Books that started it all, also help!!!

[Mr niall]

I was thinking about buying a copy of "The Messier Album by Mallas" based on a recommendation from @mikeDnight. I started looking at some of the bruised and battered versions around (it is from the 1970's after all) and it got me thinking about the book that started it all for me. I was wondering if we all had a book that started it all and if anyone still had theirs?

The problem for me is that I dont, but I wish I did. Maybe someone could help me find it? The problem is I dont really remember much about it...

My dad worked as a supply teacher in the late 80's and early 90's in Dalziel Highschool in Motherwell, the fact that it is pronounced "Dee-l" is something I will never truly believe or understand! I remember he brought me home this massive astronomy book one day, it was fairly dog eared and battered and was probably destined for the smasher. I do remember it was huge (at least to a 9 year old), I used to sit and read it in bed all the time. What I do remember about it is that I understood almost nothing that was in it so it clearly wasn't aimed at children! But what I do remember is as follows:

• Think it had a black front cover that was mostly a starscape, may have had a title written in white.
• Had a lot of pictures in it - really good pictures as I remember, but this is where I get confused cos my gut feeling was that this was a book from the 50's or 60's but I'm almost certain it had Voyager era colour pictures of Jupiter, Saturn etc in an otherwise black and white only book.
• The only useful piece of information I remember is that the inside rear cover had a massive photo of Jodrell Bank in monochrome on an aqua bluish colour background. That was the thing that captivated me the most. The irony that about 4 years later we moved to a place where I could see Jodrell Bank from my school playing fields wasnt lost on me!

 

If this rings any bells let me know, but if not it doesnt matter. Still brings back pleasant memories of when astronomy was more about the adventure and less about the time spent thinking about spending money on better equipment and cursing the weather!

Niall

[John]

The book that started it all for me was Patrick Moore's "The Observers Book of Astronomy". It was given to my brother back in the early 1970's but I "borrowed" it permanently and read it over and over. I stil have that one !

[andrew s]

I started with the Flammarion Book of Astronomy bought in Heffers in Cambridge when I was about 10 and yes I still have it. In those day I just loved the smell of a new book shop it was intoxicating. Alas they don't seem to have that whiff any more.

Regards Andrew

[westmarch]

For me, it was the Eagle Book of Hobbies in 1963.  The space race was in full swing at the time and I was fascinated by the astronomy hobby section.  My long suffering dad got me a small Japanese refractor for Xmas and the bug never left me. 

John

[mikeDnight]

As a teenager I was browsing the book shelves in WH Smith when I noticed the Observers book on Astronomy for £1.99. The week after I bought Guide To The Moon for £7.50 which I read from cover to cover in six and a half hours without moving out of my dad's chair. I was hooked!

[ronin]

Think I went the opposite direction. From somewhere I got a copy of Patterson Field Guide to the Stare and Planets (I think). Although it undoubtly had great detail in it I found it was not really very informative. Several (LOTS) pf photographic plates and equally lots of diagrams of circles of different sizes to designate the stars brightness but names, constellations were as best i recall missing.

I ended up just having to go out and work things out and grab whatever information I could. Took me a few years to eventually get any books that sort of specifically aided me.

The basic information I suspect I got from a set of encyclupedias that my parents bought. Think it was a set of 12 and although not information to the extent of a specialist astronomy book they had enough for me to gather information on. Just made me think: I wonder what ever happened to those encyclopedias?

 

[Swoop1]

For me it would have been a Ladybird book about space exploration. As a kid I just knew that I was going to be an astronut when I grew up. I devoured everything about space that I could find.

To this day, when I hear Also sprach Zarathustra, I see James Burke, receeding hair, big glasses and courduroy jacket, sat behind a desk with the like of Patrick Moore, reporting on the latest moonshot.

[L8-Nite]

8 hours ago, Mr niall said:

.............................  My dad ............ brought me home this massive astronomy book one day, ................... what I do remember is as follows:

• Think it had a black front cover that was mostly a starscape, may have had a title written in white.
• Had a lot of pictures in it - really good pictures as I remember, but this is where I get confused cos my gut feeling was that this was a book from the 50's or 60's but I'm almost certain it had Voyager era colour pictures of Jupiter, Saturn etc in an otherwise black and white only book.
• The only useful piece of information I remember is that the inside rear cover had a massive photo of Jodrell Bank in monochrome on an aqua bluish colour background. That was the thing that captivated me the most. The irony that about 4 years later we moved to a place where I could see Jodrell Bank from my school playing fields wasnt lost on me!

