Born in Jedburgh in 1780, Mary Fairfax was the daughter of one of Nelson's captains, and in common with most girls of her time and station she was given the kind of education which prizes gentility over ability. Nevertheless, she taught herself algebra in secret, and made her reputation in celestial mechanics with her 1831 translation of Laplace's M???canique c???leste as The Mechanism of the Heavens. As she was equally interested in art, literature and nature Somerville's lively memoirs give a fascinating picture of ...
Read More
Born in Jedburgh in 1780, Mary Fairfax was the daughter of one of Nelson's captains, and in common with most girls of her time and station she was given the kind of education which prizes gentility over ability. Nevertheless, she taught herself algebra in secret, and made her reputation in celestial mechanics with her 1831 translation of Laplace's M???canique c???leste as The Mechanism of the Heavens. As she was equally interested in art, literature and nature Somerville's lively memoirs give a fascinating picture of her life and times from childhood in Burntisland to international recognition and retirement in Naples. She tells of her friendship with Maria Edgeworth and of her encounters with Scott and Fenimore Cooper. She remembers comets and eclipses, high society in London and Paris, Charles Babbage and his calculating engine, the Risorgimento in Italy and the eruption of Vesuvius. Selected by her daughter and first published in 1973, these are the memoirs of a remarkable woman who became one of the most gifted mathematicians and scientists of the nineteenth century. Oxford's Somerville College was named after her, and the present volume, re-edited by Dorothy McMillan, draws on manuscripts owned by the college and offers the first unexpurgated edition of these revelatory writings.
Read Less
Add this copy of Queen of Science: Personal Recollections of Mary to cart. $27.32, new condition, Sold by Revaluation Books rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Exeter, DEVON, UNITED KINGDOM, published 2009 by Canongate Classics.
Add this copy of Queen of Science to cart. $23.50, new condition, Sold by Blackwell's rated 3.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Gloucester, GLOUCESTERSHIRE, UNITED KINGDOM, published 2001 by Canongate Books.
Add this copy of Queen of Science: Personal Recollections of Mary to cart. $26.58, new condition, Sold by Kennys.ie rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Galway, IRELAND, published 2001 by Canongate Books.
Choose your shipping method in Checkout. Costs may vary based on destination.
Seller's Description:
New. Born in Jedburgh in 1780, Mary Fairfax was the daughter of one of Nelson's captains, she taught herself algebra in secret, and made her reputation in celestial mechanics with her 1831 translation of Laplace's Mecanique celeste as The Mechanism of the Heavens. This title tells her story. Num Pages: 480 pages. BIC Classification: 1DBK; 3JH; BGH; PB; PDX; PGC. Category: (G) General (US: Trade); (P) Professional & Vocational. Dimension: 198 x 127 x 30. Weight in Grams: 388. 2001. Main. Paperback.....We ship daily from our Bookshop.
