Sky and Ocean Joined: The U.S. Naval Observatory 1830-2000

Rating:
Summary: Must read as an astronomer
Review: This is a masterful compilation of the history of the oldest scientific institution of the United States. The perspectives of Dr. Dick were thoughtful and very interesting. Many of the realtionships of the past half century were interesting when viewed from the point of view of today. Many decisions made during the reviewer's tenure at this institution did not strike one at the time as being made with a lot of consideration. From Dr. Dick's review many of them now make a lot more sense in the context of history. They were made by people who had a lot of expertise and a great deal of vision.