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7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Taking the quest for knowledge to extremes, 5 Jul 2004
Historical murder mysteries are invariably captivating reading. When the case occurs three centuries in the past, prosecuting it would seem unspeakably difficult. However, modern forensic techniques can overcome the ravages of time, as the authors demonstrate. When the victim is one of the giants of his times, the effort almost seems worthy of investigation. Whether their case is proven, however, remains questionable.The authors of this book take painstaking care to weave a plausible plot for the unusual death of Tycho Brahe in 1601. Brahe was the first serious observational astronomer in Europe. A devoted empiricist, he took nothing from past "authorities". Only "seeing it for himself" satisfied his need to unravel the mysteries of the heavens. Brahe's abilities and forceful personality brought him wide acclaim. It also brought him the most famous observatories in European history - Uraniborg Castle in Denmark and Benatky near Prague. In line with these fabulous sites, Brahe constructed massive instruments to enable him to make the most precise measurements of the heavens then available. Brahe's obsession with accuracy was recorded in volumes of notes. Too busy watching the stars to analyse his own data, the numbers became the obsession of the defendant in the case, Johannes Kepler. Unlike Brahe's aristocratic background, Kepler was from straightened circumstances. His father had even abandoned the family to fight in the religious wars. His humble beginnings were later offset by an intolerable arrogance - the first step in the Gilder's brief. With monumental mathematical skills he initiated a new theory of planetary motion. For centuries, astrology, of which Kepler was a avowed advocate, was based on a circular orbit. Kepler constructed a new model of planet movement. The proofs, however, lay in Brahe's four decades of observations. How to obtain them became his life's obsession. According to the Gilders, it finally led him to murder. The Gilders recount the sudden onset of urinary problems Brahe suffered during one of the ostentatious banquets he attended. Although there was a period of recovery, Brahe was again subject to the symptoms, finally succumbing. None suspected foul play might have been involved until a 20th Century analysis indicated something was amiss. From the data, the Gilders attempt to reconstruct a scenario. Eliminating various suspects and other causes, such as mishandling toxic materials, they conclude Brahe was the victim of Kepler's ambition to obtain Brahe's data. Although the case is strong, it's hardly air-tight. The biggest flaw is their inability to place Kepler with Brahe at the appropriate times. Motive is the strongest evidence, but hardly convincing enough. Still, this remains an exciting story, offering many insights into the characters' abilities and motivations. [stephen a. haines - Ottawa, Canada]
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by Kitty Ferguson
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