The Sky's Dark Labyrinth

The Sky's Dark Labyrinth #1

by Stuart Clark

At the dawn of the seventeenth century everyone believed that the sun revolved around the earth. Yet some men knew that the heavens did not move as they should. And some men began to suspect that this heresy was in fact the truth. As Europe convulsed in conflict between Catholic and Protestant, these men prepared to die for that truth. This is the story of Kepler and Galileo, two men whose struggle with themselves, with the forces of reaction and with the evidence that changed not simply themselves but our world. The Sky's Dark Labyrinth is the first of a trilogy of novels inspired by the dramatic struggles, personal and professional, and key historical events in man's quest to understand the Universe.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fiction, Historical, Astronomy, Ebooks

283 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2011

About the author

Journalist, award-winning author and broadcaster, Stuart Clark is a brilliant storyteller. Fiction or non-fiction, his work is written with conviction and with passion. In recent years, he has devoted his career to presenting the complex and dynamic world of astronomy to the general public.

His latest work is the pioneering trilogy The Sky's Dark Labyrinth. In the way that CJ Sansom's hugely successful Shardlake series marries crime writing with popular history, so The Sky's Dark Labyrinth trilogy blends gripping, original historical fiction with popular science.

Stuart holds a first-class honours degree and a phd in astrophysics. A Visiting Fellow at the University of Hertfordshire, he is a Fellow of the Royal Astronomical Society and a former Vice Chair of the Association of British Science Writers. But it was his first work of narrative nonfiction, The Sun Kings, that established him as a popular science writer par excellence. Without fail the reviews, ranging from Nature to Bookslut.com, remarked on his exceptional storytelling ability and sheer verve of his writing. It was shortlisted by the Royal Society for their 2008 general science book prize, it won Italy's 2009 Montselice Prize for best scientific translation, and the Association of American Publishers 2007 Professional and Scholarly Publishing Award for Excellence in the Cosmology and Astronomy category.

Stuart is a regular contributor to national and international radio and television programmes and dvd productions. He frequently lectures throughout the UK and, increasingly, throughout the world.

Reviews

[Rudi Landmann · Rating 2 out of 5]

I have very mixed feelings about The Sky’s Dark Labyrinth. I've always thought that Kepler would make an interesting subject for a historical novel. Unfortunately, this is not that book—it reads too much like a popular science book and too little like a novel. The various events recounted never really seemed like a unified story to me, and the characters never seemed like more than names on a page.

In its favour, Clark’s research is meticulous, and the book brims with historical anecdotes and trivia. However, I often had the feeling that these were included out of an obligation to mention incidents to which history attests, not because these incidents advance the plot or the characters. At times, this leaves the book seem like a series of disconnected vignettes.

One feature that I found interesting was the parallel of Kepler’s problems with the Lutheran authorities with Galileo’s problems with their Catholic counterparts. I also thought that Stuart’s portrayal of these conflicts was well balanced, and refrained from the easy option of reducing them to simplistic faith-versus-reason caricatures.

The thing I liked least about this book was the dialogue. The people about whom Clark wrote present particular difficulties for the novellist: they are mostly extremely learned men moving in scholarly and academic circles. Unfortunately, Clark has them explaining things to each other that both characters should find obvious. For example, he has Kepler telling Tycho the importance of a pair of ancient astronomers. Later, he has Kepler explain the origin of the word "catholic" to a Jesuit scholar. To me, this clunkiness made this book "two-star OK" rather than "three-star good".

All said, this was a pleasant and easy read. I think it would have been better written as popular science non-fiction, but I certainly don't regret reading it. I plan to purchase the next volumes in the series as they become available. Kepler, Tycho, and Galileo were all really interesting (and of course important) guys — I'm happy to recommend this to anyone who doesn't know their stories, with the caveats set out above.

[Ruth Seeley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Disclosure: Stuart Clark is a client and I first read this book in manscript form.

