Johannes Kepler's laws of planetary motion rank among science's biggest ideas. But did Kepler lie, steal, or even murder for the data he needed to complete his revolutionary calculations? Joshua and Anne-Lee Gilder make this bold claim in Heavenly Intrigue, the story of Kepler's troubled relationship with Tycho Brahe. The astronomers are shown as polar opposites--Kepler the anguished, poor misanthrope and Brahe the blustering young noble on intimate terms with King Frederick II. Since the authors tip their hand early in the book, it's easy to mistake the two men's lives as predestined, their sad fates written in the stars. Kepler, the suspect, is revealed to be consumed with a "constant boiling anger" and beset by illness and unhealed sores. When Kepler and Brahe meet, it is under a dark cloud of misunderstanding that foreshadows later conflicts. Each genius offends the other, publicly and privately: Brahe, holding the money and power, makes Kepler do tedious calculations rather than sponsoring original research, while Kepler demands patronage and lusts after valuable data. When the story is done, the narrative moves quickly to the 20th century. The apocryphal tale of Brahe's demise by burst bladder is systematically countered by researchers who find toxic levels of mercury in hairs from what is presumed to be Brahe's corpse. Did Kepler, who had means, motive, and opportunity, poison Brahe? Readers will either be convinced by the end of the prologue or have lingering doubts about the case's holes that even the authors' certainty can't patch. --Therese Littleton


From Publishers Weekly
Novelist Joshua Gilder (Ghost Image) and his wife, former TV producer and investigative reporter Anne-Lee Gilder, offer a startling twist on the story of the troubled relationship of Tycho Brahe and his assistant, Johannes Kepler-who together laid the foundation for modern astronomy-and Brahe's unexpected and suspicious death at age 54 in 1601. The cause of Brahe's death had been debated for 400 years, but in 1991, forensic study of remains of Brahe's hair discovered lethal levels of mercury in his system. Dismissing other medical explanations for the mercury levels, the Gilders conclude that Brahe was murdered by Kepler, whose own work on the three laws of planetary motion-laws that changed human understanding of the universe-would remain incomplete without Brahe's closely guarded observational data. The authors weave together the personal histories of Brahe and Kepler, as well as the political, religious and scientific debates that raged during their lives. They find evidence of Kepler's obsessive desire to obtain Brahe's observations in letters by the young scientist, whom they portray in 20th-century diagnostic terms as a sociopath, permanently scarred by an abusive childhood. The Gilders' portrait of Kepler is interesting, albeit unpleasant; they catalogue his penchant for fallings out, paranoia and scheming in off-putting detail, and the explanations of his early scientific theories, which were wrong and impenetrably dense, will not be of universal interest. The writing is professional but not noteworthy, and the Gilders occasionally stretch the inconclusive evidence into speculations too thin to persuade. Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.


