We liked All Was Light: An Introduction to Newton’s Opticks by Rupert A. Hall
(Oxford University Press, £12.95, ISBN 0 19 851798 X) when it came out in
hardback in 1993, and we still like it. Hall’s introduction to Newton’s Opticks
puts that work in context, and looks at how it influenced the study of light
(and science in general) in the 18th century. But this is not a book for the
casual reader, fascinating though it will be for specialists.
More from New Scientist
Explore the latest news, articles and features
Popular articles
Trending New Scientist articles
1
The world's fastest spider tops 3.5 metres per second
2
A type of fibre that stimulates GLP-1 release approved for use in food
3
Where, when and how to watch the 2026 solar eclipse
4
The best new science-fiction novels published in July 2026
5
Babies are born with the neural foundations for maths
6
We’re not the most successful human species
7
Slowdown of AMOC ocean current may be gradual and reversible
8
Our verdict on The Selfish Gene: An unpopular piece of popular science
9
The weirdness of neutrinos could completely rewrite particle physics
10
I’m the first person whose life was saved by CRISPR base editing



