Galileo: A Life

by James Reston Jr.

The dramatic story of an era during which science and religion were one and where one man dared to defy the only power on earth that was able to bring him to his knees.

Genres: Biography, History, Science, Audiobook, Nonfiction, Biography Memoir, Religion

319 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1994

About the author

James Reston Jr. was an American journalist, documentarian and author of political and historical fiction and non-fiction. He wrote about the Vietnam war, the Jonestown Massacre, civil rights, the impeachment of Richard Nixon, and the September 11 attacks.

Reviews

[Clif · Rating 4 out of 5]

A few decades ago I had a telescope and well remember the first time I used it to look at Saturn. Of course we have all seen pictures of Saturn in books or on line but to actually view it directly, to have some photons come all the way from that distant planet to alight on my retina alone...it was a delightful experience. I can only imagine what it must have been like for Galileo to see for the first time the moons of Jupiter or the detail of the moon.

He lived at a time when religion was the very foundation for a way of life that accepted the bible as truth. Though Luther had shaken things up in the north, challenging the authority of the Catholic Church was dangerous in Catholic lands as the Thirty Years War raged.

Galileo was not alone in questioning the Ptolemaic view of the earth as the center of things around which the sun revolved. In fact he was a member of a fraternity that supported the Copernican, correct view that the earth revolved around the sun. I was surprised to find out that even some Cardinals of the church were free thinkers along with several members of the nobility in various Italian city states.

Though Galileo was acknowledged and respected as a man of science and had plenty of friends in high places, he made the mistake of ridiculing the unenlightened in his writing and spreading that writing widely. After a verbal warning from Cardinal Bellarmine in 1616 that he was to stop claiming he had discovered truth with his observations, he obeyed and kept his thoughts limited to distribution in letters to foreigners and a select number of Italian friends. So it might have continued but for the election of a new pope, Urban VIII, who was a friend that had even praised Galileo's work in times past.

This made Galileo believe that the time had come to summarize and promote the Copernican view over the Ptolemaic in his Dialogue Concerning the Two Chief World Systems. Though Galileo did not violate the Bellarmine warning, the pope interpreted the work as personal ridicule and the inquisitors were called in resulting in an investigation followed by house arrest lasting the remainder of Galileo's life.

At no time was Galileo's imprisonment onerous; he was never placed in a cell or kept from receiving visitors, but he could not travel nor return to live in Florence as he wished. He was never tortured though torture was implied when he was being pressured to make a confession. Though he had a forceful personality and resented the restrictions placed on his writings and work (the Dialogue was banned) he was a devout Catholic and not a man to consider giving up his life for his ideas as was the case for Giordano Bruno who was burned at the stake in 1600, unrepentant to the end.

Galileo kept as much distance from family as he could. He had three children out of wedlock and the relationship with one of his two daughters, entirely in writing as she was in a convent, is quite moving. Unusual for the time, he lived into has late 70's.

James Reston Jr. presents an engaging picture of an intellectual following his curiosity in many directions, greatly admired throughout Europe and in constant correspondence with others captivated by science including Johannes Kepler in Germany. This book mentions Galileo's work and discoveries only in passing as it is primarily a portrait of the man and the time in which he lived

[Jen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Actually this was an audiobook...and by the way, I hated the reader. He read with as much inflection as JLo in Maid in Manhattan...and pronouced "Washington" -- "War-shington" -- a personal peeve. I don't see a FREAKIN' R in there...

Other than that...this was really a good read. I learned an awful lot. Like did you know...the earth revolves AROUND the sun. I always thought we were riding on a back of a turtle.

Galileo was no saint...he was arrogant and persnickity...and petulant. He never forgot or forgave a wrong. He also was brilliant beyond comprehension. Oh, and he also screwed this dutchman out of being known as the first to inventthe telescope. (Read the book for the story)

The amazing number of his inventions boggle the head. He wrote, he explored, and he pushed forward science in great leaps. He found the moons of Jupiter, sunspots, and Saturn's rings (though he did think Saturn was three bodies in a weird alignment).

And he ticked off people, right and left.

Most notably and tragically the Jesuits, who saw his discussion of the two planetary systems (Platonic and Copernicus) as a way to seal his end. He was on house arrest for the rest of his life, after under threat of torture admitting to heresy for disobeying the church and promoting the helio-centric system.

