Produktdetaljer
Biographical note
Ian Ridpath is an English writer and editor on astronomy and space. He is author of a standard series of observing guides for amateur astronomers: the Collins Stars & Planets Guide (known in the US as the Princeton Stars & Planets Field Guide); Collins Gem Stars; and The Monthly Sky Guide, all illustrated by Wil Tirion, the world's foremost celestial cartographer. He is editor of the authoritative Oxford Dictionary of Astronomy and of the last three editions of Norton's Star Atlas, the longest-established and best-known star atlas in the world. Ian is a recipient of the Astronomical Society of the Pacific's Klumpke-Roberts Award for 'outstanding contributions to the public understanding and appreciation of astronomy', the most prestigious award of its kind. He is a Fellow of the Royal Astronomical Society and a member of the International Astronomical Union, where he serves on its Working Group on Star Names. His interests include collecting antique astronomy books, particularly star atlases.'In this highly readable Star Tales ... Mr Ridpath has splendidly combined astronomy with the lore of classical mythology. '
Adrian Berry, Daily Telegraph
'There is another way to look at [stars and galaxies] - as the creation of human imagination. ... To help steer us round these wonders, Ridpath has produced Star Tales. ... a pleasant amalgam of sheer fancy and historical and scientific fact. The book will help us appreciate how we reached out present awareness.'
Robin McKie, Observer Sunday
'Many readers will welcome this book of tales of the constellations . ... [Ian Ridpath's] list of sources is quite impressive, but the greatest value of the book must lie in the illustrations . ... This is a book to enjoy. It is easily read and does successfully what it sets out to. Ridpath has already earned a reputation as a presenter of the celestial constellations and the real curiosities they contain. ... Now we must see him as an authority on their entertainment value too.'
Rosemary Naylor, Federation of Astronomical Societies
'I thoroughly enjoyed reading this beautifully-illustrated book, and it will be a lovely reference book as well. It is meticulously researched and very well written, and I can recommend it to anyone interested in the constellations from a historical or mythological perspective'
Robert Connon Smith, The Observatory, vol. 139, no.1269, pp.74-5