A.J. Newton

Advantages: Fascinating "not quite" history.
Disadvantages: Becomes more unbelievable as time goes on.

...O.K. I have to admit it. A fantasy book that I actually enjoyed reading ! I`d been brought up on hard science-fiction with fantasy,magic and the like never really interesting me. Asimov,Clarke,Anderson and later Philip K.Dick were the authors of my reading domain and if the story-line didn`t at least follow the basic laws of nature to some extent ,then it wasn`t for me !The mere mention of magic on the cover was enough to make me hurriedly put it down with a shiver of distaste! I don`t really know what it was that made me buy "Newton`s Cannon " and "A Calculus of Angels ",the first and second book in "The Age of Unreason" trilogy by J.Gregory Keynes .My son was off to Toronto to visit relatives and I `d quickly sent an order off to Bakka Bookstore there for him to lug back to U.K.These two books caught my eye in a list of Alternate... Read review

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Advantages: Keeps the family name going
Disadvantages: I dont get royalties!

...As a child the Prof, my grandfather, was a figure of legend. Unfortunately he slipped his mortal coil several years before I was born, however I was lucky enough to be raised in the same boxing gymnasium that he founded in the Marylebone Road in London. My father, also Andrew Newton, carried on the family tradition as a boxer and later as a trainer and manager this despite his father's opposition and losing his sight at the age of 30. Unfortunately, being of the wrong gender I was unable to follow in the family profession. Boxing for women was banned when my auntie Annie Newton was making quite an impression in the ring. The Prof used her as a sparring partner to test out his budding champions. At the risk of being off topic, I will relate one of the stories my father told me which was about one of the Prof''s other passions, dogs. He... Read review

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Advantages: A fascinating look at the man
Disadvantages: Facts often seem a little patchy

...Anyone who has any interest in science or ever listened at school will have heard of Isaac Newton, the man of gravity fame. This is an enjoyable and interesting look at the mans life, from his upbringing in Lincolnshire through his studies and discoveries whilst at Cambridge university and on to London where he headed the newly formed Royal Mint. On the way through his life it presents his scientific findings in a clear and understandable manner. This book not only looks at his life in scientific terms but also in his odd relationships with other people and in the craft of Alchemy which was popular at the time. Whilst this book is enjoyable you do often get the feel that due to the lack of recorded information it is in places filled with assumptions about the man rather than fact.... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average somewhat helpful