Heavely Intrigue: Johannes Kepler, Tycho Brahe and the Murder Behind - One of History's Greatest Discoveries

Zusatztext “An enthralling read. . . . Informative and entertaining. . . . A delight.” – The Washington Post “Fascinating. . . . Plenty of intellectual enjoyment and reading pleasure.” – Milwaukee Journal Sentinel “Cutting-edge forensic evidence. . . . The story is carefully documented! and the science behind the men’s work is clearly laid out.” – Science News “Stunning. . . . A brilliant! readable! and original historical work that ought to convince readers that one of history’s greatest scientists committed a cold-blooded murder.” – National Review “A fascinating story! told simply and elegantly.” – The Washington Times “Compellingly interesting.” – The Weekly Standard “Like a historical CSI team! [the Gilders] make a very good case.” – BookPage “Crisply written. . . . Kepler himself would surely have loved the Gilders’ book.” – The Washington Post “Clearly prodigious research went into the writing of this book! and all the more merit goes to the Gilders for making such an important part of history so admirably accessible. If you have the slightest interest in how our civilization came into being! then Heavenly Intrigue is absolutely essential reading.” – Crisis Magazine “Sharp-eyed sleuthing. . . . [The authors’] remarkable detective work will win praise from mystery buffs and historians alike.” – Booklist “Compelling. . . . Well-written.” – Journal of the History of Astronomy Informationen zum Autor Joshua Gilder has worked as a magazine editor, White House speechwriter, and State Department official and is the author, most recently, of the novel Ghost Image . Anne-Lee Gilder was formerly a producer and investigative reporter for German television. They live outside Washington, D.C. Klappentext Heavenly Intrigue is the fascinating, true account of the seventeenth-century collaboration between Johannes Kepler and Tycho Brahe that revolutionized our understanding of the universe-and ended in murder.One of history's greatest geniuses, Kepler laid the foundations of modern physics with his revolutionary laws of planetary motion. But his beautiful mind was beset by demons. Born into poverty and abuse, half-blinded by smallpox, he festered with rage, resentment, and a longing for worldly fame. Brahe, his mentor, was a flamboyant aristocrat who had spent forty years mapping the heavens with unprecedented accuracy-but he refused to share his data with Kepler. With Brahe's untimely death in Prague in 1601, rumors flew across Europe that he had been murdered. But it took twentieth-century forensics to uncover the poison in his remains, and the detective work of Joshua and Anne-Lee Gilder to identify the prime suspect-the ambitious, envy-ridden Kepler himself. A fast-paced, true-life account that reads like a thriller, Heavenly Intrigue is a remarkable feat of historical re-creation.Chapter 1 THE FUNERAL The crowds of Prague citizens so thronged the streets that it was as if the funeral procession were making its way between two solid walls of humanity. The coffin, cloaked in black velvet upon which the Brahe coat of arms had been lavishly embroidered in gold, was borne aloft by twelve imperial officials, all noblemen. Inside, Tycho Brahe's body was laid out in knightly regalia, his sword at his side. Three men led the procession, two holding candles high, the third a flowing flag of black damask. They were followed by Brahe's favorite horse, draped from head to tail in black cloth, all emblazoned in golden heraldry. Another flag bearer followed, and a second sepulchral horse, covered in black; then a man carrying a pair of gilt spurs, another carrying Brahe's helmet, festooned with feathers, a third the Brahe shield and escutcheon. Behind the coffin walked Brahe's youngest son, accompanied on either side by Brahe's beloved cousin, Eric Brahe, and Brahe's friend and dinn...

Détails du produit

• Auteurs: Anne Gilder, Anne-Lee Gilder, Joshua Gilder
• Edition: Anchor Books USA
• Langues: Anglais
• Format d'édition: Poche format B
• Sortie: 14.06.2005
• EAN: 9781400031764
• ISBN: 978-1-4000-3176-4
• Pages: 336
• Dimensions: 135 mm x 205 mm x 18 mm
• Thèmes: ANCHOR; The Anchor
• Catégorie: Littérature spécialisée > Histoire > Autres