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The Globe

How the Earth Became Round
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( 16 ratings, 4 reviews)
Book Hero Magic crafted this summary to help describe this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Summary
The Globe by James Hannam delves into the transformative story of the age of exploration, focusing on the period when European nations ventured into previously unknown parts of the world. It explores the economic, cultural, and scientific changes that emerged from these voyages, highlighting the impact they had on shaping modern history. This enlightening narrative brings to life the personalities and events that defined this era of discovery.
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Format: Hardback
$4499
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Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?

This historical exploration offers a captivating journey through the development of our understanding of the world from antiquity to the Renaissance. You might enjoy this book if you're intrigued by the evolution of scientific ideas and discoveries that shaped our comprehension of geography and exploration. The author's engaging narrative provides insight into how historical figures and events contributed to our modern worldview, making it appealing to anyone interested in the history of science and discovery.

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A history of how we came to know that the earth is round, rather than flat.

Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

The Globe tells the story of humanity's quest to discover the form of the world. Philosophers in ancient Greece deduced the true shape of the Earth in the fourth century BCE; the Romans passed the knowledge to India, and from there it spread to Baghdad and Central Asia.

In early medieval Europe, Christians debated the matter, but long before the time of Columbus, the Catholic Church had accepted that the Earth is round and not flat. However, it wasn't until the seventeenth century that Jesuit missionaries finally convinced the Chinese that their traditional square-earth cosmology was mistaken.

An accessible challenge to long-established beliefs about the history of ideas, The Globe shows how the realisation that our planet is a sphere deserves to be considered the first great scientific achievement.

'This fascinating chronicle by historian Hannam traces how humanity's understanding of Earth's shape has changed over millennia. . . . The trivia captivates (the prevailing view under China's Han dynasty claimed "the sky was round and the Earth was square"), offering a globe-trotting tour of how a major scientific breakthrough made its way across the world. Readers will be enlightened.' - Publishers Weekly

'From the philosophers of ancient Greece to seventeenth-century Jesuit missionaries to China, the story of humanity's quest to discover the form of our world, and how we came to know that the Earth is round and not flat.' - Bookseller

Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?

The Globe by James Hannam is praised for being an engaging and scholarly exploration of humanity's understanding of the spherical Earth, tracing its origins from Babylonian times to modern space exploration. Reviewers commend it as a thrilling intellectual journey and an enlightening read that highlights the global contributions to our cosmological knowledge. The book is described as an enjoyable combination of myth-busting and historical insight, offering a comprehensive look at how this concept developed across different cultures and eras.

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Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9781789147582

Publisher: Reaktion Books

Format: Hardback

Date Published: 01 July 2023

Country: United Kingdom

Imprint: Reaktion Books

Illustration: 46 illustrations, 9 in colour

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Width: 138.0mm

Height: 216.0mm

Weight: 250g

Pages: 376

About the Author

James Hannam is the author of God's Philosophers: How the Medieval World Laid the Foundations of Modern Science. He is a fellow of the Royal Historical Society and lives in Kent.

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