I'm thrilled to see that there are still occasions when the traditional publishing process works. I know how hard Stuart has worked on this, his first novel. While I loved it in ms form, I did have some quibbles re consistency of tone although it was always highly readable (I read the manuscript on screen in less than 24 hours, and reading on screen is not my favourite way to read). With the help of a great editor and a willingness on the author's part to put in the time and work required to transform it from a manuscript to a finished novel, I'm delighted to see it's no less readable and is vastly improved. Kepler and Galileo's tribulations at the hands of both the Lutheran and Catholic churches, the tightrope both needed to walk to usher in the Age of Reason and be allowed to do their work, is a fascinating tale, rich with period details and compellingly written.

Now to wait for book 2 in the trilogy, The Sensorium of God, in which I'll learn about Newton and Halley.

[B.A. Spicer · Rating 5 out of 5]

I make no secret of the fact that I am obsessed by the universe and all the science that goes with it. So when I found this book by Stuart Clark, who works for NASA and knows what he's talking about, I was very excited to refresh my knowledge of the people who have made our understanding of the universe today possible. This book is not only for students of astronomy and the cosmos, but is written in an engaging and dramatic style that is accessible to all. Add to this, believable characters, vivid descriptions of 17th century society in Europe and a fascinating insight into the history of this period, with all its conflicts and abuses of power, and you have a powerful novel about real people and real events. Never dry and always accurate, I shall certainly be getting the next book in the trilogy.The Sky's Dark Labyrinth

[Science For The People]

Featured on Skeptically Speaking show #133 on October 9, 2011, during an interview with author Stuart Clark. http://skepticallyspeaking.ca/episode...

Recommended on Skeptically Speaking show #90 on December 17, 2010. http://skepticallyspeaking.ca/episode...

[Tlaura · Rating 3 out of 5]

I didn't expect to like this but part 2 looks promising and so, finding myself sick, I thought I would start spend an evening and start at the beginning. It was better than I expected! Clark follows the life of the early seventeenth century astronomers Johannes Kepler and Galileo Galilei, fictionalizing the personalities presented in James Connor's book "Kepler's Witch" and Dana Sobel's book "Galileo's Daughter" (the latter which I haven't read). As such, Kepler is presented as an uber-mensch, which is ok for a novel (although probably a better work could have presented his real volatility, chauvinism and strangeness without making him totally unsympathetic: he's by far my favorite historical character despite all that). Clark does a terrific job dealing with Kepler's astrology, not whitewashing it and making us understand how progressive thinkers in 1610 could believe in celestial influence. Galileo, though, comes off as more of a cipher and really only sustains the narrative for the depiction of the trial at the end, with earlier events in his life mashed together into composite scenes and almost no explanation until the afterword of his contribution to science through the new physics.

The biggest compliment I can pay is that this book should have been longer. Galileo's character (which is hard to write!) could have been fleshed out. As a book about Galileo and Kepler, it could have dealt with their interactions during the 1620s: Kepler's criticism of Galileo after the Assayer and Galileo's criticism of Kepler in the Dialogue. Clark presents them as rivals who had little regard for each other, but I don't think that's really, or at least isn't the only, historical truth.

In the end though this is a book about science and religion. Clark presents the Jesuits semi-sympathetically, with individual members of the order chafing against discipline, trying to head off the confrontation of Galileo with the church and the condemnation of Copernicus, and trying to embrace the new philosophy (and the new astronomy) within the limits of their religious mission. Clark implies, following Connor, that the Jesuits hoped through their patronage to get Kepler to convert, and that part of their goal was to have another prominent Copernican on board as a way of stopping the Vatican's acting against heliocentrism. This is a very interesting idea with some genuine historical support. But it's played a little broad: that Clavius would have had Kepler's mail intercepted in 1600 when he was a low-ranking assistant to Tycho Brahe is ludicrous. Worst is the creation of a totally unnecessary character, Cardinal Pippe, who plays the church "bad guy" -- anti-science to the core and at the end trying to get Galileo tortured! If characters like him existed in 1600s Italy, you shouldn't need to invent one to make your point in a historical novel.

