Choice Review

De La Caille, an observational astronomer living in the mid-18th century, was widely respected because of the painstaking care with which he made very accurate measurements of stars. He is not a familiar figure today, in part because despite his best efforts, his hallmark measurement of the shape of the Earth was later shown to be flawed. However, in this well-researched biography, Glass (South African Astronomical Observatory; Revolutionaries of the Cosmos, CH, Sep'06, 44-0286) documents how De La Caille was a strong proponent of Newtonian dynamics at a time when the issue was still controversial, and how his exhaustive suite of observations made a critical contribution to the discussion. His expedition to South Africa was significant because, in spite of the rough life in the colony, he was able to make the first precise observations of the southern sky. Glass provides colorful descriptions of the scientific climate in France during the 18th century and of the nature of life in South Africa. By combining these with an excellent summary of the many accomplishments of De La Caille, Glass has made a persuasive argument that De La Caille deserves his place in history. Summing Up: Highly recommended. All academic, general, and professional readers. D. E. Hogg emeritus, National Radio Astronomy Observatory