| |||||||||||||||
Did you know you can trade in your old books for an Amazon.co.uk Gift Card to spend on the things you want? Plus, get an extra £5 Gift Certificate when you trade in books worth £10 or more before June 30, 2012. Visit the Books Trade-In Store for more details. |
Product details
|
More About the Author
Product Description
Times Higher, 23 July 2004
...a fascinating piece of science policy and science history.
Review
This is an exceptionally readable history of the 50-years-plus evolution of large ground-based telescopes from the era of 'cowboy' astronomers to the present day. Historian Patrick McCray shows how profound changes in the sociology of astronomy alternately drove or reflected the development of giant telescopes in the late 20th and early 21st centuries.--Stephen P. Maran"Sky and Telescope" (08/01/2004)
Inside This Book
(Learn More)
Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Index | Back Cover
Explore More
Concordance
Browse Sample PagesConcordance
Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Index | Back Cover
Tag this product(What's this?)Think of a tag as a keyword or label you consider is strongly related to this product.
Tags will help all customers organise and find favourite items. |
Sell a Digital Version of This Book in the Kindle Store
If you are a publisher or author and hold the digital rights to a book, you can sell a digital version of it in our Kindle Store.
Learn more
Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
My initial disappointment with this book being about the politics of astronomy was offset somewhat by the author's fresh and concise style of writing. But it quickly becomes apparent that the book should really have been entitled "American Giant Telescopes", as the discussion is firmly America-centric. A historical account of the move from privately-funded university instruments available only to elite observers, to open-to-all 'on merit' use at federally-funded observatories, the story is, at times, a fascinating one. The role of military equipment in developing adaptive optics for astronomy, the emergence of optical interferometry, and the rapidly accelerating development of electronic imaging devices in the 60's and 70s, are amongst the interesting aspects all-too-briefly discussed in this book.
The book also touches on how the nature of being an astronomer has changed with the technology and ways of working. The story progresses from romantic stories of the old guard astronomer, sitting all night atop the 200 inch Palomar telescope, to technician operated, remotely-controlled observing sessions booked by large study groups. The meat of the book considers in some detail the sometimes protracted political wranglings and character clashes behind the development - and ultimate realisation - of big ideas such as the Gemini suite of instruments. Throughout, the stubborn and often blinkered nature of the academic community, particularly when it comes to competition between scientists, is clearly evident.
The book is printed on appallingly poor paper, not much better that that of an old comic, and the author could have done with a much better photo researcher - those included are few and strangely outdated; a photo of a 'modern' telescope control room is from "ca. 1988".
Although well written, and occasionally interesting, the overall story is simply one long account of the politics behind astronomical observatories, with little to engage an amateur observer. It's a book typical of the sort academics write about their forebears, in the hope that their boss pats them on the back and says "good lad, now have a promotion". Unless you've a perversely keen interest in American astronomy's political history, I'd say most people would be well advised to keep the money firmly in their pockets!
Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta)
Amazon.com:
4 reviews
7 of 7 people found the following review helpful
The post-war development of US astronomy
9 May 2004
Format:Hardcover
This is a very well-researched history of the twists and
turns of post-war US large telescope astronomy and its
desire to retain leadership against growing competition
from Europe and Japan. The story involves a seemingly
endless conflict between private and publicly-funded
astronomers and differing mirror technologies and their
outspoken advocates, against a backdrop of
international partners attempting to join the US effort
and simultaneously knock some order in the US process.
turns of post-war US large telescope astronomy and its
desire to retain leadership against growing competition
from Europe and Japan. The story involves a seemingly
endless conflict between private and publicly-funded
astronomers and differing mirror technologies and their
outspoken advocates, against a backdrop of
international partners attempting to join the US effort
and simultaneously knock some order in the US process.
McCray has worked hard to produce a very readable
account. Whether you are a practising astronomer or
interested in how hard it is to synthesize US scientific
opinion, this is well worth reading.
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
Highly enjoyable story of astronomers and science
9 April 2008
Format:Paperback
I got this book as a present and really liked it. It tells the story of how ground-based telescopes have developed since the 1940s. The book is very readable and covers the subject very thoroughly. The scientific material is presented clearly, especially for non-specialists.
For the reviewer who didn't like that there were "too many people": this isn't a technical manual, it's a history. I was really impressed that the author conducted more than 120 hours of interviews with scientists and engineers, in addition to visiting numerous observatories. You can't understand the development of these telescopes without explaining how people and institutions decided what projects to pursue.
For the reviewer who didn't like that there were "too many people": this isn't a technical manual, it's a history. I was really impressed that the author conducted more than 120 hours of interviews with scientists and engineers, in addition to visiting numerous observatories. You can't understand the development of these telescopes without explaining how people and institutions decided what projects to pursue.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
Giant Telescopes
21 Dec 2008
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
Focuses (sorry about that) a bit more on proposals and politics than technical matters, which is what I am interested in. Still a good book.
Were these reviews helpful?
Let us know
Listmania!
Look for similar items by category
- Books > Science & Nature > Astronomy & Cosmology > Astronomy > Star Gazing
- Books > Science & Nature > Astronomy & Cosmology > Astronomy > Stars & Interstellar Matter
- Books > Science & Nature > Astronomy & Cosmology > Astronomy > Telescopes & Equipment
- Books > Science & Nature > Engineering & Technology > Electronics & Communications Engineering > Electronics Engineering > Applied Optics
- Books > Science & Nature > Physics > Light, Optics & Laser
Look for similar items by subject
Feedback
- Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?
- I am the Author, and I want to comment on my book.
- I am the Publisher, and I want to comment on this book.
|
