Galileo's Daughter: A Historical Memoir of Science, Faith, and Love [Paperback]

 

 

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I listened to the this book on tape.

It has been one of the more enjoyable literary experiences I have had recently. The writing style is excellent. The narration done masterfully with the narrator distinctively creating the voices and personalities of the different characters. I found the experience riviting and entertaining.

As regards the book itself, I was familiar with the story of Galileo but this brought it to life and personalized it so that I now view this history with a much more passionate eye.

The brilliance of Galileo's intellect and the radical information that he brought into the darkness of his age cannot be underestimated. As viewed through the culture of our day, I don't believe we can appreciate the role of one who challenges the prevailing wisdom of the current age and shakes it to its core. Part of Galileo's legacy is that we have developed in a more scientific community and change is more or less expected and we are by and large more prepared to receive such change as a matter of course. Not all of us of course, but it is a part of our culture and expectations to a degree unheard of in the world, especially as it emerged from the Dark Ages.

I found that important to keep in mind as I absorbed the information of this book recounting the treatment of Galileo by the Catholic Church.

The depth of this treatment and the intransigence of religious thought is such that the most Brilliant mind of the 17th Century who evinced a strong devotion to his Church and faith to a degree that seems almost surreal given their treatment of him, did not have his "Heretical" body buried with the dignity it deserved until the 18th century, did not have his "Heretical" book removed from the Church's banned list until the 19th century and did not have an official expression of any remorse or regret from the instituation of the Roman Catholic Church until the end of the 20th century in the form of a lukewarm and self-justifying statement offered by Pope John-Paul II on the 350th anniversary of Galileo's death.

I found myself struggling greatly as I digested the words of Galileo, his daughter and various Church officials toward the end of the book as the travesty of Galileo's trial and subsequent imprisonment played out. You must understand, of course, the context of the days and grant a certain amount of deference. Even with that, the Church erred greatly in their judgement, and handling of this matter and did not just a person, but the entire scientific community extant and yet to come an "astronomical" dis-service of cosmic proportions. Small wonder that scientific greatness ceased to emerge in Italy for so many years following and that the protestant community outside the stifling ignorance and arrogance of the Catholic Church became a progenitor of scientific progress. (This is not to grant those a pass as that ignorance and arrogance is well represented currently in the form of "Young Earth" Creationists who carry that legacy well into our current days, to name just one example.)

As one trained in hermenuetics and apologetics and respectful of religious importance, I was amazed to hear the words of Galileo as regards the interpretation of Scripture. He was not only a more intelligent and disciplined thinker in the realm of science, he was a better Biblical Expositor. He recognized clearly that there was no conflict between creation and Scripture. Where perceived conflict existed, it existed because of faulty interpretation of scientific data AND/OR faulty interpretation of Scripture. The Scriptures were not written in a scientific age and never intended to deliver scientific teaching in a literal sense. The key to enlightenment lay in recognizing truth for what it was from either realm and reconciling the two and abandoning a literal hermanuetic where it could not be supported. Sadly, this lesson remains unlearned by many and the resultant split between the scientific community and communities of faith remains unnecessarily in existence.

It is one thing for the Church to have erred in the introduction of new thought and truth coming out of the Dark Ages. It is sadly another, for ignorance to be embraced and cherished when the light of truth shines brightly for any who would open their eyes and engage in the challenge of understanding and then reconciling the two.

I digress, but the book ignited my little explosion so I will let it stand.

Galileo emerges from this book in oh so human form. His brilliance, his pride and arrogance (probably justified more in him than most men but there none-the-less), and his tender relationship with his daughter, come out of this work in a superior manner. He becomes human and transends the mythological proportions he has achieved in History and Science.

Well worth the time to read or listen. An outstanding book!

From the title of this book, I naturally expected it to be a biography of Galileo's daughter, which it is not exactly. I was a bit disappointed to begin with, as the first hundred pages or so are Galileo's early biography. Once his daughter, Virginia (later Suor Marie Celeste) came into the picture, the story became much more interesting.

