The Sun Kings: The Unexpected Tragedy of Richard Carrington and the Tale of How Modern Astronomy Began (Hardcover)

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Review
In this well-researched and very well-written book, Clark tells the embattled, little-known history of modern astronomy, a spry tale full of intrigue, jealousy, spite, dedication and perseverance.
(Publishers Weekly )

Here is popular science at its best: accurate, meticulously researched . . . and full of adventures.
(Simon Mitton Times Higher Education )

The techniques of Carrington and his contemporaries gave birth to the new science of astrophysics, which can probe questions about the structure, function, and origin of the stars, planets, and the universe at large. . . . From Carrington's observations, Clark spins a lively account of seminal discoveries in spectroscopy, photography, and theoretical physics that led to the present-day understanding.
(Laurence A. Marschall Natural History )

Science journalist Stuart Clark, in his new book The Sun Kings, places [English amateur astronomer Richard] Carrington at the fulcrum of a century-long debate over the effects of sunspots, because he drew on two very different sorts of scientific observations--studies of sunspots and of the Earth's magnetic field--that together would eventually allow astronomers to see the relation between solar and terrestrial activity.
(Alex Soojung-Kim Pang American Scientist )

Well paced and well chosen, Clark's history will delight science readers.
(Booklist )

Meticulously researched, The Sun Kings chronicles the largely untold story of the inception of modern astrophysics in marvelous detail.
(SEED Magazine )

We still don't understand the sun, but Clark shows with verve and assurance how it is that we understand so much more than we used to.
(Lorien Kaye The Age )

A tale of ongoing speculations and proofs, The Sun Kings reveals, above all, Stuart Clark's passion for all things astronomical.
(Brett Josef Grubisic Vancouver Sun )

Stuart Clark's The Sun Kings is a compelling account of how astronomers came to understand solar flares, sunspots, and magnetic storms. It is also a vivid portrait of the scientific climate of a vanished era.... The Sun Kings is an excellent and fast-paced read for anyone interested in astronomy, history, or human drama, as well as important context for understanding some of the reasons Earth's climate changes over time.
(Melissa A. Barton BookSlut.com )

The Sun Kings uncovers much of the history of how we came to understand how solar flares and associated phenomena can wreak havoc on Earth.... This is popular science history told with rare accuracy and enough intrigue to keep the reader entertained.
(Neil Bone Astronomy Now )

Each story is told with the clarity required to keep the non-expert engrossed and the stories are entertaining and genuinely fascinating.
(Bruce Elder Sydney Morning Herald )

Simply telling the history of scientific solar observations and the beginnings of modern astronomy and making the writing a page-turner would be a difficult feat, but Clark does it superbly. This is not a dry scientific chronology but a story of real men and women who had lives beyond the science they performed.... Well-written and well-researched with a thorough bibliography and index.
(M.V. Golden Choice )

The all-powerful, infinitely fragile nexus between Earth and its sun drives Stuart Clark's riveting study of astronomer Richard Carrington, dubbed the Sun King by his 19th-century English peers. Carrington's specialty was sunspots and solar flares, but the real drama here is off-telescope.
(Tony Maniaty The Australian )

Stuart Clark's The Sun Kings is a lively, informative discourse on the research that led to a discovery that in Victorian times was revolutionary: a cause-and-effect relationship between events on the Sun and Earth. Although the book is biographical, the science is not secondary: The characters and their research are skillfully interwoven in the narrative. The inclusion of the discoveries and personas of so many of the pioneers of Victorian astrophysics will make Clark's book an enjoyable and meaningful read for anyone, professional physicist and layperson alike, who has an interest in the roots of physics and astronomy...Clark is writing for a popular science audience who will enjoy his lively and eminently readable account of the lives and scientific careers of those whose work furthered the understanding of the Sun-Earth connection.
(Richard C. Canfield Physics Today )

What a delight! This is an enthralling account of the personal lives of the scientists who first demonstrated the Sun's dominant influence over Earthly affairs and laid the foundation for modern astronomy and astrophysics. This is a fast-moving, accurate, and fascinating story of diverse personalities, their families, ambitions, hopes, and struggles, their passion for knowledge, for awards, positions and recognition, and the inevitable roles that pride, greed, jealousy, and resentments played in deciding the tragedies, fame and fortune of the founders of modern astronomy.
(Manuel K. Oliver Twenty-first Century Science and Technology )

