Planets

Dava Sobel, a former New York Times science reporter, is the author of ‘Longitude’, a prize-winning international bestseller, and ‘Galileo's Daughter’, which was shortlisted for the Pulitzer Prize. She has co-authored six books, including ‘Is Anyone Out There?’ with astronomer Frank Drake, and ‘The Illustrated Longitude’ with William J. H. Andrewes. Dava Sobel has won a number of awards for her outstanding contribution towards public understanding of science. She lives in East Hampton, New York.

'An enchanting book. In prose that is by turns lyrical and wry, and always filled with an infectious sense of wonder, she moves engagingly through our solar system ! Sobel's enthusiasm for her subject is absolute and she succeeds in transmitting it to the reader, quite a feat when the subject matter can be so tricky to grasp. Much of the passion feeds directly from the astronomers themselves, their great discoveries and their endless yearning for understanding.' Sunday Telegraph 'In this enthralling, accessible book, bestselling author Dava Sobel provides a detailed portrait of each heavenly body. Drawing on myth and history, astrology and science fact as well as science fiction, she tells a story that will have you gazing up at the night skies with renewed fascination.' Daily Mail 'If you like your science lyrical Dava Sobel is the author for you.' Independent 'It is science that excites Sobel. There's a real gee-whizzery about her treatment of telescopes and space probes and their many astonishing discoveries in recent years. It is hard to imagine a better picture of the dangerous and inhospitable nature of our solar system, where the existence of any form of life, let alone one capable of travelling to other worlds, is nothing less than a miracle. The book is also a timely reminder of the fragility of the little green spacecraft on which we are all passengers.' John Moorish, Independent on Sunday '"The Planets" is a very agreeable read.' Patrick Moore, Guardian 'A highly informative book as well as a loveably odd one. It educates and entertains and deserves every success.' Scotland on Sunday 'At her best, Sobel writes beautifully and conveys complex information with elegance and charm ! "The Planets" would be worth reading simply to learn of the startling difference between the inner, solid, sun-driven planets and the outer, gaseous, space-generated hangers on. It is a bonus to be reminded so vividly of the infinite beauty and frailty of the world and our place in' Spectator 'A gracious and delightful introduction to the very diverse heavenly bodies that orbit our sun, our precious source of heat and light.If you wish to tour the heaven, you could hardly find a more charming and beguiling guide' Glasgow Herald 'Sobel's restless curiosity raises, and settles, a multitude of questions' Sunday Times 'In this enthralling, accessible book, bestselling author Dava Sobel provides a detailed portrait of each heavenly body. Drawing on myth and history, astrology and science fact as well as science fiction, she tells a story that will have you gazing up at the night skies with renewed fascination' YOU Magazine, Daily Mail