 | Investigating Art, History, and Literature with Astronomy How can shadows determine the date and time of a painting by Johannes Vermeer? How did the Moon and tides cause the loss of King John's crown jewels? In his newest book, Professor Olson, author of Celestial Sleuth and Further Adventures of the Celestial Sleuth , explores how astronomical clues can uncover fascinating new details about art, history, and literature. He begins with an accessible introduction to amateur "celestial sleuthing," showing how to use your astronomical knowledge, software, archives, vintage maps, historical letters and diaries, military records, and other resources to investigate the past. Follow along as Professor Olson then explores twenty real-world cases where astronomy has helped answer unresolved questions or correct longstanding interpretations about an event. Examples involve artists such as Vermeer, Monet, and O'Keeffe; the historical exploits of Alexander the Great, the desert travels of the Death Valley '49ers, and ameeting between Franklin D. Roosevelt and Winston Churchill in Marrakech; and literary works by Chaucer, Shakespeare, and Longfellow. Packed with dozens of full-color illustrations, this book will enrich your knowledge of the past and equip you with all the tools you'll need to become a celestial sleuth yourself. "Many people have a passion for art, or world history, or great literature, or even astronomy -- but seldom in all these things at once. This remarkable book by Donald Olson of Texas State University will put you in touch with such seemingly unrelated endeavors. It will open your eyes and broaden your mind as little else could." Roger W. Sinnott, Sky & Telescope Donald W. Olson is a Distinguished Professor Emeritus of Physics at Texas State University. He received his B. S. (Physics) from Michigan State University and a Ph. D. (Physics) from the University of California at Berkeley, then went on to conduct post-doctoral research at Cornell University and the University of Texas at Austin. At Texas State University, Olson taught an Honors College course linking science and the humanities, and the Texas State group has published more than 50 articles using astronomy to solve mysteries in art, history, and literature. In 2014 the American Association of Physics Teachers honored Olson with the Paul Klopsteg Award, which recognizes outstanding communication of the excitement of contemporary physics and astronomy to the general public. In 2015 Olson was named a Regents' Professor, the highest honor of the Texas State University system. His two previous Springer books are Celestial Sleuth (2014) and Further Adventures of the Celestial Sleuth (2018). |
