author
Arthur Berry
1862–1929
A Cambridge mathematician who wrote one of the classic early introductions to the history of astronomy, he helped make a vast subject feel clear and approachable. His best-known book guided readers from ancient skywatching to modern astronomy at the turn of the 20th century.
1 Audiobook
A Short History of Astronomy
by Arthur Berry
About the author
Born in 1862, Arthur Berry was an English mathematician who spent most of his academic life at King's College, Cambridge, where he became a fellow and lecturer. He was highly regarded in mathematics, but he is especially remembered by general readers for writing about astronomy with unusual clarity.
His most famous work, A Short History of Astronomy, first appeared in the late 1890s and became a widely known survey of the subject. Rather than focusing only on technical details, he traced how ideas about the heavens developed over time, making the story of astronomy accessible to students and curious nonspecialists.
Berry died in 1929, but his writing continued to be valued by readers interested in the history of science. For an audiobooks audience, he stands out as a guide who could turn a long intellectual tradition into a readable and engaging narrative.