A HISTORY OF THE UNIVERSE IN 100 STARS

Austrian astronomer Florian Freistetter is author of several books and founder of the world’s most successful German language science blog. It’s fair to say his latest work, A History of the Universe in 100 Stars, is fairly ambitious, striving to tell the story of the whole universe by looking at a selection of 100 diverse stars.

Whether or not you’re clued up on astronomy, this is a read that will not disappoint as you discover how the stars in our sky reveal the inner workings of the universe from the beginning of time.

Freistetter points out that the history of the universe is also a history of mankind. His examination tells the stories of all those who have studied the stars before him. From Newton and Einstein to the lesser known (such as Dorrit Hoffleit, who first “counted” the stars), there are many to thank for the greater understanding of the sky we have today.

The stars featured in the book have little in common, some being thousands of years old and some having barely come into being, and Freistetter’s selection demonstrates just how unique each one is in the role it serves.

Consisting of 100 short yet enthralling chapters, which are designed to be read independently of one another, you can read it from cover to cover or dip in and out as you please.

Labelled by the author as “a journey through the cosmos”, this little book might just inspire a spot of stargazing and a fresh contemplation of our planet whirling silently in space. And ideas don’t get bigger than that.

Quercus, £16.99; ISBN: 978-1-52941010-5