From The Washington Post's Book World/washingtonpost.com
One of the delights of reviewing is to have your expectations overturned. I was doubly lucky with these two books. When I first looked at them, I anticipated that Kepler's Witch would be an intriguing account of one of the more obscure events in the life of the great astronomer Johannes Kepler but that Heavenly Intrigue, which suggests that Kepler murdered his patron Tycho Brahe, would be the work of cranks with no real understanding of history. I was wrong on both counts. Kepler lived from 1571 to 1630, making him a contemporary of William Shakespeare and Galileo Galilei. The Pilgrims founded the Plymouth colony when Kepler was 49. He was one of the giants on whose work the Scientific Revolution was based, and in particular he worked out the laws of planetary motion, later used by Isaac Newton in developing his theory of gravity. Indeed, it is often wrongly assumed that Newton's famous remark about "standing on the shoulders of giants" refers to people like Kepler and Brahe. In fact, Newton made that remark in the context of his work on light, long before the theory of gravity was developed; but as a metaphor, it is still a good description of the relationship between Kepler and Newton. Kepler had a tough life, starting out in poverty in the German town of Weil der Statt, with an abusive father. He suffered a childhood attack of smallpox that left him with weak eyesight and later forced him to depend on the observations of other astronomers (notably Brahe) for the data he needed. And he did, indeed, have to witness his elderly mother go on trial for witchcraft.Kepler's story has all the makings of a gripping biography. But James Connor's book is not that biography. It contains all the facts, but it is a dull read, overlong, and the author wears his learning too self-consciously. In spite of the title, the story of the witchcraft trial is not central to the book, and the treatment given here only serves to highlight how interesting a shorter, more focused account of this aspect of Kepler's life could be. The most surprising feature of the book, to anyone who has studied Kepler's life, is Connor's claim that his subject went through a serious "embrace of astrology," something that "more than anything else . . . puts Kepler at a distance from our age." Actually, the impoverished Kepler cast horoscopes only to make money, and in his private correspondence referred to his clients as "fatheads" and described astrology as "silly and empty." This makes him much more in tune with modern thinking than most of his contemporaries. But if Kepler's Witch is disappointing, Heavenly Intrigue is a delight. Joshua and Anne-Lee Gilder have produced a much more crisply written chronicle of the colorful world of Kepler and his famous mentor, Brahe. The latter was an aristocratic Dane, who in his youth had fought a duel that resulted in a chunk being cut out of his nose, later protected with a silver covering; he presents a dramatic contrast with the low-born Kepler, always struggling to make ends meet.The story culminates in their eventual meeting. This took place in Prague, where the aging Brahe (he lived from 1546 to 1601) had a treasure trove of planetary observations, going back decades, but lacked the mathematical skills to use these data to find the exact orbits of the planets. The younger Kepler had the mathematical skills, but not the data. It should have been a marriage made in heaven, but for reasons that the Gilders make clear, Brahe was reluctant to part with his data, and Kepler was eager to get on with the job. It was only after Brahe died that Kepler, the obvious scientific heir, was able to get hold of the material he needed. Contemporary accounts tell us that Brahe was at a banquet in honor of a distinguished guest, and out of politeness did not leave the table to relieve himself during the extended meal in spite of drinking large quantities of wine. When he eventually tried to pass urine, he failed; and a few days later died in considerable pain, naming Kepler as his scientific heir on his deathbed.But Brahe's sudden death surely concealed some broader underlying cause of his fatal discomfort -- perhaps an infection. One possibility that would fit the accounts is mercury poisoning, and this is the case that the Gilders make. But unlike other authorities, they suggest that the mercury was ingested not as an accidental consequence of Brahe's alchemy experiments, but through the hand of an enemy -- that is to say, Kepler. Was Kepler eager enough to get his hands on the data to have poisoned Brahe? I don't think so, but this account of what might have happened is an enthralling read, as a murder mystery being investigated four centuries after the death. Even regarded as science fiction, it is informative and entertaining -- which would be appropriate, since Kepler wrote what many regard as the first science fiction story, an account of a mythical flight to the moon, designed to present some of his astronomical ideas in an accessible form.Kepler himself would surely have loved the Gilders' book, even as a work of fiction. He would have appreciated the way the authors use the murder mystery as a peg for the science and biography -- though he doubtless would have taken strenuous note of the lack of compelling evidence to support the tale. And he might, from a distance, have appreciated the ironic echo of his mother's misfortunes in this version of the story. Copyright 2004, The Washington Post Co. All Rights Reserved.


From Booklist
Kepler has always ranked as one of the great geniuses of Renaissance science. But two investigative reporters now wish to place him in a very different pantheon: that of brilliant Renaissance criminals. Interpreting astonishing new forensic evidence in the light of careful archival research, the Gilders allege that Kepler used his powerful mind to plot the perfect murder, secretly poisoning his employer--the astronomer Tycho Brahe--to secure astronomical data he needed to advance his own pioneering work. The authors recount a familiar story in chronicling the improbable events that gave the audacious Kepler his post as a disgruntled assistant to the flamboyant but conceptually cautious Brahe. However, the Gilders depart dramatically from the long-standard history in explaining the death of the Danish astronomer. In new X-ray emission studies of Brahe's remains, the Gilders find proof that the astronomer died of mercury poisoning--not from natural causes, as previously assumed. Through some sharp-eyed sleuthing, the authors then build a strong circumstantial case against Kepler as the cunning culprit. Their remarkable detective work will win praise from mystery buffs and historians alike. Bryce Christensen
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved


From Book News, Inc.
Tycho Brahe was rich, famous, a fabulous host, and brilliant. Johannes Kepler was poor, unpopular, a potion-maker, and almost as brilliant as he wanted to be. Kepler worked for Brahe as his assistant, and on Brahe's death took over his notebooks. Kepler later achieved a stardom in cosmology that survives today. However, according to recent forensic investigations, Brahe died of acute mercury poisoning, and bequeathed his notebooks to his family hours before his agonizing death. Gilder and Gilder, journalists, investigate the very real possibility that Kepler, unable to break free from his low origins and high ambitions, poisoned Brahe and stole his ideas.Copyright © 2004 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR


