Space, Time and Gravitation.

the proof of special relativity

First edition and an unusually nice copy of 'the authoritative popularization of Einstein's theory' of relativity (Oxford Dictionary of National Biography).

Cambridge scientist Sir Arthur Eddington (1882-1944) made profound contributions to 20th century astrophysics. He proposed that it was radiation pressure which prevented stars from collapsing under their own gravity, and hypothesised that their energy came from the fusion of hydrogen into helium. But it was his verification of Einstein's special relativity that made him a household name.

'The solar eclipse of May 1919 would provide an exceptional opportunity to test one of the predictions of Einstein's bold new theory of gravitation which challenged Newton's laws (Einstein predicted that starlight grazing the sun during total eclipse would be deflected by an amount significantly larger than the Newtonian value) and it was natural to choose Eddington to prepare two expeditions, and lead one. Overcoming difficulties at the end of the war, his successful photographic observation from Principe in the Gulf of Guinea was "dramatic verification of Einstein's esoteric theory" (Gingerich, 282), shot the latter to fame, and overnight made Eddington a public figure. Like his rival Sir James Jeans he became a personality mentioned in the pages of Punch, and, following Jeans, he wrote highly successful popular scientific books. The best of them is perhaps The Nature of the Physical World (1928), while Space, Time and Gravitation (1920) was immensely important' (ODNB).

First edition; 8vo; frontispiece from photograph; light spotting and toning to front matter; original blue cloth, titles to spine gilt, cloth a little rubbed with some tiny bumps and scuffs, an excellent copy; 218 pp.