Overall, there is plenty of creative license with the facts to accommodate the space, but it's much better than average for historical fiction. Clark has done his research. A few details were grating: we don't meet Paulo Sarpi, Galileo's greatest scientific influence and a great heretic. Galileo had no intention of trying to marry off his daughters. There's not enough about Galileo's physics, and in particular his important exposition of inertial frames of reference gets really short, poor treatment. Kepler would never referred to his "laws" of planetary motion during his lifetime. Kepler's relationship with Tubigen was much more complicated than presented here: he remained friends with Maestlin all his life, and received support from his alma mater during his mother's witchcraft trial. Wackenfels was a very progressive Brunoian heliocentrist and wouldn't have needed Kepler to explain the Aristotelian cosmos to him. Jepp the soothsaying dwarf probably did not exist. etc. etc. But those details aside, this is a good read and I'm looking forward to the next entry in the series.

[M.G. Mason · Rating 4 out of 5]

I absolutely love this title, beautifully poetic while presenting the concept behind the science in this book. This is the first in an unusual trilogy that follows some of history's most famous scientists. This is a series that aims to put the SCIENCE into science fiction and fuse the genre with some of the more complex examples of modern historical fiction. It blends discovery and adventure with high ideals of political power, presenting ideas that go beyond the concepts and highlights the ramifications of the Copernican view in a world sticking to geocentrism.

Europe is at war with itself; it is an ideological war between Catholic and Protestant and between Christians of all denominations and the growing upstarts of science. It is the birth of the Enlightenment and the Reformation has passed meaning that there is a clear division between Christian ideologies on the continent that more often than not spills over into minor violence or all out rioting in the streets.

Enter the two protagonists of the story: Johannes Kepler and Galilei Galileo. Two very big personalities, two colossi of renaissance science, one in Catholic Italy and the other in Protestant Bohemia both saying pretty much the same thing. One who would die under house arrest and the other being championed as a voice of reason in the new Protestant order until he too refuses to take sides. Both are matter of some debate between the various religious powers wishing to use them as pawns but both men are resisting the power play in their own ways.

But it is also about the people around them as well as about them and the world around them. Galileo has the ear of a future Pope who is eventually pushed into turning against him. Galileo seems to have the support of a lot of people, except the woman he never marries. This is far less about the "warts and all" approach of Kim Stanley Robinson's Galileo's Dream being far less of a biography but that's fine as the book doesn't really require that level of detail.

I never really knew much about Kepler's life and consequently he appears to go through some very similar struggles in being pushed one way and then the other, seeking and gaining approval. The stresses of his marriage against his scientific discoveries as his wife complains bitterly that he is not getting paid for his work and all he seems to do is seek approval from various royal patrons.

Despite the subject matter, the politics and the complex personalities of these two men, this book is incredibly easy on the eye. It is easy to read and the complex political machinations are dealt with effectively without glossing over the details or bogging the reader down in too much of it.

[Andrew Ferrier · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm studying astronomy, so I can only comment on the book from the perspective of someone who more or less knows the science that someone like Johannes Kepler produced. His famous laws of planetary motion are incredibly simple and elegant. And the moons of Jupiter that Galileo observed can be easily seen with a basic telescope. With that in mind, it was fascinating to get to know the story of these men, and their discoveries.

The book itself is very readable. It doesn't go into massive amounts of detail, and I think this is a plus for making it more accessible to non-scientifically minded readers. You really get a sense of the period as well, and backdrop of a Europe dominated by warring religions is fascinating in itself.

