Review by Choice Review
Stoyan, editor in chief of an astronomy journal and proprietor of an independent German publisher that specializes in amateur astronomy books, has authored an amazingly beautiful large format book. The German title is more descriptive: Die 30 größten Kometen in Wissenschaft, Kultur und Kunst (The 30 Greatest Comets in Science, Culture and Art). The translation is excellent, and a stunning array of images accompanies the text. The introductory section describes how comets have been perceived throughout history (often with fear) and have been represented in art, literature, and poetry. Comets in antiquity and the Middle Ages are discussed, as well as the science today, which is not highly technical or mathematical. Twenty-four great comets that appeared from 1471 to 2007, plus six separate apparitions of Comet Halley, are detailed. A description of each comet's orbit, visibility, and discovery and the public's reaction is accompanied by a table of data, a chart showing the comet's position against a star chart through the period of visibility, drawings or photographs, and occasional cultural artifacts (e.g., posters). These rare charts indicate each comet's position at discovery, closest approach to Earth, perihelion, and final observation as well as indications of the varying length of the tail. A useful glossary, bibliography, and index are included. Summing Up: Highly recommended. General readers and lower-division undergraduates. --Mary-Kay Hemenway, University of Texas at Austin
Copyright American Library Association, used with permission.
Review by Choice Review
