Galileo - A Life (Hardcover)

For the last 400 years, Galileo has 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. This book is a dramatic life of Galileo, one that not only takes the reader to the heart of the man, but also paints a picture of Renaissance Italy, of its unparalleled cultural richness and political and religious intrigues. At the centre of the story is Galileo's 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. James Reston Jr is the author of "Collision at Home Plate" and "Lone Star".