Horizons

Reviews / Votes

Superb . . . Poskett rightly highlights the shamefully overlooked contributions of Indian, Chinese and Japanese scientists -- Stephen Bleach * Sunday Times * A fundamental retelling of the story of science . . . Poskett deftly blends the achievements of little-known figures into the wider history of science . . . brims with clarity -- Chris Allnutt * Financial Times * An honest conversation about the history of science is therefore not just of moral importance - it is part of what makes discovery possible -- Will Dunn * New Statesman * I've been really impressed by Horizons: A Global History of Science by James Poskett. The book is exactly what it says on the cover: it's a way of looking at the world of science and the development of technology from a genuinely global perspective. The narrative starts with the Aztec capital of Tenochtitlan [on the site of modern-day Mexico City] and the engineering marvels that were present there, built long before the Spanish turned up during their conquest in the early modern era. Poskett also discusses Arab science, Chinese science and the story of science in the west, which is better known. So it's a truly global and really well-written and engaging account -- Rana Mitter * BBC History Magazine, Books of the Year 2022 * A lively story of global collaboration in the study of nature from 1500 to the present day . . . rich and lucid -- Dmitri Levitin * Literary Review * European scientists for centuries served the political goals of empire building, which was based on slave trading, military power, oppression and violence . . . Poskett hopes for a future where the historic truth about how scientific progress has been made is universally accepted, where all cultures are valued, and where global scientific collaboration unleashes the creativity to solve problems such as climate change -- Sean Duke * Irish Times * Horizons shows that the story of science has always been a planetary one: a non-linear process of cross-fertilisation, competition, cooperation and conflict . . . What makes the book so engrossing is that Poskett's grasp of historical contexts is as firm as his scientific knowledge -- Matthew d'Ancona * Tortoise * Generation after generation, people in western countries have been educated to believe that the history of modern science began primarily in the 17th century in western Europe. In a book of breathtaking range and high quality, Poskett dismantles that narrow version of events and produces a genuinely global history -- Best Summer Books of 2022: History' * Financial Times * This treasure trove of a book puts the case persuasively and compellingly that modern science did not develop solely in Europe. Hugely important -- Jim Al-Khalili, author of Paradox Brilliant . . . In this revolutionary and revelatory book, James Poskett not only gives us a truly worldwide history of science, but explains how international connections have stimulated scientific advances through time -- Alice Roberts, author of Ancestors