Books and references

On this page you will find a selection of books that I have come across for art and science research. For further details please click on the title;

Cosmonauts Birth of the space race 

For decades, the story of the world's first space-faring nation has been underplayed in the West. Now, for the first time, the remarkable account of Russia's space programme will be brought to light. This book accompanies a landmark exhibition at the Science Museum, London, which represents a major collaboration with the Moscow State Memorial Museum of Cosmonautics and the Federal Space Agency, Roscosmos. Cosmonauts: Birth of the Space Age offers a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to see objects that have never before left Russia, including rockets that launched the space age, actual craft that carried humans into space, the spacesuits, equipment and personal mementos of those who flew, alongside stunning artworks that articulated Russia's longing for space. But this is far more than simply a book of exceptional objects; it is also a book of incredible stories. These are the stories of the people who dreamt of early space exploration, those who made it happen, those who risked their lives to experience it and those who continue its legacy today.

 Soviet Space Graphics

 

A wonderful, whimsical journey through the pioneering space-race graphics of the former Soviet Union

This otherworldly collection of Soviet space-race graphics takes readers on a cosmic adventure through Cold War-era Russia. Created against a backdrop of geopolitical uncertainty, the extraordinary images featured, taken from the period's hugely successful popular-science magazines, were a vital tool for the promotion of state ideology. Presenting more than 250 illustrations - depicting daring discoveries, scientific innovations, futuristic visions, and extraterrestrial encounters - Soviet Space Graphics unlocks the door to the creative inner workings of the USSR.

 

Australian backyard astronomy 

Australian Backyard Astronomy is an engaging resource for homes and classrooms alike. Its thematic approach guides young readers through our discovery and exploration of the skies, from early celestial charts to the big bang, planets in our solar system and the universe beyond. This revised edition contains recent developments in astronomy, including information revealed by NASA’s Juno spacecraft in 2016; the discovery of the oldest star by researchers at the Australian National University; and the privatisation of space exploration.

 

Moving to Mars. Design for the red planet 

 A comprehensive overview of both past and current developments in space travel and colonization, it begins with the evolution of the space suit and rocket technology; it then proceeds to explore a wide range of fascinating and never-before-seen projects on Mars-specific habitations, covering everything from space-ready cutlery to clothes, furniture and speculative habitats.

Illustrated with color images of rarely seen drawings, concepts and prototypes, plus newly commissioned essays by the designers, artists and scientists who are charting the path forward to Mars, this book literally reveals a whole new future for humankind, fleshing out a vision of an everyday reality on another planet.

 

Clementine atlas of the moon 

 

The highly successful Clementine mission gave scientists their first global look at the Moon. Based on information gathered from this mission combined with data from recent missions, this unique atlas contains 144 maps covering the entire lunar surface, along with colour plates showing the Moon's composition and physical properties. The first part of the atlas describes the origin and geological evolution of the Moon and gives a brief history of lunar science and exploration, while the second features double-page spreads consisting of Clementine images paired with newly created shaded-relief maps generated from LROC topography data. This edition has been fully revised and extended to cover the armada of new missions that have launched since 2004. With one of the most complete and up-to-date lunar nomenclature databases, this is an indispensable reference for professional planetary and space scientists, amateur astronomers, and lunar enthusiasts. 

 Light from the void

 

Take a journey through the cosmos with Light from the Void, a stunning collection of photographs from the Chandra X-Ray Observatory's two decades of operation. The book showcases rarely-seen celestial phenomena such as black holes, planetary nebulae, galaxy clusters, gravitational waves, stellar birth and death, and more. Accompanying these images of incredible natural phenomena are captions explaining how they occur. The images start close to home and move outward: beginning with images of the Chandra launch, then moving into the solar system, through the nearby universe, and finally to the most distant galaxies Chandra has observed, the book brings readers on a far-out visual voyage.

 

Moon. Art, science, culture 

An awe-inspiring and enlightening survey of our closest cosmic companion.

A source of light in the dark of night and our ever-changing cosmic companion, the Moon has fascinated humankind since we first gazed into the sky.

In this extensively illustrated and illuminating volume, art historian Alexandra Loske and astronomer Robert Massey present a rich and curious history. From its violent birth through to the exhilarating story of the Space Race and current exploration efforts, discover the many faces of the Moon and how they have shaped humanity's existence.

 

emu dreaming

 

 

 

Astronomy is more than just stories - it means a quest to understand the patterns in the sky and the motion and eclipses of the Sun, Moon and planets. So our goal is to understand the importance of astronomy in Aboriginal Cultures, and ultimately perhaps answer the question Were the Australian Aboriginal people the world’s first astronomers?

