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J. Brit. Astron. Assoc., 108, 5, 1998, p. 289
Longman, 1998. ISBN 0-582-31283-3 (hbk), 0-582-35655-5 (pbk.) Pp. xii + 180, £25.00/£17.99.
reviewed by Jacqueline Mitton
When in 1989 Ian Ridpath rejuvenated the 79-year-old Norton's Star Atlas, a great classic in the annals of amateur astronomy was made available to new recruits to the hobby and more useful to its many devotees. Though much loved, it was old-fashioned and out of date. But under Ian Ridpath's expert guidance, the maps were totally redrawn, their epoch advanced from 1950.0 to 2000.0 (the effects of 50 years' precession taken into account), and the handbook section completely rewritten. Nine years on (can it really be so long?), there is yet another edition but the changes to content are relatively minor. Some 350 corrections have been made on the maps and 100 more stars have been added. The text has been amended as necessary, to include the new system of designating comets, for example. Many of the diagrams have also been improved.
A good book is more than its contents, however. Design and quality of production are also important. These are beyond the control of authors and editors, firmly in the hands of the publisher. And in this case the quality of printing is a little disappointing. The text is an insipid grey instead of crisp black and, on the maps, the constellation boundaries, which were faint in the previous edition, have seriously broken up in many places. One excellent feature is that the double-page maps are printed on single sheets inserted in the binding with reinforcement, so they lie flat easily. I am not so sure about the long-term durability of the paperback binding and cover. The cover of the review copy took a battering in the mail. Only time will tell how long the paperback binding survives the rigours of the observatory. Someone intending to use Norton's frequently should consider whether the hard cover will give better service in the long run.
When I reviewed the 18th edition in 1990 (J. Brit. Astron. Assoc., 100(1), p.37), I commented on the way the paper had become whiter and thinner with successive editions and jokingly predicted that the edition of 2001 would be printed on luminous tissue paper. So I was particularly curious to see whether the trend continues – and indeed it does! The paper is such a brilliant white I tested whether it glows in the dark, but unfortunately it is not quite bright enough to read without a torch. And as to thickness – the 192 pages of the 18th edition are together about 10mm thick, those of the new edition only 8mm thick, though the show-through of printing on the reverse sides of pages is no worse.
To sum up, Norton's is not a book I would like to be without. The maps have retained their popularity because they are easy to use, and the handbook section is a valuable resource of carefully compiled basic information. Ian Ridpath is to be congratulated on keeping this treasure in working order. If you don't have it already, it can be heartily recommended. But I am not sure I would trade in my hard-cover 18th edition in favour of a new paperback.
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