In August 1930; on a voyage from Madras to London; a young Indian looked up at the stars and contemplated their fate. Subrahmanyan Chandrasekhar--Chandra; as he was called--calculated that certain stars would suffer a strange and violent death; collapsing to virtually nothing. This extraordinary claim; the first mathematical description of black holes; brought Chandra into direct conflict with Sir Arthur Eddington; one of the greatest astrophysicists of the day. Eddington ridiculed the young man's idea at a meeting of the Royal Astronomy Society in 1935; sending Chandra into an intellectual and emotional tailspin--and hindering the progress of astrophysics for nearly forty years. Empire of the Stars is the dramatic story of this intellectual debate and its implications for twentieth-century science. Arthur I. Miller traces the idea of black holes from early notions of "dark stars" to the modern concepts of wormholes; quantum foam; and baby universes. In the process; he follows the rise of two great theories--relativity and quantum mechanics--that meet head on in black holes. Empire of the Stars provides a unique window into the remarkable quest to understand how stars are born; how they live; and; most portentously (for their fate is ultimately our own); how they die. It is also the moving tale of one man's struggle against the establishment--an episode that sheds light on what science is; how it works; and where it can go wrong. Miller exposes the deep-seated prejudices that plague even the most rational minds. Indeed; it took the nuclear arms race to persuade scientists to revisit Chandra's work from the 1930s; for the core of a hydrogen bomb resembles nothing so much as an exploding star. Only then did physicists realize the relevance; truth; and importance of Chandra's work; which was finally awarded a Nobel Prize in 1983. Set against the waning days of the British Empire and taking us right up to the present; this sweeping history examines the quest to understand one of the most forbidding phenomena in the universe; as well as the passions that fueled that quest over the course of a century.
#242250 in Books Mazzeo Tilar J 2015-02-24 2015-02-24Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 8.00 x .72 x 5.31l; .0 #File Name: 0061791040320 pagesThe Hotel on Place Vendome Life Death and Betrayal at the Hotel Ritz in Paris
Review
133 of 141 people found the following review helpful. A Reprint of "Much Ado About Nothing"By Richard L. HarrellThis is the most poorly written and superficial "history" book that I have ever read. It is so full of factual errors that it is almost impossible to absorb them; and the author makes statements throughout the book which have no truth whatsoever. They are far too numerous to mention; but a few of them include her statement that the American Assimilated Colonel Fred Wardenburg was called away from a hotel in Washington late one evening in 1944 and was at the Ritz Hotel in Paris the following morning. If his aircraft had flown by the fastest possible route; stopping only at Gander or Goose Bay; and then at Shannon or Prestwick; he would not have arrived in Paris until the following night.This may seem trivial; but it is an example of the author's complete disinterest in facts. Another is her claim that Ernest Hemingway committed suicide ay his home in Key West. He did not. It was at his home in Ketchum; Idaho..The author makes statements as though they were facts; when there is not a shred of truth to them. It is beyond pitiful; and a disgrace to literature.It is sad that anyone would publish such a book.; The publisher's proof reader left an unnecessary "t" after the word "only" on page 16. Very sloppy this. I wish I had my money back..1 of 1 people found the following review helpful. Wonderful storiesBy Bio nerdRiveting stories centered around a famous Paris hotel around WWII. The pace is fast with facts bounced along as the stories unfold of famous liaisons and intrigues are laid out . Lots of recognizable names such as Hemingway; Fitzgerald; Duke of Windsor ; plus notable Nazis are mentioned. Highly recommend this book for history buffs .1 of 1 people found the following review helpful. French history contained in a hotel.By Marge LThe Hotel on Place Vendome provides a glimpse of the history of Paris through the lives of those who made it their home. I found insights into famous people as well as the infamous ones. The most interesting time period for me was during the Second World War when the Nazis made it their headquarters. This was also the most disturbing. Celebrities such as Hemingway left before they arrived and returned afterward. People such as Coco Chanel stayed and found ways to survive and avoid retribution after the occupation. Many did not. What made the hotel attractive to those who could afford it was that it truly had luxury accommodations and a staff which took pride in serving regardless of the occupants personal behavior.
