Empire Of The Stars: Friendship, Obsession and Betrayal in the Quest for Black Holes [Hardcover]

A fascinating book . . . a well-researched chronicle of how powerful intellects confronted some of the most fascinating challenges in the world of science - and how they confronted each other as well (Martin Rees, SUNDAY TIMES )

So beautifully written that I read it in one sitting . . . A lively and exciting narrative . . . A "must read" for anyone interested in the history of science (NATURE )

*'Fascinating . . . A quite brilliant account . . . based on meticulous and thoughtful research ... Sheds new light on on the personalities of the two leading participants and on the very nature of scientific research (Graham Farmelo, SUNDAY TELEGRAPH )

Arthur I. Miller's EMPIRE OF THE STARS dramatically succeeds in conveying the clash of scientific ideas and the personal conflicts underlying Chandrasekhar's remarkable anticipation of the existence of black holes in our universe. This is a story that ne (Roger Penrose )

'Remarkable . . . This is a story that needs to be told’

‘Miller is an excellent historian’

‘A fascinating book'

FERMATS LAST THEOREM meets THE FLY IN THE CATHEDRAL -- a compelling story of one of the 20th century's most important intellectual duels.

SIMON WINCHESTER meets SIMON SINGH in this dramatic, character-driven story

'Fascinating . . . a quite brilliant account . . . based on meticulous and thoughtful research'

In August 1930, on a boat trip from Bombay to England, the young Indian scientist Subrahmanyan Chandrasekhar calculated that certain stars could end their lives by collapsing indefinitely to a point -- to nowhere. This idea brought Chandra into conflict with Sir Arthur Eddington, the grand old man of British astrophysics, who publicly ridiculed the idea.

EMPIRE OF THE STARS will tease out the major implications of this infamous event, setting it against the backdrop of the turbulent growth of astrophysics and providing a unique window on our unfolding view of the cosmos. In its clash of personalities, epochs and cultures, the story reveals the deep-seated psychological and philosophical prejudices at work in the acceptance and rejection of new scientific ideas.

Beautifully written, artfully constructed, EMPIRE OF THE STARS is a serious book but one which also deals with classic themes -- a lone man struggling against the establishment, intellectual rivalry and the highs and lows of great individuals set against the broader sweep of history.

SHORTLISTED FOR THE AVENTIS PRIZE FOR SCIENCE BOOKS 2006

Arthur I. Miller is Professor of History and Philosophy of Science at University College London. He is an experienced broadcaster, lecturer and biographer. His last book was nominated for a Pulitzer Prize.