Sir William Herschel: His Life and Works

"Sir William Herschel: His Life and Works" by Edward S. Holden is a late 19th-century biography about the life and accomplishments of Sir William Herschel, one of the greatest astronomers. Starting with Herschel being unknown by modern philosophers, it follows his life from when he was a commoner to his discovery of Uranus and describes his scientific techniques and home life, with a focus on his sister, Caroline Herschel. The lack of information about Herschel's life makes it hard to write a full story, so the book looks at his early years, his music career, and how he eventually got into astronomy by using Herschel's autobiographical work and Caroline's memoirs. This sets the scene to show Herschel's imaginative mind and hard work in learning about the universe.