 

If this rings any bells let me know, .......................

Niall

Check out a book called " The Guinness Book Of Astronomy "- by Patrick Moore  ISBN 0-85112-940-4

My copy does not have the dust cover, but it sounds like the book you've described; there are only several colour pages, and they depict Jupiter, Saturn, Neptune, and the Sun.

 

I still have my first book..... a 1962 copy of " The Stars, a new way to see them " - by H.A. Ray

Got it with my first telescope back around 1965.

 

[Mr niall]

22 minutes ago, L8-Nite said:

Check out a book called " The Guinness Book Of Astronomy "- by Patrick Moore  ISBN 0-85112-940-4

My copy does not have the dust cover, but it sounds like the book you've described; there are only several colour pages, and they depict Jupiter, Saturn, Neptune, and the Sun.

 

I still have my first book..... a 1962 copy of " The Stars, a new way to see them " - by H.A. Ray

Got it with my first telescope back around 1965.

 

Ooh you might be on to something there, does it have a blue Jodrell Bank at the back?

[Guest]

The "ABC of Space" from ITV's Magpie programme. It was from around 1970. Peter Fairley contributed. He was the ITN space and science correspondent at that time

 

[L8-Nite]

32 minutes ago, Mr niall said:

Ooh you might be on to something there, does it have a blue Jodrell Bank at the back?

I don't see a blue photo of Jodrell Bank, but. I'll post a couple of photos of the coloured pages when I find my camera tomorrow, perhaps they will look familiar to you.

[Mr niall]

14 minutes ago, L8-Nite said:

I don't see a blue photo of Jodrell Bank, but. I'll post a couple of photos of the coloured pages when I find my camera tomorrow, perhaps they will look familiar to you.

Yeah that would be brill Thanks!

[johnfosteruk]

I don't know what book you're hunting for Niall, but mine was the Mallas book, it was my grandfather's (also a teacher) and I used to sit in bed reading it, in awe, at a similar age. Recently acquired a new copy as the original was (sadly) long gone.

[Red Dwarfer]

Philips Guide To Stars And Planets by Sir Patrick Moore ... one of the earlier editions twenty years ago 

[chiltonstar]

For me, "The Messier Album" and "The Larousse Encyclopedia of Astronomy". I've still got both, and still use the Messier Album.

Chris

[L8-Nite]

Ok, hope this helps.......

[L8-Nite]

Here is a photo of my first book & its star chart dust cover.

[DAVE AMENDALL]

Niall, The book you seek is : THE GUINESS BOOK OF ASTRONOMY. There were several prints at the time resulting in different cover designs which could lead to confusion. The books that started me off on this expensive path were purchased in order left to right. Still have them and they are mint considering the years involved.Hope you find a copy of what you want. You'll have to cruise the second hand book suppliers. I have a copy of Norton's Star Atlas kicking around some where, which I used before the days of Goto.................Dave

[Mr niall]

Thanks for those pics I'll have to keep an eye out for them!

[Paz]

The first book that got me interested was cosmos by Carl Sagan when I was young, my first stargazing book was 'the star sazers handbook' by giles sparrow, which is more of a coffee table book than anything and bought for me years before i started observing, but when i started i dug that out to get me going.

[DAVE AMENDALL]

And not forgetting these two classics from the nineties

[Alfian]

Like a few here, when I was but a lad, I had Patrick Moore's Observers Book of Astronomy. I still have it but its quite tatty. A school friend who took astronomy really seriously for one so young had a proper astronomical telescope (Charles Frank 4" reflector) and he had the Norton Star Atlas which I was fortunate to be able to share. He went on to become something fairly big in astrophysics but is sadly no longer with us. Days fondly remembered.

[25585]

Carl Sagan's book "Cosmos" started my interest along with a Philip's Planisphere. I then bought "Collins Guide to the Stars and Planets" and later Wil Tirion atlases when I got a telescope.

The books I still have and use. Astronomy magazine, back copies and monthly subscription also fed my literary interest.