The First Scientist: a Life of Roger Bacon

Rating:
Summary: A good introduction
Review: I found Brian Clegg's biography of Roger Bacon to be a good introduction for anyone wishing to understand the great man's life and work, and the times in which he lived. However, this book seemed to me to be too focused on Bacon as a precursor of the Scientific Revolution, and at times I would question the depth (although not necessarilly the breadth) of Clegg's understanding of ancient and medieval science. Whilst the author has obviously done a lot of research, and his admiration for his subject shines through at every page, this is not a truly scholarly life of Bacon that would be of great use to academics. But, having said this, I would still recommend this book for anyone coming at Bacon for the first time.

Rating:
Summary: Amazing introduction to an amazing man
Review: The great thing about this book is it's not over-academic like practically everything else I've seen about Bacon, but rather gives a real insight into the man and his times. If you are at all interested in science, where it comes from and the people who made it happen this book should be on your have-to-buy list!

Rating:
Summary: The First Scientist-A Life of Roger Bacon by Brian Clegg
Review: This is an excellent work for historians and science buffs.
It describes a friar who lived in the 13th century. Roger Bacon
predicted horseless carriages and telescopes. He is one of the
first scientists to link science with the experimental method.
Early in life, he studied astronomy, grammar, mathematics,
music, logic and rhetoric. He presented a fairly detailed
earth map. The work describes his incarceration for teachings
contrary to the orthodoxy of the day. This work would make
a perfect class project for students in grammar or high school.