This book invites the reader to understand our Universe, not just marvel at it. From the clock-like motions of the planets to the catastrophic collapse of a star into a black hole, gravity controls the Universe. Gravity is central to modern physics, helping to answer the deepest questions about the nature of time, the origin of the Universe and the unification of the forces of nature. Linking key experiments and observations through careful physical reasoning, the author builds the reader's insight step-by-step from simple but profound facts about gravity on Earth to the frontiers of research. Topics covered include the nature of stars and galaxies, the mysteries of dark matter and dark energy, black holes, gravitational waves, inflation and the Big Bang. Suitable for general readers and for undergraduate courses, the treatment uses only high-school level mathematics, supplemented by optional computer programs, to explain the laws of physics governing gravity.

‘A marvellous work! What strikes me is its immense range and its solid authority. For me this will be a great resource of encyclopedic knowledge, powerful models, and balanced judgement about our Universe.’

Edwin F. Taylor - Massachusetts Institute of Technology

‘… this splendid book … is in fact a guide to everything that is needed to understand astronomy, astrophysics and cosmology …’

Source: Physics World

'This beautifully produced book is evidently the result of a labour of love … Schutz writes for people who not only want to be amazed but who also want to know how it is that scientists know all the amazing things they talk about on beautifully make documentaries.'

Source: CERN Courier.com

'This book is difficult to put down … The ratio of kg to £ makes it a bargain in any company of books and its contents emphasise its value in no uncertain terms … this presentation of its influence will even enlighten many who believe themselves to be already well versed in the subject … As a whole it is the work of a master teacher, authoritative and encyclopaedic and likely to give the average enthusiast many years of real pleasure.'

Source: Astronomy Now

'… the work of a master teacher, authoritative and encyclopaedic and likely to give the average enthusiast many years of real pleasure.'

Source: Astronomy Now

'Altogether, this is a very illuminating work … The general reader will profit from the well thought-out representation, and the specialist will find many original new view-points for looking at well-known facts.'

Source: General Relativity and Gravitation