The Big Bang : A View from the 21st Century

From the reviews:

"Harland’s nicely written book chronicles the rapidly developing field of cosmology-the place where astronomy and particle physics converge. ... The book is liberally sprinkled with useful charts and photos that illustrate the more difficult concepts. It is written in a nontechnical yet accurate manner that will appeal to science buffs. ... This reviewer is glad to have this book on his shelf. Summing Up: Highly recommended. General readers; lower-division undergraduates through graduate students; two-year technical program students." (T. D. Oswalt, CHOICE, February, 2004)

"The book shows the historical development of two separate aspects of physics that come together to yield an understanding of the Universe as a whole. ... The book is densely packed with information, referencing all important and relevant works, and showing the tedious nature of research and discovery and the perseverance required ... . It gives an excellent review of the development of astronomy and particle physics and the key players involved in their discovery. ... This book should be in all astronomy library collections." (Shirin Haque, The Observatory, Vol. 124 (1178), 2004)

"Organised in two distinct sections, it is a more than adequate introduction into the history of man’s understanding of his Universe, both on the smallest quantum scales and the largest astronomical scales. It is this duality that sets the book apart from many of its peers. ... there would be few recent books more suited to provide a first foray into the subject." (Roger Feasey, Auckland Astronomical Society Journal, November, 2003)