Galileo's Daughter is a rich and unforgettable story.Despite its title, this impressive book proves to be less the story of Galileo's elder daughter, the oldest of his three illegitimate children, and more the story of Galileo himself and his trial before the Inquisition for arguing that Earth moves around the Sun. Sobel illuminates an entire era, when one man fought to reconcile the Heaven he revered as a good Catholic with the heavens he revealed through his telescope. Galileo's Daughter tells the story of the most dramatic collision in history between science and religion. The letters reveal a loving relationship, a mutual passion for science and a unique insight into early modern history, all woven into Dava Sobel's compelling narrative. Dava Sobel reveals the short life of Sister Marie Celeste through the 120 letters the nun wrote to her father from 1623 to her death ten years later from exposure, malnutrition and a broken heart at the age of 33 years. She was perhaps her father's equal in brilliance, industry and sensibility, and she proved to be his greatest source of strength through his most difficult years. Since there could be no hope of marriage for his illegitimate daughter Galileo placed her, aged thirteen, in the convent of San Mateo in Arcetri. Galileo is brought to life here as never before - a man boldly compelled to explain the truths he discovered, human in his frailties and faith, devoted to his family and, especially, to his daughter. For this belief was tried for heresy and threatened with torture. His telescopes allowed him to reveal a new reality in the heavens and to defend the astounding proposition that the earth actually moves around the Sun. His inventions and discoveries were heralded around the world.
Galileo Galilei (1564-1642) was the foremost scientist of his day. Galileo's Daughter is the story of the relationship between the great Italian scientist Galileo and his daughter, by the author of Longitude.
0 kommentar(er)