This is a really great book, full of his own words (thankfully he wrote a lot). I may actually have to "read" the book in hard copy, just so I can get the narrators voice out of my freakin' head.

[Chris Marchan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had always wanted to know about the relationship between Galileo and the Church. This book is very descriptive. I was surprised that Galileo seemed to be genuinely religious despite the persecution. Also surprising was that he personally knew the pope who eventually excommunicated him. If ever there was a doubt left in me, I finished the book ever so happy to have left the Catholic Church. The other book that made me feel this certainty is "Jesus and the Lost Goddess" (see my list).

[John · Rating 3 out of 5]

This biography of the famed scientist Galileo Galilei, was much more entertaining and comprehensive than I expected. Starting with his early years in Pisa and his move to Florence at age 10, it covers his education, his flirtation with the priesthood, his affair with his mistress and the births of their subsequent three illegitimate children.
Where the biography really excels, is his career as a scientist, inventor and astronomer. This is the man that perfected the telescope, was the first to see the moons of Jupiter, the rings of Saturn, phases of Venus, sunspots and the milky way galaxy. I thoroughly enjoyed this section of the book as the reader goes on a voyage of discovery through the eyes of Galileo.
Unfortunately, these truths (which fully vindicated Nicholas Copernicus) completely contradicted the traditional view with the earth at the centre of the universe, and the heavens revolving around it. This view was seen as a direct violation of the Council of Trent, pitting Galileo against Pope Urban VII, the inquisition and the Catholic Church.
It's so sad that this man of vision was ultimately accused of heresy and placed under house arrest for the remainder of his life. It is because of cases like this, and many others, that organized religion is regularly seen as the enemy of science and truth. Just ask Copernicus and Darwin :(
3-Stars, I liked it, but it was hard to follow at times.

[Stephen · Rating 4 out of 5]

After talking to a scholar recently who is familiar with Galileo, I went in search of a biography. I found one I thought might interest me more but as I wanted to listen to this, I skipped that one because I didn't want to hear formulas read aloud.

I'm glad I landed on this one. Galileo's genius is in full view and Reston almost loses focus on it while detailing his struggles with relatives and the church. This is no fault of Reston's--it just turns out that Galileo had a lot to deal with while inventing a new scale, creating a telescope, discovering planets, and predicting planetary motion. I forgive not exploring everything.

The striking thing to me about this book was not just Galileo's genius but what a different world he lived in. The fear of Church repercussion was so real that he and many other scholars hid their works and discoveries behind poetic explanations that required Biblical justification. Just explaining planetary motion was not enough unless it came with a Biblical reference point. I'm thank ful we don't live in that world.

But...it's also unfortunate that the Catholic Church even today won't release its full records on Galileo or own its mistreatment of him.

[Steve · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fascinating read about the obstinance of religion. Galileo was one of many who suffered because of the inerrancy of Holy Scripture and the papacy, and he was a "good" Catholic.

The rest of his biography was ok.

[Giuseppe Circiello · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tra le cose più belle lette recentemente, c’è sicuramente questa biografia di Galileo, scritta da James Reston. E devo ammettere che rimpiango d’averla letta solo in questi giorni, avendola avuta a disposizione tra i miei libri per anni. Non credevo potesse rivelarsi così avvincente, ma sono contento di essermi sbagliato. D’altra parte, se ci avessi riflettuto un po’ su, mi sarei reso conto che la vita dell’uomo che ha inventato la scienza moderna, fornendo anche all’umanità le prove che confutavano la teoria geocentrica, non poteva che essere appassionante.

Il resoconto della vita di Galileo Galilei è stato scritto in modo ottimo da James Reston. E’ forse la migliore biografia che ho letto finora, insieme a quella di Cristoforo Colombo. L’autore sa davvero come si redige un libro di questo tipo. Il testo non inizia immediatamente con la nascita del celebre scienziato toscano, ma ci parla prima un po’ del contesto in cui sarebbe nato, del padre musicista e della madre esigente (in termini pecuniari), della corte del granducato toscano e dello Zeitgeist, direbbe qualcuno, ovvero dello spirito del tempo. E’ stata una scelta che mi è piaciuta, anche perché Reston ha saputo misurarla.

