Galileo, James Reston, Jr.
Galileo, James Reston, Jr.
List: $22.95 | Sale: $16.07
Club: $11.47

Galileo
A Life

Author: James Reston, Jr.

Narrator: Jeff Riggenbach

Unabridged: 12 hr 48 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 11/08/2011

Synopsis

For the last four hundred years, Galileo has fascinated and inspired writers, theologians, playwrights, historians, and scientists. As the founder of modern science and the embodiment of the conflict between science and faith, Galileo remains the most fascinating figure of his age. Here James Reston, Jr., presents a lively, dramatic portrait of Galileo, one that not only takes us to the heart of this passionate, embattled, prickly, vain, arrogant, and brilliant man but also paints a vivid picture of Renaissance Italy, of its unparalleled cultural richness and political and religious intrigues. At the center of the story, of course, is Galileos discovery of the telescope, which revolutionized astronomy but put Galileo into conflict with the Catholic Church until 1633, when the Inquisition denounced him, banishing him for the last nine years of his life.

Reviews

Goodreads review by Clif

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......more

Goodreads review by Jen

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 l......more

Goodreads review by Chris

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 the......more

Goodreads review by Stephen

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......more

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