This book tells the fascinating history of cosmology using a series of fictitious interview transcripts with the field's leading scientists, including giants such as Albert Einstein, Edwin Hubble, and George Gamow, to give the reader a lively and "almost authentic" impression of the problems that faced this early generation of cosmologists.

1. Kristian Birkeland: from aurora to the universe ; 2. Svante Arrhenius' eternal cosmos ; 3. Karl Schwarzschild: astronomer and physicist ; 4. Hugo von Seeliger and stellar cosmology ; 5. Albert Einstein's finite universe ; 6. Willem de Sitter and the expanding universe ; 7. George Lemaitre's primeval atom ; 8. Arthur Eddington's rationalistic cosmology ; 9. Edwin Hubble, observational cosmologist ; 10. George Gamow: nuclear physics and the early universe ; 11. Fred Hoyle and Hermann Bondi: the steady state theory ; 12. Paul Dirac and the magic of large numbers ; 13. Robert Dicke and the big bang

`This interesting work would be a useful addition to college libraries. Recommended.' CHOICE `[A]n enthralling journey not only into fantastic cosmic mysteries but also into the human mind.' Mario Livio, Journal of the History of Astronomy `Helge Kragh tells us the history of twentieth-century cosmology in a most lively and accessible form. Through his ingenious recourse to fictional interviews, he succeeds in conveying both the scientific stakes and the human complexity of one of the greatest adventures of mankind.' Olivier Darrigol, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique `An ambitious and highly engaging book that is also a very major contribution to the history of modern cosmology.' Robert Smith, University of Alberta `A rich and highly imaginative narrative that uses fictional interviews as the platform for the story, which has a fine historiographical style and is presented with flair. This is an absorbing and different approach to the history of cosmology.' Simon Mitton, University of Cambridge `This is an outstanding book, suitable for the numerous leisure (or pleasure) historians in the astronomy community.' Simon Mitton, The Observatory

Presents the history of cosmology in a new and lively format Provides an engaging and distinctive portrait of each of the scientists involved By focusing on individuals, the book demonstrates the human complexity of scientific endeavours Additional comments and an extensive list of references provide full historical details and the chance to delve deeper into the subject

After graduation from the University of Copenhagen in physics and chemistry, and a period as a high school teacher, Helge Kragh became Associate Professor at Cornell University, Departments of History and Physics. Since 1990 he has held positions as Curator at the Steno Museum for Science and Medicine, Aarhus University, and as Professor of History of Science at the University of Oslo. In 1997 he was appointed Professor of History of Science and Technology at Aarhus University, Denmark. Kragh is a member of the Royal Danish Academy of Science and Letters, the International Academy for History of Science, the European Society for History of Science, the European Physical Society, and the European Academy of Science.

Presents the history of cosmology in a new and lively format Provides an engaging and distinctive portrait of each of the scientists involved By focusing on individuals, the book demonstrates the human complexity of scientific endeavours Additional comments and an extensive list of references provide full historical details and the chance to delve deeper into the subject