Dopodiché il libro ci parla di Galileo, dei suoi primi anni di vita e dei suoi primi studi, presso l’abbazia di Vallombrosa, che lo vide vestire anche abiti da novizio (fortunatamente il padre lo salvò dall’ordinazione all’ultimo momento), degli studi universitari a Pisa, dove si distinse sia per genio che per arroganza, delle lezioni private, date per aiutare se stesso e la famiglia, dei successivi tentativi di insegnare all’università, finché non ottenne la prestigiosa cattedra di Padova, in cui fu professore di matematica.

E benché anche a Pisa avesse insegnato e anche iniziato a distinguersi come inventore, fu proprio la Serenissima Repubblica di Venezia, che gli diede la possibilità di far fiorire il suo genio al massimo. Qui, Galileo insegnava a giovani provenienti da tutta Europa e, nel frattempo, portava avanti studi ed esperimenti su una molteplicità di discipline scientifiche, spesso sperando di poter guadagnare qualcosa, grazie alla propria genialità (la sua famiglia, infatti aveva sempre bisogno di denaro e anche Galileo, da questo punto di vista pareva insaziabile). Mentre si metteva in contatto coi principi italiani, per aiutarli a risolvere problematiche relative all’ingegneria bellica, Galileo oltre ai suoi esperimenti, non trascurò certo di addentrarsi nella vita mondana-culturale. In questi anni conobbe Paolo Sarpi, Giovanni Francesco Sagredo e molti altri nobili e clericali veneziani e non, coi quali amava intrattenersi e discorrere sia di argomenti scientifico-letterari, che di cose ben più leggere. E fu tra l’altro in questo periodo della sua vita che conobbe la madre dei suoi figli (che non sposò).

La più grande svolta della sua vita avvenne quando inventò il telescopio. Invenzione che non solo poté vendere a nobili di Italia ed Europa, ma che gli permise – una volta perfezionata – di osservare il cielo con una potenza mai immaginata prima dagli esseri umani. A quel punto molte convinzioni dell’epoca franarono e Galileo, che già da tempo era convinto dell’esattezza della teoria eliocentrica copernicana e che intratteneva una corrispondenza con Keplero, iniziò – coi propri lavori – a portare le prove tangibili che avrebbero rivoluzionato il mondo, sconvolgendo la visione celeste propugnata dalla Chiesa, da Aristotele e da Tolomeo. E qui commise anche l’errore più grande della sua vita: abbandonò la Repubblica di Venezia, dove il giogo papale era lieve, per tornare in Toscana, al servizio del granduca mediceo. Ma il papato aveva una forte influenza sul granducato e questo sarebbe stato fatale all’anziano Galileo.

Infatti, benché Galileo fosse un cattolico credente e rispettasse enormemente l’autorità ecclesiastica, cercando e ottenendo l’imprimatur (il permesso di stampare i propri libri) dell’Inquisizione, egli finì con l’essere perseguito e perseguitato dei suoi nemici, che lo accusavano di propagandare teorie eretiche.

Qui, va detto, che si deve aprire una parentesi sulla chiesa romana. E’ incredibile come anche davanti all’evidenza dei propri occhi, cardinali, papi e clericali abbiano preferito inventare le tesi più assurde, pur di continuare a interpretare letteralmente la Bibbia. Io credo che, davanti all’evidenza dei fatti, la cosa più intelligente e sana da fare sia accettare di trovare nuove interpretazioni, che possano accordarsi con la realtà. E se non lo si è fatto, non è giustificale né la chiesa, né l’essere umano del tempo. Un po’ perché la chiesa continua anche oggi a seguire tradizioni (discriminanti a volte) basate su convinzioni obsolete (e di certo non sull’ “ama il tuo prossimo come te stesso“), quando le basterebbe solo fare i conti coi fatti e aggiornarsi (certo con Galileo ci hanno messo 300 anni a riconoscere di aver sbagliato). E un po’ perché se capire certe cose fu possibile a Galileo, Copernico, Keplero, Giordano Bruno e sì, anche a numerosi esponenti del clero dell’epoca, allora non si capisce perché dovremmo giustificare – storicamente – il fondamentalismo della curia romana del 1600. Bruciare scienziati e i loro libri, dissidenti ed eretici… ve lo immaginate Gesù con la fiaccola in mano?

