The Practical Astronomer is a beautifully produced book, with a plethora of colour photographs taken from some of the world's great observatories and space telescopes. There are chapters on the universe, star clusters and nebulae; making observations and equipment; constellations; the solar system; and a monthly sky guide. The sections on star charts are particularly well illustrated and show the view from the northern or southern hemispheres, simply by turning the book through 180°. Also, in these sections, useful observing tips are given; for example, how to find nebulae and other features of interest. However, the descriptions can be misleading because the features presented are not necessarily observable using small telescopes, or at the very least will appear to be a disappointing blur. Given that this book suggests itself to be a beginner's guide, it would have been useful to indicate what the observer can expect to see.
Unfortunately, similar criticisms can be made for the remainder of the book. Once one looks beyond the pretty pictures, it is difficult to see at whom the book is aimed. This is because the text is sparse and does not give as much information as one might wish. The amateur astronomer has a great number of books and internet resources available, so this text might not be suitable for that group of readers. In addition, the book makes no distinction between those objects that look wonderful when photographed at a professional observatory and those that can be viewed easily by the amateur. For example, even using a moderate sized telescope (aperture 20 cm, say), the amateur astronomer needs a great deal of experience to detect detail in the Orion nebula, although the polar caps on Mars and rings of Saturn are readily visible.
If the book is not entirely suitable for the amateur astronomer, then, one next wonders if the book would be useful to the undergraduate studying physical sciences. The answer must be no, since this group of students would find the book patronising and simplistic; for example, the section on Jupiter has a subject heading A World of Storms, and describes winds at high speeds that drive the atmosphere – poor use of language for that group of students; the section on moons misses a trick, because this is one of the most interesting aspects of Jupiter since the Voyager and Pioneer by‐passes over thirty years ago. Similarly, the chapter on Saturn gives very limited information on the characteristics of that planet's rings, possibly its most interesting feature. The novice astronomer might ask: “What are the rings made of? What is their origin?” etc. These and similar questions are not addressed in any detail.
There are two other groups of readers who might consider this book and at whom it might be more appropriately aimed. The first is school children up to ages of about eleven. Children would perhaps adore this book because of its colourful, interesting pictures. However, bright children would soon tire of its lack of content and want to move on to other guides. The second group that might consider using this book are older children up to ages of about fourteen who might want to do a school project on some aspect of astronomy. However, as with amateur astronomers, one suspects this group of readers would look elsewhere for information (for example, the internet and the much overused Wikipedia).
The last chapter is a reference section, giving details of observable objects. This would have been useful and of technical interest if the remainder of the book were in keeping with it and at the same level. As it is, the last chapter appears anomalous in a book that is, by and large, lacking in detail. Overall, this is a lovely book to look at and appears an acceptable guide at first glance, but is let down by its sparse text.