[Paper Droids · Rating 4 out of 5]

I took a history of science course in my very first year of university. It was a strange move on my part, I’ll admit, and one that was met with much scepticism on the part of my family. I’ve never exactly been the science-y type, so taking a science course seemed to be setting myself up for failure from the get-go. As it turns out, I got an A, and it is for precisely the same reason that I highly recommend Stuart Clark’s The Sky’s Dark Labyrinth: the book, much like the course, focuses more on the histories and personalities of great scientific minds, and that is something everyone can relate to.

For complete review: http://www.paperdroids.com/2011/12/15...

[Pete Harris · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Sky’s Dark Labyrinth is a work of “faction” an historical novel with fleshes out the lives of Galileo and Kepler and their (almost) parallel attempts to disprove the Aristotelian model of the universe, with the earth at the centre of crystal spheres which carry the sun, moon, planets and stars. They are both students of Copernicus, seeking to prove and promote his sun-centred cosmos.

Kepler’s tools are primarily mathematical, as he uses the detailed observations collected over many years by his mentor Tycho Brahe, Galileo is more observational using his newly invented telescope. In fact that is one way of looking at this book, as an early example of theoretical vs experimental physics.

Ranged against them and around them are churches. Kepler is a devout albeit iconoclastic Lutheran, whereas Galileo lives at the heart of Rome. It is the counterpoint of science and religion which gives the novel its main interest, but this is not a simple, black and white, A vs B portayal. Both denominations contain both traditionalists ready to burn the men of enlightenment, and progressives who recognise the importance and value of objective truth. To add to the complexity there are politicians whose interest is in maintaining the status quo in order to protect their own power, and those who may be troubled by the advance of science, but are even more worried that it is true, and the ”other” church will accept it first and gain supremacy.

So this is an interesting and easily readable novel which succeeds in shedding light on a fascinating period of advancing knowledge. That said I am always a bit troubled by the concept of a fictionalised documentary, putting words into the mouths of real historical figures, and imagining actions for them. This probably reaches its nadir in the attempts to add a little spice. The author does come across as a bit geeky (which works in the scientific scenes) and so what we get are sex scenes written by a nerd.

But that is a minor quibble, overall, this is well worth a read, and is successful in achieving what it sets out to do.

[Ian · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have no idea if the way the author portrays the leading characters is anything like they really were, but this doesn't detract from a very good story. I will certainly move onto the next book in the trilogy.

[Tori · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this and will definitely be reading Sensorium of God.
A really interesting time period, Clark captures the fear of having religious differences and the conflict between science and religion fantastically.

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic historical novel - learned a lot about early astronomy.

[Sammi · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fantastic historical novel about science, religion and politics - engaging, illuminating, educational. 4 / 5

[Christina Gane · Rating 4 out of 5]

intriguing - strong characters in a fascinating story.

[P.A. Latter · Rating 4 out of 5]

Highly readable. An excellent portrayal of how inextricable astronomy was from religious dogma at that time.

[Jenny · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a fascinating book. Not one that can be read fast, but really informative and one that keeps the reader's nose firmly stuck to the page or screen.

[Emanuela Il mondo di sopra · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ammettiamolo, quante volte su parola scienza, economia, matematica abbiamo storto un po' il naso? Sin dai tempi scolastici, la maggior parte di noi ha visto queste materie come qualcosa di noioso, come qualcosa che in realtà non avesse poi così importanza, tuttavia mi rendo conto che solo quando si raggiungono i trenta, e in una piccola parte anche un po' prima, ci si rende conto quanto in realtà quelle materie non fossero poi così noiose e quanto in un romanzo possa essere affascinante riuscire a riprenderle.

L'oscuro labirinto del cielo non solo ci parla di nozioni scientifiche, ma diventa un romanzo avvincente pronto a leggerlo in un colpo soltanto.

La storia inizia nelle strade polverose di Roma, in un tempo passato, con il classico scontro tra chiesa e scienza sul sistema solare e la sua nascita. L'autore con naturalezza ci riporta di fronte a personaggi storici come Galileo, Copernico, facendoli diventare personaggi fatti di carne ed ossa, la sua scrittura li evoca in maniera decisiva, tracciando con forza ogni loro forma.

