Galileo’s Daughter

A Drama of Science, Faith and Love

Dava Sobel

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English

Fourth Estate
01 October 2000

Biography: general; Christian communities & monasticism; Mathematics & Sciences; History of science; Popular science

From the international best-selling author of Longitude, Galileo’s Daughter is the fascinating story of the relationship between the great Italian scientist Galileo and his daughter, Virginia.

Galileo Galilei (1564-1642) was the foremost scientist of his day, ‘the father of modern physics – indeed of modern science altogether’ in the words of Albert Einstein. Though he never left the Italy of his birth, his inventions and discoveries were heralded around the world. His telescopes allowed him to reveal a new reality in the heavens and to defend the astounding proposition that the Earth actually moves around the Sun. For this belief he faced the Holy Office of the Inquisition and was subsequently tried for heresy and threatened with torture. Galileo is brought to life here as never before – a man boldly compelled to explain the truths he discovered, human in his frailties and faith, devoted to family and, especially, to his daughter. Since there could be no hope of marriage for his illegitimate daughter Galileo placed her, aged thirteen, in a convent near him in Florence. She proved to be his greatest source of strength through his most difficult years. Through letters, contemporary writings, their voices are brought to vivid life and woven into Dava Sobel’s compelling narrative. Galileo’s Daughter tells the story of the most dramatic collision in history between science and religion. Dava Sobel illuminates an entire era, when the flamboyant Medici Grand Dukes became Galileo’s patrons, when the Bubonic plague destroyed a generation and prayer was the most effective medicine, when one man fought to reconcile the Heaven he revered as a good Catholic with the heavens he revealed through his telescope. Galileo’s Daughter is a rich and unforgettable story.

By: Dava Sobel
Imprint: Fourth Estate
Country of Publication: United Kingdom
Dimensions: Height: 198mm, Width: 129mm, Spine: 29mm
Weight: 300g
ISBN: 9781857027129
ISBN 10: 1857027124
Pages: 450
Publication Date: 01 October 2000
Audience: General/trade , ELT Advanced
Format: Paperback
Publisher's Status: Active

Dava Sobel is the internationally renowned author of Longitude. She is also an award-winning former science reporter for the New York Times and writes frequently about science for several magazines, including The New Yorker, Audubon, Discover, Life and Omni.

Reviews for Galileo’s Daughter: A Drama of Science, Faith and Love

In her eagerly awaited new book, the author of Longitude tells the story of Galileo Galilei from an unusual perspective, drawing on material from the letters of his eldest daughter, Virginia, who adopted the name Maria Celeste when she became a nun. Born in 1600, the girl was just nine years old when Galileo turned his telescope to the heavens and revealed the profusion of stars in the Milky Way, the moons of Jupiter, and the nature of the solar system. In all honesty, there is nothing really new in this version of the story, but Sobel tells it very well, and there will be many delighted readers to whom it is all fresh and exciting. Even seasoned Galileo students will surely enjoy this sideways look at the man and his work. (Kirkus UK)