Review
“…Heavenly Intrigue is a delight. …crisply written … an enthralling read, as a murder mystery being investigated four centuries after the death. …informative and entertaining…”
- WASHINGTON POST BOOKWORLD



“The authors present cutting-edge forensic evidence of mercury poison in Brahe's remains. To further build their case, they offer transcripts of letters and papers never before translated from Latin and interpretations from historians of astronomy. … The story is carefully documented and the science behind the men's work is clearly laid out.”
- SCIENCE NEWS



“The husband and wife team of Joshua and Anne- Lee Gilder are a couple of latter- day Heinrich Schliemanns … like a historical CSI team, [the Gilders] make a very good case for Brahe’s death by poisoning with Kepler as the poisoner.”
- BOOKPAGE




“… the Gilders have produced a brilliant, readable, and original historical work that ought to convince readers that one of history’s greatest scientist committed a cold-blooded murder.”
- NATIONAL REVIEW




“…a fascinating story, told simply and elegantly … just as fascinating as the forensic detective work is the Gilders' portrait of the age in which the two men struggled toward a greater clarity about the cosmos.”
- THE WASHINGTON TIMES




“…plenty of intellectual enjoyment and reading pleasure.”
- Arizona Daily Star




“The Medicine Men recommend this chronicle for readers who like astronomy, history, biographies or mysteries.”
- Robert J. Cihak, M.D., past president of the Association of American Physicians and Surgeons for Jewishworldreview.com


“Kepler demonstrably had the motive, knowledge, and opportunity to destroy his mentor, from whose observations he derived his laws of planetary motion. The authors marshal the evidence effectively and vividly paint the historical context of their tale. …a fascinating story.”
- KIRKUS REVIEWS




“Through some sharp-eyed sleuthing, the authors then build a strong circumstantial case against Kepler as the cunning culprit. Their remarkable detective work will win praise from mystery buffs and historians alike.”
- BOOKLIST



“…a startling twist on the story of the troubled relationship of Tycho Brahe and his assistant, Johannes Kepler.”
- PUBLISHERS WEEKLY



Book Description
Johannes Kepler changed forever our understanding of the universe. Through his efforts to chart the orbits of the planets—elliptical, not circular—Kepler became one of the most important astronomers of all time. His contributions continued as he laid the groundwork for the discovery of gravitation, setting physics on the course of revelation it follows to this day. Yet if it hadn't been for the now lesser known Tycho Brahe, the Royal Court Mathematician at Prague, the man for whom Kepler worked, Kepler would be a mere footnote in today's science books. Brahe was the foremost astronomer of his era and one of the first great systematic empirical thinkers and earliest founders of the modern scientific method. His forty years of planetary observations—an unparalleled treasure of empirical data—contained the key to Kepler's monumental revelation of elliptical orbit. These observations, essential to Kepler's breakthrough, became available to Kepler only after Brahe's death. This groundbreaking history portrays the stormy collaboration of these two astronomers at the turn of the seventeenth century and their shattering discoveries that would mark the transition from medieval to modern science.

Yet that is only half the story. Based on recent forensic evidence (analyzed here for the first time) and original research into the medieval/renaissance history of alchemy, and buttressed by in-depth interviews with leading historians, scientists, and medical specialists, the authors have put together shocking and compelling evidence that Tycho Brahe did not die of natural causes, as has been believed for four hundred years, but was systematically poisoned—most likely by his former assistant, Johannes Kepler.

An epic of scientific discovery, HEAVENLY INTRIGUE is a tale of protean modern astronomy, personal ambition, the search for truth and beauty amid power politics, court intrigue, superstition, and the ever present quest to reach farther into the universe.


From the Inside Flap

A real-life Amadeus: Set against the backdrop of the Counter-Reformation, this is the story of the stormy collaboration between two revolutionary astronomers, Tycho Brahe and Johannes Kepler. That collaboration would mark the dawn of modern science . . . and end in murder.

Johannes Kepler changed forever our understanding of the universe with his three laws of planetary motion. He demolished the ancient model of planets moving in circular orbits and laid the foundation for the universal law of gravitation, setting physics on the course of revelation it follows to this day. Kepler was one of the greatest astronomers of all time. Yet if it hadn't been for the now lesser-known Tycho Brahe, the man for whom Kepler apprenticed, Kepler would be a mere footnote in today's science books. Brahe was the Imperial Mathematician at the court of the Holy Roman Emperor in Prague and the most famous astronomer of his era. He was one of the first great systematic empirical scientists and one of the earliest founders of the modern scientific method. His forty years of planetary observations—an unparalleled treasure of empirical data—contained the key to Kepler's historic breakthrough. But those observations would become available to Kepler only after Brahe's death. This groundbreaking history portrays the turbulent collaboration between these two astronomers at the turn of the seventeenth century and their shattering discoveries that would mark the transition from medieval to modern science.

