Nicolas-Louis De La Caille, Astronomer and Geodesist

Another strength of Glass's book is that the author is widely read and so explains details and puts them in context. It is recomended for those interested in the history of the Cape, astronomy or the mapping of southern Africa. Professor Glass brings brilliantly to life the indefatigable 18th-century Frenchman De la Caille, who in his two-year sojourn at the Cape of Good Hope named more constellations than any other recorded astronomer. Vividly portrayed are his triumphs and failures, his friends and detractors. Owen Gingerich, Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics La Caille was a leading figure among eighteenth-century observational astronomers, and his observations at the Cape of Good Hope are discussed in this eloquent and informed narrative. While his period at the Cape forms only a part of his life and work, it is no doubt the most striking in his biography. Peter Harman, Department of History, Lancaster University Nicolas-Louis De La Caille was an engaging and significant figure in the fascinating world of eighteenth century science. No armchair philosopher, La Caille travelled far in pursuit of scientific truths. Ian Glasss book on La Caille will appeal to astronomers and geodesists concerned with the development of their disciplines, historians of science, and readers drawn to adventurous characters. Robert Smith, University of Alberta