Virginia was one of Galileo's three illegitimate children by the mistress of his early years, Marina Gamba. She eventually married, with Galileo's blessings, and he never lost interest in his children. Due to their illegitimacy which he felt would eliminate any chance of a decent marriage, Galileo had his two daughters entered into a convent at a very early age. The both became nuns at the convent of San Matteo on turning sixteen, Virginia taking the name Suor Marie Celeste and Livia that of Suor Arcangela. The son, Vincenzio, lived with Galileo in his late teens and eventually (after an unpromising start) became a good son to him.

This book recounts Galileo's personal and private life, using letters from Marie Celeste to give color to what would otherwise be a black and white, straight forward biography. Their shared love is beautiful to see in her letters--his to her having been lost--and the bits and pieces of every day life that she treats the reader to are thoroughly enjoyable.

This is a very detailed and readable history of Galileo, and gave me a much greater understanding of the man, his work and his difficulty with the Church. The conflict he felt between himself and his discoveries comes through very clearly and poignantly in his own words through his other letters. Her faith in him, and in the fact that he was not being heretical, is very apparent. It was interesting to me to see how differently Sobel portrays Galileo's fight was the Church--if her sources are to be believed (and I see no reason to disbelieve) it was not at all what history textbooks would have us believe.

As a history major and fanatic, I truly enjoyed reading this book. The alternate perspective of Galileo was refreshing and real--and made sense of a lot that had previously seemed murky to me about him and the Church. The addition of Marie Celeste's letters gave this book personality and took Galileo from a science god to a human being. My only regret is how few letters are in this book, and that the title is a bit misleading. Despite that, if you have any interest in Galileo, this is a must-read!

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This six part, 33 chapter book, by Dava Sobel, has two themes running through it:

Theme #1: Decribes thoroughly the life and times of Galileo Galilei (1564 to 1642).
Theme #2: Describes the life of Galileo's daughter (1600 to 1634) through some of the actual letters she wrote to her father.

This is first and foremost a solid, easy to read biography of Galileo. His life is traced from him first entering a monastery before deciding to lead a life of scientific inquiry and discovery. Actual letters or parts of letters (translated from the original Latin, French, or Italian by various experts) by Galileo and others are included in the main narrative. Throughout, we are told of his numerous inventions and discoveries. Perhaps the most sensational is that his telescopes allowed him to reveal a new reality in the heavens and to reinforce the Copernican argument that the Earth moves around the Sun. For this belief, he was brought before the Holy Inquisition, accused of heresy, and forced eventually to spend his last years under house arrest. All the translated papers pertaining to these inquisition days are included and make for fascinating reading.

My favorite Inquisition story is with respect to the June 1633 renunciation or "confession" document (reproduced in this book) Galileo was to speak out aloud. The main point of this document is that the Earth does not move around the Sun and that the Earth does not move at all. After reading it aloud, it is said that he muttered under his breath "Eppur si muove" (translation: "But it does move.")

One of Galileo's daughters born "Virginia" and later appropriately named "Sister Maria Celeste," had the intelligence and sensibility of her father. As indicated by her letters, her loving support, which Galileo repaid in kind, proved to be her father's greatest source of strength through his most productive but tumultuous years. Sobel herself translated these letters from the original Italian. They are expertly woven into the main narrative adding an emotional element to this biography.

This book contains almost twenty-five complete letters and numerous large and small fragments from other letters by Sister Celeste. All letters she wrote begin with a statement showing love and respect for her father. Example: "Most Illustrious Lord Father." The first complete letter is dated May 10, 1623 and the last complete letter is dated December 10, 1633. Those letters Galileo wrote to his daughter have not survived.

Almost 75 illustrations are found throughout this book. They add (besides the actual letters of Galileo's daughter) yet another dimension to the narrative. Two of my favorite pictures are entitled "Moon drawings by Galileo in 1609" and "Sunspot drawings by Galileo."

