Uncovering Writing

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I really enjoyed this book, which felt more like two in one. The first was Galileo’s observational work, where he used a telescope he built to describe the Moon’s surface, stars invisible to the naked eye and the moons of Jupiter. This breakthrough piece was sandwiched between an introduction and conclusion by Albert Van Helden.

To hear Galileo’s work through Van Helden’s translation was thrilling, but the best parts of this work were the introduction and conclusion. In an easily readable style, he fills in the backstory, context and impact of Galileo’s work when it was published. The telescope itself was controversial: did it really show what was in the heavens or did it only create illusions and distortions? Van Helden briefly explores the philosophical, religious and secular impact of the device and its discoveries. It was a fascinating read and well worth the short time required to engage with this book.