The Middle East is the birthplace of astronomy a nd the centre fo r its development during the medieval period.In this brief introduction John Steele offers an intriguing insight into Middle Eastern achievements in astronomy a nd their profound influence on the rest of the wo r ld.

Amongst other things, the book traces the late Babylonians' ingenious schemes fo r modeling planetary motion. It also reveals how medieval Islamic advances in the study of the heavens, a nd the design of precise astronomical instruments, led to breakthroughs by Renaissance practitioners such as Copernicus a nd kepler.

An invaluable introduction to one of the oldest sciences in the wo r ld.