Competition and conflict between the “imperial” leaders of the Mount
Wilson, Harvard and Lick Observatories dominated the American astronomy
community between the dawn of astrophysics and the Second World War. American
Astronomy: Community, Careers, and Power, 1859 – 1940, by John Lankford is a
detailed historical and sociological review that investigates the work of all
men and women caught up in that country’s astronomical endeavour, not just the
elite. Published by University of Chicago Press, £51.95/$65, ISBN
0226468860.
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