Another intriguing aspect of this book is a chronology after the main narrative ends entitled "In Galileo's Time." This is not just a timeline of important events that occurred during Galileo's life but includes all significant events (especially scientific ones) between 1543 to 1999 inclusive. For example, what happened in 1687? According to this chronology, "Newton's laws of motion and universal gravitation are published in his [book] 'Principia.'" What happened in 1989? Answer: "[NASA] launches [the] 'Galileo' spacecraft [or space probe] to study the moons of Jupiter at close range."

Where did the author obtain all the fascinating information needed to write such an intriguing book? Answer: from the over 130 references found in the bibliography.

I noticed in the book's "Appreciation" section that the author gives thanks to many people. (Dr.) Frank Drake, who helped with the celestrial mechanics found in this book, caught my eye. She co-authored with him the excellent book "Is Anyone Out There?: The Scientific Search for Extraterrestral Intelligence" (paperback, 1994).

Finally, my only minor complaint is with the book's title. As mentioned above, there are two interconnected themes running through this book. Thus, I think a more appropriate title might have been "Galileo and his Daughter."

In conclusion, this book is a thorough biography of Galileo that includes some translated letters from one of his daugters. It is truly, as the book's subtitle states, "A Historical Memoir of Science, Faith, and Love!!!"

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3.0 out of 5 stars good customer service
this book arrived in below my expectations, however the seller was great in that they offered me a full refund. Might purchase from this seller again

Published on Mar 3 2010 by Quincy Nelson

4.0 out of 5 stars A original perspective.
Dava Sobel made an excellent job in this book. Family is an aspect of Galileo's life never exploded before (at least not that I know) and totally gives you a different perspective... Read more

Published on July 3 2004 by Sergio A. Salazar Lozano

5.0 out of 5 stars More than a Loving Daughters view of a Good Catholic
Dava Sorbel (in case you wondered, it's s a woman) has written a thoroughly entertaining and gripping account of Galileo Galilei's life from an unusual angle. Read more

Published on Jun 29 2004 by Mr P R Morgan

5.0 out of 5 stars Not only a great man, but a great father, too!
A historical Memoir of science, faith, and love. The book purports to use letters from Galileo's daughter to form the basis of this biography and they are certainly a major part... Read more

Published on April 10 2004 by Arnold V. Loveridge

1.0 out of 5 stars Dava Sobel writes a too-long tale with little drama
Some biographers, through talent and the intelligent use of a pen, can make their subject's life a fascinating and interesting tale. Read more

Published on Mar 22 2004 by enhollenbeck

5.0 out of 5 stars An interesting book on an interesting topic and time
Despite the title, the book is not about Galileo's daughter. While her correspondence with her father figures prominently throughout the book and details of her life factor into... Read more

Published on Mar 19 2004 by Atheen M. Wilson

5.0 out of 5 stars It Does Move!
I give this book five stars, because it is absolutely essential reading for anyone wanting a schoalrly, balanced account of "the Galileo incident" at the center of... Read more

Published on Feb 27 2004 by JohnMatthias

4.0 out of 5 stars Better Title: Galileo AND His Daughter
We read this book as the monthly selection in our bookclub. The book is very interesting, but definitely NOT a FAST read. Read more

Published on Feb 22 2004 by Imperial Topaz

5.0 out of 5 stars The Many Sides of Galileo
In her intimately drawn book, "Galileo's Daughter," Dava Sobel brings us the story of Galileo the Scientist, interwoven with letters from his daughter, which allow us to see... Read more

Published on Feb 17 2004

4.0 out of 5 stars The persistence of evil!
This book gave no depth to Galeleo's look at the world, from science to religion. It is valuable, extremely valuable, as a chronicle of the tyrrany of the Catholic Church. Read more

Published on Feb 16 2004 by C Brunner

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