Book Description
The mathematician John Pell was a member of that golden generation of scientists Boyle, Wren, Hooke, and others which came together in the early Royal Society. Although he left a huge body of manuscript materials, he has remained an extraordinarily neglected figure, whose papers have never been properly explored. This book, the first ever full-length study of Pell, presents an in-depth account of his life and mathematical thinking, based on a detailed study of his manuscripts. It not only restores to his proper place in history a figure who was one of the leading mathematicians of his day; it also brings to life a strange, appealing, but awkward character, whose failure to publish his discoveries was caused by powerful scruples. In addition, this book shows that the range of Pell's interests extended far beyond mathematics. He was a key member of the circle of the 'intelligencer' Samuel Hartlib; he prepared translations of works by Descartes and Comenius; in the 1650s he served as Cromwell's envoy to Switzerland; and in the last part of his life he was an active member of the Royal Society, interested in the whole range of its activities. The study of Pell's life and thought thus illuminates many different aspects of 17th-century intellectual life. The book is in three parts. The first is a detailed biography of Pell; the second is an extended essay on his mathematical work; the third is a richly annotated edition of his correspondence with Sir Charles Cavendish. This correspondence, which has often been cited by scholars but has never been published in full, is concerned not only with mathematics but also with optics, philosophy, and many other subjects; conducted mainly while Pell was in the Netherlands and Cavendish was also on the Continent, it is an unusually fascinating example of the correspondence that flourished in the 17th-century 'Republic of letters'. This book will be an essential resource not only for historians of mathematics, science, and philosophy, but also for intellectual and cultural historians of early modern Europe. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Correction
This is just a comment from one of the authors. Ever since this book was published, Amazon has listed it as a 'Royal Microscopy Society Handbook'. !? It is not a handbook, it is not about microscopy, and it has nothing to do with the Royal Microscopy Society. The publishers have repeatedly asked Amazon to remove these false details, but they are still there. You may think this book is special-interest only, but, believe me, it isn't as specialized as that. Yours sincerely, Noel Malcolm (Ignore the star rating I give -- they just won't print this without one.) ... Read more

Book Description
This digital document is an article from The Australian Journal of Politics and History, published by University of Queensland Press on September 1, 2003. The length of the article is 652 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: George Pell.(Book Review)
Author: John Moses
Publication: The Australian Journal of Politics and History (Refereed)
Date: September 1, 2003
Publisher: University of Queensland Press
Volume: 49Issue: 3Page: 458(2)

Article Type: Book Review

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Book Description
This digital document is an article from National Catholic Reporter, published by Thomson Gale on March 3, 2006. The length of the article is 801 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: Australia's Pell raises furor over conscience.(WORLD; Cardinal George Pell )
Author: John L., Jr. Allen
Publication: National Catholic Reporter (Magazine/Journal)
Date: March 3, 2006
Publisher: Thomson Gale
Volume: 42Issue: 18Page: 17(1)

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