Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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17 of 17 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
The true star of Astronomy!, 16 Feb 2005
By A Customer
This is the best read I have had for years! This marvellous Autobiography certainly depicts Sir Patrick's truly amazing character. This new and revised paperback is full of phenomenal stories and memories. My favourite part of the book is when Sir Patrick describes his meeting with Albert Einstein: "Einstein was a talented violinist, and on this occasion he had a violin with him ... Pressed to show his skill, he said that he needed an accompanist. There was a piano to hand - and so there was Einstein playing Saint-Saens' Swan to my accompaniment." When reading the Autobiography, I felt as though I was actually speaking with Patrick; it is remarkable the way his character shines through in the book - a shining star! All in all this is a fascinating and entertaining book, which would suit anyone who loves a good read!
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12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Star Performer, 28 Feb 2005
By A Customer
This is a fascinating, informative and highly-entertaining book which conveys the passion and humanity of its illustrious author. Moore writes authoratively about astronomy but the book always remains accessible to the average reader. When explaining why only rockets can be used for flight above the top of the atmosphere, he writes:
"Aircraft depend upon having air around them, and there is not much air above a few tens of miles, so that aircraft won't work. Rockets, on the other hand, depend upon what Isaac Newton called the "principle of reaction", every action has an equal and opposite reaction, so that a rocket will, so to speak, push against itself. If this baffles you, blow up a balloon and then suddenly let the air rush out. The balloon will shoot across the room, because it is being pushed by the air streaming out of its exhaust. In a rocket, a jet of gas is produced by a special kind of motor, usually involving a "fuel" and a "propellant", which when mixed together generate heat and send the gases out through the rocket exhaust."
However, the author's attention is not reserved exclusively for extra-terrestrial matters. He describes his fanaticism for cricket and humourously refers to his " curious leg-breaks, delivered at medium pace off a long, kangaroo-hop run and a cartwheel action". I especially enjoyed a delicious chapter entitled "The Tale of Mr Twitmarsh" in which he relishes in mocking incompetent bureaucracy. Forthright views on foxhunting and the European Union also reveal a man who is very much interested in current affairs. Yet the book reveals pathos, too. Patrick has remained a reluctant bachelor following the death of Lorna, " the only girl for me", killed by the Nazis in 1943.
I found this book compelling. It modestly sets its author in the context of the twentieth century and I was fascinated by Moore's decription of his meetings with famous individuals, including Orville Wright, the pioneering aviator, Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin, the first men on the moon, Einstein, H G Wells, Rachmaninov and The Beatles.In short, an excellent read for a modest investment.
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Story of a fascinating life., 4 May 2006
Insightful, entertaining, refreshingly politically incorrect and ultimately human. This story, written on his 1908 typewriter, on which he was written every book and article credited to him, tells the story of a great English institution, a man perfectly comfortable with his beliefs. Some readers may decide to take offence over his use of old fashioned racial terms, as I did at first- but then I decided to grow up. I look forward to his fiftieth year presenting sky at night, for which incidentally he has never had a contract, just a gentleman's agreement.
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by Sir Patrick Moore
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