The Planets

By: Professor Brian Cox, Andrew Cohen

Narrated by: Samuel West

Length: 7 hrs and 43 mins

Publisher's summary

A companion book to the critically acclaimed BBC series.

The best-selling authors of Wonders of the Universe are back with another blockbuster, a groundbreaking exploration of our Solar System as it has never been seen before.

Mercury, a lifeless victim of the Sun’s expanding power. Venus, once thought to be lush and fertile, now known to be trapped within a toxic and boiling atmosphere. Mars, the red planet, doomed by the loss of its atmosphere. Jupiter, twice the size of all the other planets combined, but insubstantial. Saturn, a stunning celestial beauty, the jewel of our Solar System. Uranus, the sideways planet and the first ice giant. Neptune, dark, cold and whipped by supersonic winds. Pluto, the dwarf planet, a frozen rock.

Andrew Cohen and Professor Brian Cox take listeners on a voyage of discovery, from the fiery heart of our Solar System, to its mysterious outer reaches. They touch on the latest discoveries that have expanded our knowledge of the planets, their moons and how they come to be, alongside recent stunning and mind-boggling NASA photography.

©2019 Brian Cox and Andrew Cohen (P)2019 HarperCollins Publishers Limited

Critic reviews

"Cox’s romantic, lyrical approach to astrophysics all adds up to an experience that feels less like homework and more like having a story told to you. A really good story, too." (The Guardian)

"He bridges the gap between our childish sense of wonder and a rather more professional grasp of the scale of things." (The Independent)

"If you didn’t utter a wow watching the TV, you will while reading the book." (The Times)

Excellent listen

I enjoyed this reading, the subject was interesting and the narration was excellent. I highly recommend.

more up to date than most

well organized and paced. unlike others which cite "upcoming' missions that are in fact well underway or over, this title includes recent information. It is well presented and suitable for audio (others I have felt were print edition titles that didn't really work without tables and illustrations). Excellent value for money. I have listened 3 times within a month of buying.

Excellent

Great narrator and up to date information about our solar system. You will not be disappointed.

Simply wonderful.

It’s amazing how easy they make it to understand. I never thought I would ever be able to comprehend the amount of fascinating information about our solar system. I would recommend this wonderful book to anyone who looks up at the night sky with wonder and amazement.

A Stellar (or at least Astronomical) Piece of Work

The level of care on display here in both the writing, where large concepts are broken down into simple ones for the sake of laypeople, and in the narration, where the narrator does an exquisite job of bringing the work to life in such a way as to make it practically breathe with calm, and calming precision, is truly remarkable... I highly recommend this book for any fans of space science, Dr. Brian Cox, or who are generally interested in learning about the wonders beyond our own blue marble

From a Lifetime Astronomy Fan

I loved this audiobook. It was a fascinating story full of amazing facts and theories about the planets our solar system. I highly recommend it!

Brilliantly written science

One of the most interesting science books available. Up to date and well performed. Poetic in places.

epic

read it you'll be happy that you did. eight planets countless worlds good auditory good book

Insightful

Loved listening to this very informative and interesting book about all of the planets. Great narrative voice to listen to. I will be listening to this book again since I love learning about our solar system. I have learned so much more than I already knew. Great Book

It was all very very good!

The book is a great listen for someone new like me. Thanks for writhing such a great book!