I personaggi vivi tra le pagine, ci parlano della loro vita, ci raccontano portandoci indietro nel tempo, di come la scienza diventa per loro pura esistenza, mai loro ossessione fu così dolce e viva al tempo stesso.

I minuziosi dettagli che vengono fuori grazie alla scrittura dell'autore ci portano così a sentire gli stessi odori dei protagonisti, a vivere quelle stesse scene dei nostri personaggi, ci sentiremo osservati per le strade, sentiremo al tatto il legno pesante delle porte. In questo romanzo diventiamo noi quei protagonisti di cui l'autore ci parla con amore e passione.

Gli uomini che seguiamo per le strade di Roma sussurrano parole decisive per la sorte di un uomo, parlano di eresia e fine di esistenze e in un attimo ci troveremo segnati come la notte di una strega prima del rogo. Se all'inizio ci si sente solo spettatori curiosi di una scena, pagina dopo pagina diventiamo protagonisti.

Quando un libro diventa il frutto di numerose ricerche e notti in bianco, basta poco per sentire tutto questo. L'autore in poco più di trecento pagine ci racconta di un passato poi così non tanto lontano, ci racconta a livello umano qualcosa che nonostante sembri da una parte distante anni luce in realtà è il nostro stesso passato.

L'umanità dei personaggi che l'autore ci mostra, ci porta ad amare ogni personaggio e a sperare di non leggere una brutta fine, ma di veder un qualcosa di sereno all'orizzonte, come ci capita leggendo delle ultime ore di Giordano Bruno. Pagina dopo pagina ci ritroviamo di fronte a scene come se fossimo davanti ad un film, quella cella di Giordano diventa la nostra stessa cella, quella paura diventa la nostra.

L'oscuro labirinto del cielo racchiude al suo interno genere su genere, tra pagine d'amore, thriller, scienza ci troveremo a combattere insieme al nostro protagonista, pronti a difendere le sue idee. L'autore ci parla minuziosamente di Keplero, astronomo, astrologo facendolo tuttavia diventare semplicemente un uomo che combatte per le sue idee, un uomo con tutti i suoi pregi e i suoi difetti, portandoci davanti a emozioni contrastanti tra di loro. Da un lato troveremo un uomo forte e coraggioso, dall'altro un uomo insicuro che cerca di tenere ben salda la sua famiglia, un uomo a volte troppo ingenuo. L'autore ripercorre la storia di Keplero con un'umanità impressionante, mescolando i nostri stessi organi.

L'astronomia, la scienza, la matematica che si legge tra queste pagine ci portano a sognare ad occhi aperti, ogni concetto viene memorizzato nella nostra testa in maniera così facile che ci meraviglieremo di non averlo fatto prima. Ogni informazione descritta in maniera così poetica ci porterà a rimanere meravigliati dalla prima all'ultima pagina. Ogni informazione diventa interessante da leggere e da annotare, come ad esempio che i dodici segni zodiacali sono in realtà corrispondenti ad una parte specifica del corpo.

L'oscuro labirinto del cielo è un romanzo interattivo, un romanzo da vivere appieno pagina dopo pagina, da leggere e quasi da sottolineare in ogni sua parte.

Vi meraviglierete come sulle stelle arriverete anche voi.

Una bellissima riflessione quella ci porta l'autore Stuart Clark, un romanzo che coinvolge e che vale la pena di leggere e da riporre nei piani alti della nostra libreria.

[Christine Cather · Rating 4 out of 5]

Liked it , interesting to meet Galileo and Kepler in a fiction work.

