James MacLachlan is Professor Emeritus of History at Ryerson Polytechnical Institute, Toronto. He is the author of Children of Prometheus: A History of Science and Technology and co-author of Matter and Energy.

Selected as a "1998 Book for the Teen Age" by the New York Public Library

"MacLachlan deftly traces both Galileo's life and achievements and the religious and political structures of his times."--The Horn Book Guide

"A captivating portrait of one of history's great scientific minds. After a brief introduction to the science of physics, students are given a clear and concise account of the life of Galileo and the Renaissance world in which he lived.... Detailed explanations of scientific principles are offered in several sidebars."--School Library Journal

"A fine addition to educational resources. It is well produced, nicely illustrated, clearly written and each of the six chapters contains very helpful inserts on how Galileo's problems are addressed and comprehended by contemporary science.... The book deals with topics in a sophisticated and detailed manner."--Science & Education

"A short, quick read for an adult, and well-illustrated... This concise book tells Galileo's story in far greater detail than we ever reveal in our planetarium show, and it is a far better reference than a collection of articles and chapters in more general books... Clearly written for an audience that will not tolerate slow writing... a pleasure to read. And if you know any young people who need stimulation or just inspirational reading, think of this book."--Planetarian (starred review)

"James MacLachlan combines carefully researched technical information with detailed and engaging personal stories. Well-chosen illustrations and easy-to-understand sidebars explaining theories and experiments complement the text." -- Caliope