In this updated second edition renowned amateur comet-searcher David H.
Levy expands on his work about the intricate relationship between the
night sky and the works of English Literature. This revised and expanded
text includes new sections on Alfred Lord Tennyson and Gerald Manley
Hopkins (both amateur astronomers), extending the time period analyzed
in the first edition from early modern literature to encompass the
Victorian age. Although the sky enters into much of literature through
the ages, British authors offer an especially fertile connection to the
heavens, and Levy links the works of seminal authors from Shakespeare on
to specific celestial events and scientific advances.
From the impact of comets and supernovae to eclipses, Levy's ultimate
goal in this book is to inspire his readers to do the same thing as
their ancestors did so long ago--look up and appreciate the stars. His
insights in this revised book spread farther and wider than ever before
in this learned and enchanting tour of the skies.