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A review by jankatar
Chasing Venus: The Race to Measure the Heavens by Andrea Wulf
5.0
I try not to give a 5-star rating to too many books, but I just cannot think of any shortcomings this book has for me.
It's a detailed account of all the expeditions set out to observe the Venus transits in 1761 and 1769, used to calculate the size of the Solar System. It's astronomy mixed with science history mixed with personal accounts of some of the most brave scientists of their time.
The pacing was perfect for me, with enough details to make it an interesting read but never dragging. The humour that Andrea Wulf added here and there made for a good laugh as well.
Would highly recommend!
It's a detailed account of all the expeditions set out to observe the Venus transits in 1761 and 1769, used to calculate the size of the Solar System. It's astronomy mixed with science history mixed with personal accounts of some of the most brave scientists of their time.
The pacing was perfect for me, with enough details to make it an interesting read but never dragging. The humour that Andrea Wulf added here and there made for a good laugh as well.
Would highly recommend!