Ma torniamo a Galileo… I suoi libri, come il Saggiatore e il Dialogo sopra i Due Massimi Sistemi del Mondo, gli procurarono sia la conferma della fama internazionale, che ormai aveva acquisito, sia un vespaio di acerrimi nemici – in pratica gesuiti e domenicani – che vedevano nelle tesi dello scienziato un pericolo per l’autorità della Chiesa Cattolica e delle Sacre Scritture. Va detto che Galileo non aveva un carattere semplice e questo si riversava nella sua scrittura, che tendeva a dileggiare coloro i quali egli ritenesse ignoranti. Forse con un profilo più basso non sarebbe stato denunciato e poi processato e umiliato.

Non condanno Galileo per avere abiurato. E’ riuscito comunque – da uomo intelligente qual era – ad esportare in segreto il suo Dialogo all’estero, facendolo tradurre in latino, per una maggiore diffusione tra gli studiosi. E anche negli ultimi anni di prigionia, prima a Siena, poi ad Arcetri, non ha comunque mai smesso di studiare e scrivere.

Galileo Galilei non è stato un santo, né un martire della scienza. Ma ad essa ha comunque dato molto e per essa ha comunque molto sofferto (non è che solo morendo si è vittime di profonde ingiustizie). E della sua vita, sia privata che pubblica, e della nascita e dello sviluppo della scienza e della lotta tra scienza e fede cieca, James Reston ci ha restituito un quadro bellissimo. E’ una lettura che consiglio assolutamente!

[Richard Hessney · Rating 4 out of 5]

A readable biography of the astronomer and physicist who fell afoul of the Roman Catholic Church. Reston stresses the flaws in Galileo's personality--his vanity and tendency toward caustic criticism--that added to his troubles. Accused by the Inquisition of the heresy of the Copernican view of the solar system, Galileo recanted, avoiding torture and execution, and spent the rest of his life in house arrest. Finally, in 1992 the Church issued a formal statement that it "erred" in the treatment of Galileo but didn't apologize. The Vatican's anti-scientific, hidebound views were a disgrace, and the whole Galileo affair continues to be a blot on its record.

[Paul · Rating 2 out of 5]

Very boring. I couldn't finish the book. It was so detailed in his social doings and very little on his scientific activities.

[Bruce Cline · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a comprehensive biography of one of those world luminaries about whom most of us (me, not you) know so very little. Turns out, this advocate of the Copernican theory of the universe—heliocentrism to be precise— was an alleged expropriator of the telescopes for which he gained great fame (actually, one of several things for which he is noted). He was self-centered (Galileocentric?), arrogant, a constant complainer, a striver, a not-so-great parent, and, well, a brilliant scientist. Despite lofty connections in the political and religious spheres (those times when they were not coincident), and despite Papal blessings and commendations at various points in his career, he was ultimately put before the Inquisition for his heretical writings. And he caved to save his body, if not his soul. In a stunning show of force (remarkable to me, but not to his contemporaries) the Catholic Church refused to countenance thought and accompanying proofs that ran contrary to its dogma. Not until 1984 did a Pope deign to acknowledge the error of the Church’s thinking back in 1633, though without, the author noted, making any critical comments about the Inquisition in general. This turned out to be a very interesting read, bringing to life someone who to me had previously been a one dimensional character from history.

[عدنان العبار · Rating 4 out of 5]

I started this book in 2021 and finished it this year, maybe weeks ago from now. Some of the most wonderful things here are: (1) how scholars attempted to refute Galileo through the most hilariously pathetic rebuttals, consisting of false syllogisms (e.g. Human beings and animals have arms and legs and can move; Earth does not have arms and legs; therefore, the Earth does not move...); (2) How Galileo really was challenging the authority of the Catholic church maybe even more than his attempt to further scientific facts that are discovered either by him or his peers (in which he attributes almost everything to himself), harshly criticizing important scholars whom we believe to be correct; and (3) How utterly devout he is to the mathematical methods and how inspiring his fight is for what he deeply believes to be right -- mostly through the end of his life, where he rewrites his dialogues to give oomph to his opponents' arguments to respond and rejoin to stronger (steeled) arguments charged against him and his physics.

Again, this book was narrated by Jeff Riggenbach, and I recommend it for many reason, this being one of the stronger ones.

