ladies -- The iron curtain : before and after -- Putting the census to bed
Extent
1 online resource (xii, 306 pages
Form of item
online
Other physical details
illustrations (some color))
Specific material designation
remote
System control number
(OCoLC)1028856313

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