 

 

Ripples in Spacetime Einstein, Gravitational Waves, and the Future of Astronomy 

 

 

It has already been called the scientific breakthrough of the century: the detection of gravitational waves. Einstein predicted these tiny ripples in the fabric of spacetime nearly a hundred years ago, but they were never perceived directly until now. Decades in the making, this momentous discovery has given scientists a new understanding of the cataclysmic events that shape the universe and a new confirmation of Einstein's theory of general relativity. Ripples in Spacetime is an engaging account of the international effort to complete Einstein's project, capture his elusive ripples, and launch an era of gravitational-wave astronomy that promises to explain, more vividly than ever before, our universe's structure and origin.

 

 

The Red Rockets' Glare 

 

The Red Rockets' Glare is the first academic study on the birth of the Soviet space program and one of the first social histories of Soviet science. Based on many years of archival research, the book situates the birth of cosmic enthusiasm within the social and cultural upheavals of Russian and Soviet history. Asif A. Siddiqi frames the origins of Sputnik by bridging imagination with engineering - seeing them not as dialectic, discrete, and sequential but as mutable, intertwined, and concurrent. 

 

Night skies of aboriginal Australia 

 

 

 

Written by anthropologist Dianne Johnson, Night Skies of Aboriginal Australia has been in demand since its publication in 1998. It is a record of the stars and planets which pass across the night-time skies. This noctuary holds not only a record of what appears in the skies and how Aboriginal people see them, but also offers an appreciation of the Aboriginal stories that are tied to the night skies and the ideas and beliefs behind them.

 

The world, the flesh and the devil 

 

 

Written by the pioneering scientist, theorist and activist J. D. Bernal, this futuristic essay explores the radical changes to human bodies and intelligence that science may bring about, and suggests the impact of these developments on society. Bernal presents a far-reaching vision of the future that encompasses space research and colonization, material sciences, genetic engineering, and the technological hive mind. In his view, it will be possible for the conditions of civilization to reach a state of materialist utopia. For all three realms—the world, the flesh, and the devil—Bernal attempted to map out the utmost limit of technoscientific progress, and found that there are almost no limits.

 

Galaxies in the Universe: An Introduction  

 

 

This advanced undergraduate text is a comprehensive and lucid introduction to galaxies for students in astronomy and physics. A careful combination of basic astrophysics, multiwavelength observations, and theoretical concepts help students develop a thorough, integrated understanding of the subject. Sparke and Gallagher provide all the necessary background astronomy and include only the necessary mathematics required to grasp the essence of a calculation or the basis for a method. They clearly explain observation and measurement techniques and critically review their limits and accuracy as well. The clear and friendly writing, thorough coverage of fundamentals, extensive up-to-date observations, and helpful problems make this an ideal student resource.

 

 

Revealing the Heart of the Galaxy The Milky Way and its Black Hole 

 

  

 

Written in an informal and engaging style, this volume traces the discoveries that led to our understanding of the size and structure of the Milky Way, and the conclusive evidence for a massive black hole at its center. Robert H. Sanders, an astronomer who witnessed many of these developments, describes how we parted the veil of interstellar dust to probe the strange phenomena within. We now know that the most luminous objects in the Universe - quasars and radio galaxies - are powered by massive black holes at their hearts. But how did black holes emerge from being a mathematical peculiarity, a theoretical consequence of Einstein's theory of gravity, to become part of the modern paradigm that explains active galactic nuclei and galaxy evolution in normal galaxies such as the Milky Way? This story, aimed at non-specialist readers and students and historians of astronomy, will both inform and entertain. 

Galina Balashova: Architect of the Soviet Space Programme

 

 

 

This publication on the work of the Russian architect Galina Balashova presents a unique collection of designs for Soviet cosmonautics. These include plans and design drawings for both Soyuz capsules and space stations such as Salyut and Mir. Balashova acted as a consultant to the Buran programme, the Soviet equivalent of the US American Space Shuttle. Faced with the duty of demonstrating architectural creativity in manned space capsules, Balashova's remarkable accomplishments when entrusted with this unprecedented task make an impressive read. Striving for harmony and beauty, the architect strikes an emotional chord in the high-tech world of propulsion rockets, laboratories and survival equipment. Therefore, it is due to Balashova's talent that a unique chapter has been added to Soviet architectural history. Her exceptional achievements, including designs for medals and emblems, are still scarcely known today - even in Russia. Galina Balashova currently lives in Korolev, near Moscow.

 

The Life and Death of Stars