Books by Giles Sparrow

A beautiful showcase of Johann Doppelmayr's magnificent Atlas Coelestis that deconstructs its intricately drawn plates and explores its influential ideas. Showcasing Johann Doppelmayr's magnificent 1742 map of the cosmos, Atlas Coelestis, this spectacular guide to the heavens is also a superb introduction to the fundamentals and history of astronomy. Charting constellations, planets, comets and moons, Doppelmayr's Atlas presents the ideas and discoveries of many famous and influential astronomers, including Copernicus, Riccioli, Kepler, Newton and Halley, in intricate colour plates that interweave annotated diagrams and tables with figurative drawings and ornamental features. Here, you can appreciate the beauty of those exquisite astronomical and cosmographical plates and comprehend the details, which are also presented in step-by-step deconstructed form. Astronomer Giles Sparrow elucidates the scientific ideas inherent in each plate, expertly decoding and analysing the complex information contained in them and placing Doppelmayr's sumptuous Atlas in the context of the ground-breaking discoveries made during the Renaissance and Enlightenment periods. A spectacular, revelatory celestial compendium to the cosmos, Phaenomena expands on and explains Doppelmayr's original, awe-inspiring Atlas and reflects upon its influence on the development of the science of astronomy to the present day.

For 20 years the Hubble Space Telescope has been hurtling around our planet at 17,500 mph sending spectacularly sharp images of the universe back to Earth. Hubble is a visual celebration of this large and versatile telescope's astonishing scientific and technical achievements. This fully revised and updated edition of Hubble: Window on the Universe (Legacy Edition) showcases the very latest and clearest images of galaxies, nebulae, quasars, exploding stars and stellar nurseries. More than 200 remarkable cosmic images reveal the inner workings of the solar system, the expansion of the Universe, the birth and death of stars, the formation of planetary nebulae, the dynamics of galaxies and the mysterious force known as 'dark energy'. Featuring the history of the project from its origins and launch in 1990, the discovery and emergency repair of a defective mirror, the impact of subsequent servicing missions and finally, its extraordinary legacy this stunning giant volume will take you on a journey through the universe via 200 glorious full-colour images.

This comprehensive book presents in-depth information in a way that is engaging and accessible to young readers.

An illuminating exploration into the story of Galileo's fight for truth, and the birth of modern science, beautifully retold in this sumptuous gift book.

The 50 key concepts of astronomy, fully explained and illustrated

Stars and Planets is an ideal reference book for anyone interested in astronomy, featuring 300 well-known stars, planets, moons, constellations and other cosmological phenomena, such as black holes and quasars. Each entry includes an image and a key information table, presented in a handy, pocket-size format, full of facts and engaging text.

The fastest way to learn the facts of physics, from fluid dynamics to quarks and gluons.