Run, don't walk, to your nearest . . . store to buy The Sun Kings. . . . It is a remarkable book.
(Jeff Kuhn Nature Physics )

This is a fascinating and fast-paced narrative.
(Allan Chapman The Observatory )

Clark's engaging and authoritative account of the early years of solar-terrestrial science will he especially valuable as an introduction to space weather for undergraduates and beginning graduate students. It will also appeal more generally as a first-rate scientific detective story involving flesh-and-blood characters.
(Edward W. Cliver Space Weather Quarterly )

Review
In this sprightly and spirited narrative, a few determined scientists set out to correlate the pattern of dark spots on the Sun's face with the igniting of earthly aurora, the interruption of telegraph (later satellite) transmissions, and even the price of wheat in England. Of course, the world thought them mad. The 'sun kings,' as Stuart Clark so aptly names these pioneers, persevered through ridicule, animosity, and personal tragedy to forge a link across space and fathom the true nature of the Sun. I found myself captivated by the characters, the colossal problems they tackled, and the stunning conclusions they finally reached. I commend Clark for combining so many interesting ideas into a single, fast-paced, beautifully crafted story.
(Dava Sobel, author of "Longitude, Galileo's Daughter, and The Planets" )

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4 Reviews 5 star:  (3) 4 star:  (1) 3 star:    (0) 2 star:    (0) 1 star:    (0)           Average Customer Review 4.8 out of 5 stars (4 customer reviews)		Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review
Most Helpful Customer Reviews   7 of 8 people found the following review helpful: 5.0 out of 5 stars Tragic Tale, Great Book..., 12 Aug 2007 By  RPF (Middlesex) - See all my reviews I have to confess that despite a long interest in Astronomy, Richard Carrington was unknown to me. Stuart Clark redresses this and tells Richard Carrington's tragic tale (and it really is tragic) with consummate skill and ease. I will leave future readers to discover the tragedy, but Richard Carrington observed an enormous solar flare in 1859, one that would appear to be the largest ever recorded, and its subsequent aurora on Earth. The connection between the two was unknown at the time and now it seems surprising that so many eminent scientists were ready to dismiss the link. Interwoven with Richard Carrington's tale, the author relates the work of many other scientists that have contributed to our understanding of the Sun. Jealously, love, money and animosity all enter into this tale. Some scientists now believe that the Sun directly affects global warming and global cooling, regardless, or in addition to, the Earth's atmosphere and greenhouse gases within it. A final interesting chapter of the book examines how past observations may support that theory. The prices of wheat have never seemed so relevant before! So many popular science books fail to live up to my expectations, but I can assure you that this is a very well written book and a very satisfying read. Sir Patrick Moore reviewed this book and concluded that it is an essential purchase for your library. And let's face it, he can't be wrong! Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)   5 of 6 people found the following review helpful: 4.0 out of 5 stars Dawn of astrophysics, 4 Jul 2007 By  Dr. S. A. Mitton "Simon Mitton" (Cambridge UK) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)    This is an excellent account about how the study of our daytime star ushered in the new science of astrophysics. This book is popular science writing at its best. The science concerns the recognition that the Sun exerts a serious hold over the Earth: solar flares and solar magnetism have direct effects, such as the phenomenon of the aurora. This account scores with its detail in terms of the people who made it all happen: tragic Richard Carrington, William Herschel, Warren de la Rue ,and Walter Maunder. If you like reading about the history of astronomy,you will find this account deeply rewarding. Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)   4 of 6 people found the following review helpful: 5.0 out of 5 stars Popular science at its best, 22 Jan 2008 By  Dr. John Emsley - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)    This book kept me captivated and was a delight to read. Not only has it been carefully researched from the scientific point of view, but it has lots of fascinating personal details of the lives of those who struggled to show that the Sun has a great deal of influence on the Earth's climate and human affairs. Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this) Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review › See all 4 customer reviews...		Most Recent Customer Reviews 5.0 out of 5 stars Scientists as people Of all the objects in our sky, the sun is undoubtedly the most important. Without it, our little planet would be a lifeless ball of ice. Read more Published 5 months ago by Michael W. Perry Search Customer Reviews Only search this product's reviews › See all 4 customer reviews...

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