The Greatest Comets in History - Broom Stars and Celestial Scimitars Author: David Seargent Publisher: Springer ISBN: 978-0-387-09512-7 Price: £19 (Pb), 260pp
Check prices on Amazon amazon.co.uk                  amazon.com

This book is exactly what it says on the cover; accounts of what, in the author's considerably educated view, are the greatest comets in history. The period covered is quite comprehensive, starting with a comet observed in 631 BC and coming right up to date with C/2006 P1 (McNaught).

The author begins by qualifying what he means by 'greatest comets', and explains that he has included comets that would have been widely observed by keen astronomers as well as the wider public. We begin by looking at the nature of comets, and a very detailed account is provided of what comets are, where they come from, their various features and even a mathematical explanation when discussing the brightness of comets. There
are sections devoted to Halley's comet, Kamikaze comets and daylight comets, whilst the rest of the book is organised in
chronological order starting with ancient apparitions and gradually working through to modern times.

Seargent writes with great enthusiasm and knowledge, and succeeds in conveying the sense of awe and wonder that those who made records of the great comets throughout history would have felt. There are detailed accounts of how the comets
would have appeared and changed during their appearance, who the major observers were, and an analysis of the comments and drawings they made at the time of observing.

There are too few drawings, photographs and diagrams to be able to say that this book is pleasing to the eye but this is not its aim. It should be noted that this is not a guide to observing or photographing comets, and for those who would like a more general overview of comets and other small Solar System bodies, this probably isn't the book for you.

Whilst anyone who has an interest in astronomy could easily read this book, I imagine it would appeal particularly to those who are interested in astronomical history and in particular comets.

David Bowdley