The twentieth-century witnessed the development of astrophysics and
cosmology from subjects which scarcely existed to two of the most
exciting and demanding areas of contemporary scientific inquiry. In this
book Malcolm Longair reviews the historical development of the key areas
of modern astrophysics, linking the strands together to show how they
have led to the extraordinarily rich panorama of modern astrophysics and
cosmology. While many of the great discoveries were derived from
pioneering observations, the emphasis is upon the development of
theoretical concepts and how they came to be accepted. These advances
have led astrophysicists and cosmologists to ask some of the deepest
questions about the nature of our Universe and have pushed astronomical
observations to the very limit. This is a fantastic story, and one which
would have defied the imaginations of even the greatest story-tellers.