Covering all of physics and astronomy, from the history and the people to the latest hot topics, in 200 pages is a big challenge. That, however, is what the theoretical physicist Nicholas Mee set out to do in his new book The Cosmic Mystery Tour: a High-speed Journey Through Space and Time. In short chapters, Mee briefly sketches the main topics that make up modern physics, combining historical and cultural background with clear, concise explanations of the science itself. The history adds a splash of colour, and for the most part I enjoyed Mee’s decisions on who to include, not always going for the obvious choice.

Brevity is a style that works for Mee, though it did mean that some of the cultural asides felt out of place. I love Greek mythology, but a two-page explanation of the myths surrounding Perseus seems indulgent in a book where the Standard Model of particle physics gets just 1.5 pages. From Newtonian gravity to electromagnetic fields to fundamental particles, the early chapters feel a little lacking in any sense of order, jumping around in history and topic. By the halfway point it becomes clear that Mee’s main preoccupation is astrophysics, and all the scientific and historical background is leading in that direction. The book begins to flow better here and the non-sequiturs disappear.

If you like your science peppered with references to culture, from Arthur C Clarke and Douglas Adams to Joy Division and Van Gogh, give this book a try.

• 2019 Oxford University Press £16.99/$24.95hb 224pp