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The Planets
- Narrated by: Samuel West
- Length: 7 hrs and 43 mins
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The Planets
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Summary
‘So staggering you go “whoa!” every few seconds’ Guardian
‘Really impressive’ Eamonn Holmes, ITV This Morning
A companion book to the critically acclaimed BBC series.The bestselling 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 readers 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.
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Critic reviews
‘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’ The 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
What listeners say about The Planets
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Swords and Spectres
- 09-10-21
Absolutely wonderful
This was a lot of fun.
It's the kind of book that, whilst grounded in science and features quite a lot of scientific phrases etc ... it is easily accessible to your average person on the street. Professor Brian Cox and Andrew Cohen have a knack for making science enjoyable, and for that I applaud them.
I went into this with quite the nerdy love of all things space-related. So I fancied I'd mostly be brushing up on the subject. But it blew my perception of knowing a lot about our solar system right out of the window. Whether you're a pro or just someone with a passing interest in the planets/solar system then this book has something for you.
It gives excellent information on planetary composition, just what was responsible for hurling that comet our way and killing off the dinosaurs, and much more.
I can honestly say it has rekindled my love of physics and that I shall be hunting down other media by Professor Cox (having seen some of his work on TV/interviews, he just seems like such a genuine person who, despite his lengthy career as a physicist, still gets that amazing sense of wonder whenever he looks up at the stars or settles himself down in front of a tricky problem).
There's no bad thing I can say about this other than it ended :(
The narration was absolutely wonderful and I really feel the narrator not only did a stellar job of the reading, but also on picking up on the authors' humour. His skill really added an extra dimension to this book. I believe it's the same narrator who did the original tv show this book accompanied, which is a lovely touch.
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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- T A Alexander
- 21-02-21
Worthwhile listen
Really enjoyed chapters about the outer planets and their moons. Some earlier chapters were too detailed for me and I lost concentration
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- AG
- 10-01-22
A very interesting book!
An obviously well researched book by respected authors. Everything you need to know about the planets in our solar system in an easy to understand format. Highly recommended.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- Anonymous User
- 09-07-19
mesmerising
loved this book full of interesting facts. narrated delightfully and easy to understand. a real gem.
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- R C Cornish
- 07-10-22
Wonderful!
Spellbinding story, wonderfully written and read. It is an epic journey in both time and space, yet is written for the layman.
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Story3 out of 5 stars
- Evan Morris
- 07-02-23
Interesting and Enlightening
Amazing book that has lots of insights. Very scientific with a peppering of grandeur. I believe certain parts felt a little more jarring than others. all in all very good.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- N. Morley
- 15-12-23
Loved it
Wow, Space is amazing! This book conjures up the most beautiful images of the planets. I couldn’t be more of an amateur space enthusiast. I just thought it would be an interesting read but now I’m hooked and need to know more!
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- Phil Morgan
- 07-10-20
A trip to remember
Fascinating. Can't go out during lock down? Take a trip into space. The idea of something as small as a car travelling for millions of miles, arriving at the exact target and sending back masses of information is mind blowing. RIP Cassini-Huygens.
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5 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- JL
- 22-08-21
Excellent!
This popped up as a Daily Deal and, loving all things to do with space, I bought it and am so glad I did. It is so interesting and so full of well-presented and easy to understand facts that as soon as I finished it, I started listening again. I think I probably have to buy the paperback now, just to see all the photographs. Beautifully read by Samuel West
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- Sangeeta S.
- 03-07-19
Loved it.
A concise high level explanation of 60years' space exploration. I was immersed. Would recommend it.
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