Richard Preston is best known for his best-seller on the Ebola virus: The Hot Zone. Before that, he had written a book about a group of astronomers working at the Palomar Observatory in California. This book has now been reissued in paperback in the UK.

First Light is unusual for a book about physics in that Preston has tried to reveal the human side of the scientists he writes about. Indeed sometimes, like many journalists who write books, he tries too hard. A careful description of how astronomer Juan Carrasco wakes up, shaves and heads off to work does not, in all honesty, make for exciting reading.

However, the book comes alive when Carrasco arrives at the observatory and Preston does a first-rate job in describing the frustrations experienced by the astronomers as they go about their research. And apart from a tendency to over- dramatize some sections, the book is a gripping read.

A sore point for European readers, however, is that the book presents a completely US-centric view of astronomy. That said, students will find many insights into what basic research is really like, and casual readers may well be surprised to find that – as the book shows only too well – astronomers are people too.