What do you think?
Newton's Tyranny: The Suppressed Scientific Discoveries of Stephen Gray and John Flamsteed
One of the great figures in history, Sir Isaac Newton personifies the triumph of scientific reason over ignorance. Yet for all his contributions to the Enlightenment, Newton was a deeply complex man who sometimes aggressively tried to obscure the intellectual achievements of others of others.
Newton's Tyranny is the story of two men who felt the full wrath of the great man's hostility-the Reverend John Flamsteed, the first Astronomer Royal, and Stephen Gray, a humble dyer and amateur scientist. United not only by a love of science, but by a bitter and protracted conflict with Newton, the two men made significant contributions to science despite the observational astronomy and navigation.
Drawing upon letters and historical documents, Newton's Tyranny vividly recreates the British scientific community of the early 18th century. It was an era of great achievement, but the crucible of science was often heated by Machiavellian intrigue, uncontrollable ambition, and larger-than-life personalities. Against this dramatic setting, the saga of Newton, Flamsteed and Gray unfolds, a story of loyalty and commitment against great odds.
A fascinating look at a forgotten piece of science history, Newton's Tyranny exposes the dark side of flawed genius while celebrating the ultimate triumph of two unsung heroes.
Newton's Tyranny is the story of two men who felt the full wrath of the great man's hostility-the Reverend John Flamsteed, the first Astronomer Royal, and Stephen Gray, a humble dyer and amateur scientist. United not only by a love of science, but by a bitter and protracted conflict with Newton, the two men made significant contributions to science despite the observational astronomy and navigation.
Drawing upon letters and historical documents, Newton's Tyranny vividly recreates the British scientific community of the early 18th century. It was an era of great achievement, but the crucible of science was often heated by Machiavellian intrigue, uncontrollable ambition, and larger-than-life personalities. Against this dramatic setting, the saga of Newton, Flamsteed and Gray unfolds, a story of loyalty and commitment against great odds.
A fascinating look at a forgotten piece of science history, Newton's Tyranny exposes the dark side of flawed genius while celebrating the ultimate triumph of two unsung heroes.
208 pages, Paperback
First published October 15, 2000
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
March 6, 2018
An interesting account focusing on the perceived lack of proper recognition given to scientists Stephen Gray and John Flamsteed. The author primarily uses letters sent from Gray to Flamsteed that paint a picture of Isaac Newton as not just a genius, but as a greedy man worried about getting credit for his work and attempting to belittle the work of those that he fought with. The author seems to be trying to shock the audience with these claims, but it's hard to imagine anyone with a basic understanding of scientific history, or even just human nature in general would be too surprised by the lengths one scientist looking for fame would go to outdo another. It's only one side of the story, but it makes for a good, quick read.
September 8, 2022
Why have I never heard of Newtons awful actions against other scientists? Newton was my hero but not anymore. This book has some good info and numerous quotes from various peoples letters. It was certainly well researched, but the writing was flat and trite. Worth reading for sure, but during it you will always be wanting more than what the author is able to give.
Honestly this struck me as a masters thesis that someone decided to publish. Newtons actions should be more well known, but it’s a pity that a real author didn’t tackle it. This book could have been great.
Honestly this struck me as a masters thesis that someone decided to publish. Newtons actions should be more well known, but it’s a pity that a real author didn’t tackle it. This book could have been great.
November 8, 2017
A hatchet job.
The Clarks wanted to take Newton down a peg.
They did not succeed.
The Clarks wanted to take Newton down a peg.
They did not succeed.
April 16, 2023
Nice book. I never realized that the guy was something of a little dictator:-)
July 15, 2009
This book paints a vivid portrait of Isaac Newton's humanity through the eyes of two scientists who had to interact with him - astronomer John Flamsteed and amateur scientist Stephen Gray. These two men spent much of their lives pursuing knowledge in spite of pressures from the powerful and connected Newton.
Newton is rightfully remembered as a giant in the world of science. This book makes no claims against his brilliance. What this book does do is present a fuller picture of what genius can look like. In this instance, genius is uncharitable, vindictive, untrustworthy and arrogant. Paradoxically, the world is a better place for Newton's contribution but the same could not be said for the British scientific community in which he lived.
Despite the fascinating topic, I thought the book could have been a bit easier to follow. The chronology jumps around a lot and between the stories of the major players. I found it difficult to sort out which events predated others. The major conflict of the story is the building tensions between those on Newton's side and those on Flamsteed's and this could have been much more dramatic if the chronology was a bit cleaner to follow.
Newton is rightfully remembered as a giant in the world of science. This book makes no claims against his brilliance. What this book does do is present a fuller picture of what genius can look like. In this instance, genius is uncharitable, vindictive, untrustworthy and arrogant. Paradoxically, the world is a better place for Newton's contribution but the same could not be said for the British scientific community in which he lived.
Despite the fascinating topic, I thought the book could have been a bit easier to follow. The chronology jumps around a lot and between the stories of the major players. I found it difficult to sort out which events predated others. The major conflict of the story is the building tensions between those on Newton's side and those on Flamsteed's and this could have been much more dramatic if the chronology was a bit cleaner to follow.
October 1, 2007
Another book I read because of Stephenson's Baroque Cycle. This book cover's the relationship between Newton and the Royal Astronomer John Flamsteed. Without his measurements of the heavens, Newton would not have been able to prove his various mathematical theories. Yet Newton refused to aknowledge Flamsteed's and Gray's contributions and basically treated them as servants.
Also backs up Stephenson's portrayal of Newton and Flamsteed in Baroque Cycle to an astonishing degree.
Also backs up Stephenson's portrayal of Newton and Flamsteed in Baroque Cycle to an astonishing degree.
August 5, 2011
Fascinating account of Newton's ruthless pursuit of his own goals at the expense of others' reputation, and of the roots of the antipathy between theoretical and applied science. Compellingly written (I'm always fascinated by multiple-author books - how do they manage to get the tone so even? Does one person research and the other write? In this case, the Clarks are a father and son team).
Want to Read
June 28, 2010I really want to read this, but am worried it will be one depressing, point-of-view changing experience.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews