A Short History of Time

This short historical study explains how hours, days, weeks, months, and years have been counted, and why those units are less natural than they seem. Holford-Strevens sets out lunar and solar calendars, the Roman year and the leap day, the seven-day week, the long dispute over the date of Easter, and rival systems from Jewish, Muslim, Chinese, Hindu, and Mesoamerican practice. He also treats the division of the day and later schemes to reform the calendar. The book is a compact history of time-reckoning, not a work of cosmology or physics.

Bound in pale blue cloth, cover blocked with a gilt and black design. Black endleaves. Dark blue slipcase.