[Joshua Horn · Rating 4 out of 5]

I didn't know a lot about Galileo before listening to this book, and found this quite interesting. One thing I didn't know was that the persecution of Galileo was a secondary consequence of the Reformation. The counter-reformation involved the Catholic Church cracking down on any unorthodox thought, and Galileo got caught up in that. Galileo wrote a lot to Kepler, who had a lot more freedom in a Protestant country. After his arrest, he had his books published in Protestant Holland.

Although Galileo was a scientific genius, it was sad to hear how messed up his personal life was. He never married, but fathered children with a mistress, and sent his daughters to a convent because their dowries would be too expensive. It is sad that this is how he chose to live, and that this was acceptable in society at the time.

This book's shortcoming, from my perspective, was on the science. I don't think the author did a great job explaining the meaning behind Galileo's theories, and whether they were contributing to modern science, or heading off in a dead end.

[Ameya Warde · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting biography, though the focus was certainly on his interactions with the pope and so forth, while leaving out details of his personal life. Like it mentioned he fell in love with a lowborn woman and they had three kids-- and then never mentioned her again??? I read "Galileo's daughter" right after this and it added a little more detail to that, particularly in the relationship with his eldest daughter, who he was very close to her whole life, but she plays almost no role in this book, which is strange. Still a book worth reading for those interested in the subject, but I really wish men didn't tend to write biographies like this that discounted their familial/romantic relationships to such a high degree.

[Steven Tone · Rating 4 out of 5]

Galileo proved that the Earth is not the center of the universe. The Catholic Church called this fake news and didn't correct its error until 1992. In Galileo: A Life, Reston crafts a gripping story following Galileo's scientific discoveries, his growing confidence in his heliocentric views, and the inevitable conflict with the Church. The book reads almost like a historical thriller and doesn't get too bogged down in scientific detail, but I did find myself wishing for more detail about his family.

[Mathew Benham · Rating 4 out of 5]

A near 13hr audio book. The story and life of Galileo, as for the book I cant say I knew of Galileo before reading this book other than his science he is known for. This book goes further into his life, many things I more questions on but I think are lost in time. I thank the author for doing what had to be many years of work to gather info. I personally would have hated this man if I knew him in person just from the way he is portrayed in this book.

[Tracie Hall · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very well done biography that pretty much sticks to chronological order and is a fabulous window into the personality of Galileo; his family, friends, and opposers; the Catholic church, and Italy in the 17th century.

[Matthew Manzella · Rating 4 out of 5]

A compelling read that examines Galileo's life, the context of the church and it's decisions, and the relationship between the Italian city states and the church. A timely read in the era of COVID as we examine how science interacts with politics.

[Brittany · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wanted to like this one more than I did. I certainly learned a lot about Galileo's life, full of drama, but it focused less on science than I was hoping.

[Missy · Rating 4 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 4/5 Stars (Excellent)

[Paul Triller · Rating 5 out of 5]

An interesting look into the very interesting life of an amazingly interesting man.
Some deep, fantastic history.

[Jeff J. · Rating 5 out of 5]

A concise and engaging biography of Galileo.

[Guy Gélinas · Rating 5 out of 5]

J'ai aimé

J'ai adoré cette biographie mais j'ai besoin d'en savoir plus sur Galilée. Je le recommande à ceux qui s'intéressent à son histoire.

[Pete daPixie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm not sure if I've handed out 5 stars to this book because I think James Reston's biography of Galileo Galilei is such a great read. Or is it because of my admiration for the life and achievements of this Renaissance giant. Another possibility is my abhorrence of theologians of any organised religious clique, and these arrogant, hypocritical low lifes of the holy periproct, who feature so strongly in this book.
In fact, Reston's work is not so much a biography, but more a gradual lead up to the final climactic calamity of the Roman Church's inquisition, denouncement and ultimate breaking of this great old man of science.
Cardinal Doomesday's view four hundred years back, (and quite probably remains today) was the human bean was the ego centric centre of the universe, where God's earth stood still and the sun and heavens rotated around it. As per Ptolemy and Aristotle. Along came Nicolas Copernicus, ironically a churchman himself, who countered the long held Greek view of things. Copernicus only released his book on his death bed! Galileo introduced the first useful astronomical telescopes, observing Jupiter and it's four main moons, which he observed in orbit around the planet. Thereby confirming Copernicus. Galileo didn't wait for his death bed before going into print, and got himself into hot holy water.
The author has done some excellent research and this book is filled with writings and correspondence from Galileo as well as many other characters in the story, along with Vatican archives.
The lesson that history teaches here is that the truth can't be swept under the carpet, prompting the Church's official apology in the Galileo affair 350 years after the event, in 1992. One down, another few million to go.

