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EDITORIAL INFORMATION

Insight into the life of the first Astronomer Royal and into the early development of telescopic measurement is, in itself, sufficient scholarly justification for the publication of Flamsteed's correspondence. However, since at last the early nineteenth century, there has been a continuing debate concerning the interaction between Flamsteed, on one hand, and Newton and Halley, on the other. What exactly was the background to their dispute over the use of Flamsteed's observations - observations that played a significant part in the foundation of the Newtonian world picture? Newton's correspondence has now been published in full; this similar treatment of Flamsteed's correspondence should provide the basis for a balanced review of the protagonists.

(Extracted from the Preface)

GENERAL TABLE OF CONTENTS

-Contents.

-Preface.

-Acknowledgments.

-List of Letters.

-Editorial Note.

-Abbreviated References.

-Glossary of Astronomical and other Technical Terms.

-Introduction.

-Letters 1 - 450.

-Appendix - Official Documents.

-Bibliographical Notes.

-Index.

OUR REVIEW

Here we are before the first volume of a work which has an enormous historical importance. The correspondence of the great astronomer of the seventeenth century, Flamsteed, supposes by itself a special vision of a great value indeed of the lift-off of astronomy as an essential science for the knowledge of the world and the universe. In this first volume, the compilators offer us 450 letters by John Flamsteed to such personalities as Hevelius, Halley, Cassini, etc., as well as from these ones to Flamsteed, plus some interesting documents related to the life of the British Royal Astronomer. Almost all the letters are written in the English language form of those times, although some of them are written in Latin. However, as a general rule, there must be no problems whatsoever to understand their contents.

The authors of the compilation, besides, offer us an adequate introduction that tells us the main traits of some of the most remarkable episodes in Flamsteed's life, as well as his relationship with the authorities and colleagues of his time. This, and the careful transcription of his correspondence (in a chronological order), will no doubt have a great value both for those interested in astronomy and for the historians of the sciences. The accurate presentation (leather covers) and the very format of the work, are a further ingredient to praise the decision of IOP Publishing about the publication of this book.