The Universe

The book of the BBC TV series presented by Professor Brian Cox

By: Andrew Cohen, Professor Brian Cox - introduction

Narrated by: Brian Cox, Jot Davies

Every night, above our heads, a drama of epic proportions is playing out. Diamond planets, zombie stars, black holes heavier than a billion Suns. The cast of characters is extraordinary, and each one has its own incredible story to tell.

We once thought of our Earth as unique, but we have now discovered thousands of alien planets, and that’s barely a fraction of the worlds that are out there. And there are more stars in the Universe than grains of sand on every planet in the Solar System. But amid all this vastness, the Milky Way Galaxy, our Sun and the Earth are home to the only known life in the Universe – at least for now.

With a foreword from Professor Brian Cox, and access to all the latest NASA mission information, Andrew Cohen takes readers on a voyage of discovery, via the probes and telescopes exploring the outer reaches of our galaxy, revealing how it was formed and how it will inevitably be destroyed by the enigmatic black hole at its heart. And beyond our galaxy, the expanding Universe, which holds clues to the biggest mystery of all – how did it all begin? We now know more about those first moments of existence than we ever thought possible, and hidden in this story of how it all began are the clues to the fate of the Universe itself and everything in it.

Critic reviews

‘Wonderful in every sense’ Guardian

‘I wish Brian Cox had been my physics teacher’ The Times

‘Undeniably beautiful’ Daily Mail

‘Engaging and elucidating’ Metro

‘[The Universe] looks spectacular and the science is mind-boggling’ Telegraph

Praise for The Planets by Andrew Cohen and Professor Brian Cox:

‘So staggering you go whoa!’ every few seconds … Cox is the Attenborough of the Solar System’ Guardian

‘Spectacular. [Cox’s] ability to convey maximum information in a clear and minimalist style is so softly winning and persuasive’ Sunday Times

‘Professor Brian Cox continues to boggle our minds’ Daily Mail

‘It was life affirming, it was perspective shifting. It was beautifully made’ Fearne Cotton, The Zoe Ball Breakfast Show, Radio 2

‘Amazing work’ Emma Barnett, Adrian Chiles, Radio 5 Live

‘Starry-eyed Brian Cox is the only man for this job’ The Times

‘Wow’ Evening Standard

‘The professor makes us marvel at life on Earth’ iNews

‘Excellent … a blend of enjoyable, accessible science and dreamlike wonder’ The Times

‘Brian Cox breathes life into science again … breath-taking’ Guardian

‘Fascinating … Good science’ Observer

‘Extraordinary – at its best magically fascinating and full of vast, weird drama’ Radio Times

Praise for Professor Brian Cox:

‘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’ Guardian

‘He bridges the gap between our childish sense of wonder and a rather more professional grasp of the scale of things’ Independent

‘If you didn’t utter a wow watching the TV, you will while reading the book’ The Times

‘Engaging, ambitious and creative’ Guardian

Brilliant astrophysics summary

This is a riveting text IF the reader/listener is intelligent and interested in astronomy amd/or astrophysics. The narrator has a soothing British accent, and the presentation is spot on. If I only remember 5% of what was presented, the book is more than worth the cost.

This will be a definite re-read!

Good Sciece

Too short and not detailed enough for scientifically minded people.
Probably just right for first time listeners to cosmological documentaries.

I enjoyed way it was structured

I want Brian Cox to read!!!!!!! please thank you amen hail Ceasar pasta spaghetti

Listen to this alone and with your loved ones. You’ll be transported and inspired

I thoroughly enjoyed the content, and have been rereading parts already as there’s so much to take in and savor. It’s a wonderful adventure, skillfully written to engage the reader in the unbelievably reality of which we’re actually a part. loved the narrator’s voice and found his presentation also totally engaging. On a personal note, I found this book very soothing and hopeful as counterpoint to the harsh realities of world events. We humans are capable of overcoming ignorance and the science we inherit as shared in this book proves that. Listen to this with your loved ones and your children.

A Complex Subject Made Easy To Follow

I know this subject matter pretty well but I felt I was being taught a lot of it for the first time due to the creative use of quotes and the telling of facts with enthusiastic flair.