[Betty Confetti · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this biography because it provided a deep human (not scientific) profile of one of the gifts to humanity for all ages: Galileo. As a Catholic, I found this particularly interesting given the Vatican and papal intrigue as major mistakes were made, ego prevailed over good sense, and Galileo was treated as a viper. Why? Because he affirmed and expanded on the theory that the Earth revolved around the sun, not the other way around. His invention of the telescope helped, and many surprising facts emerged, such as Galileo in a private audience with Pope Urban showing him the heavens through this invention. Author Reston starts with Pope John Paul II's efforts to have the Church formally review the case, and ends with the pronouncement of this effort....providing not just affirmation of Galileo as actually theologically smarter than the Inquisition inquisitors and Pope Urban, but right about the Earth revolving around the sun (no dah!). Reston also provides his sharp critique of how Pope John Paul's reconsideration of the Galileo case failed miserably. Reston shows the day-to-day problems Galileo faced with his extended family, with the established scientific community that favored nobility (similar to the poverty that Madame Curie experienced as great minds mattered less than bloodlines), with health issues, and eventually with his beloved Church that rejected the great gift from God of his genius. I am now going to read a book about Galileo's daughter with whom he corresponded for many years, and this isn't a book I would otherwise have taken up without having read Reston's biography. Thank you James Reston! I'm also going to look up other books you've written. You are a wonderful writer.

[Janis · Rating 4 out of 5]

What incredible influence the Catholic church's players had in development of knowledge! Mathematics was considered a philosophy, explanation of the rules of nature were based on the New Testament and much printing was done underground.

The testing of scientific principles relied upon constant flattery of the men in power. I was surprised by Galileo's deep religious faith and yet that was of no import when he wrote his discourse on the organization of our universe. He was able to reconcile the church's teachings and his understanding of scientific principles.

Some of his inventions were useful for "military" operations, a situation common today.

The book gave a fascinating glimpse into the social structure of families during its time. The reliance his family had on his ability to earn money remined me of the Jackson family's dependence on Michael's earning power.

[Edward Podritske · Rating 3 out of 5]

While Reston wanders down the path of identifying character traits in Galileo, such as "arrogance," which may allegedly have contributed to his ill treatment by the Catholic Church, there is no escape from the facts of reality. The Copernican theory is valid, Galileo could prove it, but could only save his life by recanting before the Inquisitors and living as an abused prisoner for the rest of his days.

The authoritarian banality of this festering mark on the Catholic institution took 4 centuries to resolve and even then, as Reston artfully presents, it seemed to take on more the form of an "oops" than a formal apology.

The horrors rained down on countless so-called heretics (and millions of others) over the centuries by the Catholic and other religions remains one of the most poignant indications that faith and force are the principal destroyers of life.

[Grumpus · Rating 1 out of 5]

This is based upon the audio download from [http://www.Audible.com]

Narrated by: Jeff Riggenbach

I love history...I love astronomy...I know Galileo, Galileo was a friend of mine...okay, that's someone else's quote but the point is I should have LOVED this book. I wanted to LOVE this book. It was just too dry and BORING. I feel bad giving only one star to one of my heroes but he's dead and won't know.

[Roberto · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book transported me to the world during the time of Galileo. The historical novel format kept it moving and fun while being being very educational. It opened my eyes to one of the most interesting people of our history, the politics and protocol of the time. It should be required reading for high schools.

[Dawn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reading this book, I saw a completely different Galileo than I had been taught in school. And I'm truly furious with the Church for what they did to him, and that it took 350 years to admit he was right and they had abused him. (And I do mean abuse--because of their treatment, he went blind. The inventor of the telescope went blind. How sad is that?)

[Bill · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lively and fast-moving, albeit riddled by glaring inaccuracies. One small but telling error: the misinterpretation of Galileo's attitude toward Tasso's poetry, and the misquotation in support of it (p. 42).