An extraordinary history of humanity's changing vision of the universe.
In this masterly synthesis, Arthur Koestler cuts through the sterile
distinction between 'sciences' and 'humanities' to bring to life the
whole history of cosmology from the Babylonians to Newton. He shows how
the tragic split between science and religion arose and how, in
particular, the modern world-view replaced the medieval world-view in
the scientific revolution of the seventeenth century. He also provides
vivid and judicious pen-portraits of a string of great scientists and
makes clear the role that political bias and unconscious prejudice
played in their creativity.