I'm really glad you enjoyed it. I think it's extremely well written, and very balanced in its coverage of different sciences and geographical regions. I used bits of it with sixth-formers ("seniors") when I taught History of Science in the US for a while. Shame that it's gone out of print!
The step-change in the Early Modern Period was, I'm fairly sure, as sudden and dramatic as is presented here. Suddenly everyone (from the British Royal Family down) wanted to buy microscopes and telescopes. There was considerable ill-feeling from some authors that this new-fangled science business was treading on the toes of longer-established disciplines, resulting in widespread pamphletting and longer writing on both sides. (The subject of Swift's Battle of the Books and his Island of Laputa in Gulliver's Travels).
The size is really awkward, especially as it's never really used for large illustrations. A reprint in normal trade-paperback format is obviously needed.
no subject
The step-change in the Early Modern Period was, I'm fairly sure, as sudden and dramatic as is presented here. Suddenly everyone (from the British Royal Family down) wanted to buy microscopes and telescopes. There was considerable ill-feeling from some authors that this new-fangled science business was treading on the toes of longer-established disciplines, resulting in widespread pamphletting and longer writing on both sides. (The subject of Swift's Battle of the Books and his Island of Laputa in Gulliver's Travels).
The size is really awkward, especially as it's never really used for large illustrations. A reprint in normal trade-paperback format is obviously needed.