Here is an unusual book for anyone who appreciates the beauty and wonder of the stars. Solidly based upon years of thorough research into astronomical writings and observations of the ancient Chinese, Arabic, Euphrates, Hellenic, and Roman civilizations, it is an informative, non-technical excursion into the vast heritage of folklore and history associated with the heavenly bodies.From his studies of the writings of scores of ancient astronomers, the author has come up with a fascinating history of the names various cultures have given the constellations, the literary and folkloristic uses that have been made of the stars through the centuries, and the often incredible associations that ancient peoples established with the stars. He covers, for example, the origins of the lunar and solar zodiacs; the use of stars and constellations in the Bible and other sacred writings, poetry, etc.; the idea of the Milky Way; how star pictures were originally set up and why; astrology and...