[Tanmay Band · Rating 4 out of 5]

"If I have seen further, it is by standing on the shoulders of giants." - Issac Newton

The Sky's Dark Labyrinth is a tale of two of these giants, and one wonderfully told. The author's efforts are as clear as his intentions to bring forward a faithful description of the humans Johannes Kepler and Galileo Galilei were. It is a fresh departure from the characteristic biographical works that result while dealing with factual individuals and events. This novel takes a rather suave approach, as suitable for a mystery, and consequently very apt.

One of the key highlights of this novel I found was the way it relentlessly shows the protagonists, not as machines that spurted out random equations and laws as we viewed them during our academia, but as real humans with their emotions of joy, anger, sadness and even fear. With actual practicalities pertaining to their family and religion to balance alongside their spirited enthusiasm in following their science. As such, we cannot help but rejoice in their joy, share their grief, and empathise with their predicament.

The protagonists, among others, are shown to have a strong attachment to their religion, as was exactly the case during the corresponding period. It is absoring to see how these two mere humans manange their new science in the face of their religion and its stuanch authorities.

One can appreciate the tremendous effort put in to condense the vast lives of the protagonists so as to fit into a mere 340 pages, and can graciously overlook a few slight disappointments near the end. The story, overall, seems to be factually correct, even if the engaging narration takes charge.

As a summary, I would recommend this to anyone who loves an intriguing historical novel with a touch of science. Looking forward to reading the next books in the series!

[Vicki · Rating 4 out of 5]

In the 1500s, Danish nobleman Tycho Brahe dismayed his wealthy family by taking an avid interest in mathematics, astronomy and all things fascinatingly planetary. A preternaturally gifted observer of the heavens before telescopes were refined and in common use, Tycho's passions for geometry and celestial study were so intense that they led him at times to equally passionate disputes, one of which escalated into a duel during which he lost part of his nose. Tycho inspired and welcomed other mathematicians, scientists, astronomers and more to his estate, where guests participated equally enthusiastically in stargazing sessions and lively parties attended by Tycho's court jester and his tame elk, who was a bit of a tippler. Johannes Kepler, a famed astronomer who is one of two protagonists in Stuart Clark's vivid The Sky's Dark Labyrinth, was inspired by Tycho's observational prowess, though somewhat less enamoured of his lively banquets.

That Tycho leaps from the pages of The Sky's Dark Labyrinth with such Falstaffian verve is testament to one of the great strengths of Clark's imaginings of the lives and work of the great astronomers: strong character development that allows the reader to relate to the real people behind discoveries and revelations that for many are shrouded in the mists of history, if known at all.

See my complete review at: http://bookgaga.posterous.com/the-sky...

[Yalin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Clark has created a perfectly balanced novel between history and fiction. The fascinating times Kepler and Galileo had lived in is brought to life with such vivid detail that I could not only see the cities and their people but even smell and hear them. The tug of war between science, religion and politics is at the heart of this novel, and I would highly recommend it to anyone who wants to see how the truth can be hardly kept hidden despite the oppressors' best efforts. These men have inspired their contemporaries and made sure that their discoveries hadn't been in vain. I already knew about both geniuses, but having read the book, I now have a profound sense of respect for them.

The only reason I gave four stars to the book is because its ending is a bit abrupt. The rest of the book flows so easily and logically that I was surprised by the way things were left. I guess Clark did that on purpose in preparation to the second novel of his trilogy.

[Heather · Rating 4 out of 5]

The mysteries of the universe have always held a certain level of fascination for me yet abysmal math skills prevented any further study of the sciences beyond high-school. That has not stopped this reader from feeding this interest by gobbling up digestible bites of literature flavoured with scientific facts. The Sky's Dark Labyrinth provided a delightful meal, flavoured with known and the not so well known brilliant minds of the 17th century on the cusp of ushering in new and 'dangerous' theories about the workings of the universe which we now accept as regular fact. Mr. Clark served up his characters and their celestial discoveries in a manner palatable to the pedestrian student of astronomy and painted a vivid picture of the complexities which resulted from RC church's intrusions into intellectual progress.. Looking forward to Book #2 so until then, I'll dine out elsewhere.

