This groundbreaking new work traces the 'lives' of each member of our solar family, from myth and history, astrology and science fiction, to the latest data from the modern era's robotic space probes. Whether revealing what hides behind Venus's cocoon of acid clouds, or describing Neptune's complex beauty, Dava Sobel's unique tour of the solar system is filled with fascination and beauty. In lyrical prose interspersed with poems by Tennyson, Blake and others, THE PLANETS gives a breathtaking, intimate view of those heavenly bodies that have captured the imagination since humanity's first glimpse of the glittering night skies. A timely and timeless book that will engage and delight as it unravels the mysteries of the cosmos, by the acclaimed