But that is only half the story. Based on recent forensic evidence (analyzed here for the first time) and original research into medieval and Renaissance alchemy—all buttressed by in-depth interviews with leading historians, scientists, and medical specialists—the authors have put together shocking and compelling evidence that Tycho Brahe did not die of natural causes, as has been believed for four hundred years. He was systematically poisoned—most likely by his assistant, Johannes Kepler.

An epic tale of murder and scientific discovery, Heavenly Intrigue reveals the dark side of one of history’s most brilliant minds and tells the story of court politics, personal intrigue, and superstition that surrounded the protean invention of two great astronomers and their quest to find truth and beauty in the heavens above.

FROM THE PUBLISHER

Johannes Kepler changed forever our understanding of the universe with his three laws of planetary motion. He demolished the ancient model of planets moving in circular orbits and laid the foundation for the universal law of gravitation, setting physics on the course of revelation it follows to this day. Kepler was one of the greatest astronomers of all time. Yet if it hadn't been for the now lesser-known Tycho Brahe, the man for whom Kepler apprenticed, Kepler would be a mere footnote in today's science books. Brahe was the Imperial Mathematician at the court of the Holy Roman Emperor in Prague and the most famous astronomer of his era. He was one of the first great systematic empirical scientists and one of the earliest founders of the modern scientific method. His forty years of planetary observations - an unparalleled treasure of empirical data - contained the key to Kepler's historic breakthrough. But those observations would become available to Kepler only after Brahe's death. This history portrays the turbulent collaboration between these two astronomers at the turn of the seventeenth century and their shattering discoveries that would mark the transition from medieval to modern science.

SYNOPSIS

Tycho Brahe was rich, famous, a fabulous host, and brilliant. Johannes Kepler was poor, unpopular, a potion-maker, and almost as brilliant as he wanted to be. Kepler worked for Brahe as his assistant, and on Brahe's death took over his notebooks. Kepler later achieved a stardom in cosmology that survives today. However, according to recent forensic investigations, Brahe died of acute mercury poisoning, and bequeathed his notebooks to his family hours before his agonizing death. Gilder and Gilder, journalists, investigate the very real possibility that Kepler, unable to break free from his low origins and high ambitions, poisoned Brahe and stole his ideas. Annotation ©2004 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR

FROM THE CRITICS

John Gribbin - The Washington Post

… Heavenly Intrigue is a delight. Joshua and Anne-Lee Gilder have produced a much more crisply written chronicle of the colorful world of Kepler and his famous mentor, Brahe.

Publishers Weekly

Novelist Joshua Gilder (Ghost Image) and his wife, former TV producer and investigative reporter Anne-Lee Gilder, offer a startling twist on the story of the troubled relationship of Tycho Brahe and his assistant, Johannes Kepler-who together laid the foundation for modern astronomy-and Brahe's unexpected and suspicious death at age 54 in 1601. The cause of Brahe's death had been debated for 400 years, but in 1991, forensic study of remains of Brahe's hair discovered lethal levels of mercury in his system. Dismissing other medical explanations for the mercury levels, the Gilders conclude that Brahe was murdered by Kepler, whose own work on the three laws of planetary motion-laws that changed human understanding of the universe-would remain incomplete without Brahe's closely guarded observational data. The authors weave together the personal histories of Brahe and Kepler, as well as the political, religious and scientific debates that raged during their lives. They find evidence of Kepler's obsessive desire to obtain Brahe's observations in letters by the young scientist, whom they portray in 20th-century diagnostic terms as a sociopath, permanently scarred by an abusive childhood. The Gilders' portrait of Kepler is interesting, albeit unpleasant; they catalogue his penchant for fallings out, paranoia and scheming in off-putting detail, and the explanations of his early scientific theories, which were wrong and impenetrably dense, will not be of universal interest. The writing is professional but not noteworthy, and the Gilders occasionally stretch the inconclusive evidence into speculations too thin to persuade. Agent, James Vines. (On sale May 18) Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information.

Kirkus Reviews