[Martin Stewart · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an unusual book as it is a novel, telling a story, but of two real people who made real achievements in science. Telling the story of Kepler and Galileo as a human story rather than just examining the facts makes the men very approachable. Their tales are interesting and very involving.

Having finished the book I can see that a lot of research has gone into it, but rather than just laying out the facts the author has written with great empathy about the two men, their lives and families.

While reading the book I was inspired to go away and read more about Tycho Brahe, about whom I knew nothing, and to read more about the Holy Roman Empire and how that operated. I enjoyed the book very much and also feel I've learnt a lot from it. I will have to read the next in the sequence soon.

[Emma · Rating 2 out of 5]

I couldn't make my mind up with this book. The general premise is an interesting one and revolves around early astronomers in the early 1600s who started to propose the theory that the sun, rather than the earth, was at the centre of the galaxy and that the earth moved. These ideas were against the teachings of the catholic church, and this book revolves a lot around the interaction between science and religion. Galileo and Kepler are the two astronomers that the book most closely follows. This is fiction, based upon fact, and in parts was really engaging, but I failed to warm to some of the key characters, including Kepler and at times felt that the story did not really move along. The background period about how scientific thinking changed and the might of the catholic church was really interesting though.

[Sandie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have read a couple of historical novels that featured the Elizabethan-era astronomer Tycho Brahe, and saw his statue when I visited Prague. However, I never before understood the relationship between Brahe and Johannes Kepler, between astronomer and mathematician. It's cool to realize that the astronomer observes the heavens and records those observations, but it's the mathematician who puts meaning to the measurements. In other words, it was Keppler who realized that the earth moved around the sun, and not vice versa. At the same time, over in Italy, Galileo was working on the same hypothesis, but that didn't go over well with the Catholics...

[David Kenvyn · Rating 3 out of 5]

An easy to read introduction to the lives and works of Johannes Kepler, Tycho Brahe and Galileo Galilei, including all the trials and tribulations that they went through in their attempts to take forward the ideas that Copernicus published. Given that Europe was plunging towards the Thirty Years War between Catholics and Protestants this was a very dangerous time to challenge Aristotle's view of the universe. Stuart Clark manages to capture the ideas they were expressing, and the politics of the era in which these ideas were being expressed, and to make the history understandable, which is a considerable achievement.

[Donald Simmons · Rating 4 out of 5]

First-rate fictionalized version of the struggles of Kepler and Galileo to get their ideas accepted, and just survive trying to present them to the world. Clark can really get the feeling of living in the early sixteen-hundreds, and all that entailed.

My only problem is that the Galileo storyline doesn't kick in till about half-way thru, by which point you're so invested with Kepler that it's difficult to get that involved with Galileo, even through he's by far the more famous of the two in popular culture. Still, it was an excellent read.

[Jodie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fascinating look into Keplers life and trails. Although I do wonder how much of the dialogue was based in fact, it was fascinating to see him just about escape with his and his families life, managing to land a cushy job and then deciding that what his life was missing was persecution and started telling all his mentors and colleagues that they were wrong and that the ground moved beneath their feet. He narrowly escaped a frying pan, doused himself in petrol and gave his enemies the matches. Kepler is Hard-core.

[Ben Shepherd · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very interesting read, which gives some historical context to the clash between the Catholic Church in the 17th century and Galileo and Kepler, who both advocated the heliocentric (Copernican) model of the universe and were persecuted for this alleged heresy. We know these basic facts, but for me this book put some historical flesh on these bones and really made me feel like I knew what it was like to live in that time.

[Shazzt]

I struggled with this book. The subject matter was interesting but the narrative was plodding and disconnected. It was a great shame the author didn't stick to Kepler's story as Galileo felt like an unnecessary addition that was tacked on to Kepler's story, perhaps to help the book sell better (Galileo being more well known). There was an exciting and interesting story to be told here but this book did not tell it.