Preface

Part I. The General Framework: 1. Cosmology, a peculiar science B. Bertoti

2. The early years J. D. North

Part II. Riddles of and Clues to Cosmology: 3. Olbers' paradox in recent times E. Harrison

4. The part played by Mach's Principle in the genesis of relativistic cosmology J. B. Barbour

5. The mysterious lore of large numbers J. D. Barrow

Part III. Geometrical and Physical Cosmology: 6. Innovation, resistance and change: the transition to the expanding universe G. F. R. Ellis

7. Early inhomogeneous cosmological models in Einstein's theory A. Krasinski

8. Early work on 'big-bang' cosmology and the cosmic blackbody radiation R. A. Alpher and R. Herman

9. Deciphering the nuclear ashes of the early universe: a personal perspective R. V. Wagoner

Part IV. The Great Cosmological Debates: 10. The cosmological scene 1945-1952 H. Bondi

11. Personal recollections: some lessons for the future W. McCrea

12. An assessment of the evidence against the steady-state theory F. Hoyle

13. Steady-state cosmology, the arrow of time, and Hoyle and Narlikar's theories J. M. Sanchez-Ron

Part V. Cosmological Observations and Discoveries: 14. The observational approach to cosmology: US observatories pre-World War II D. E. Osterbrock

15. Discovery of the cosmic microwave background R. M. Wilson

16. The entry of radio astronomy into cosmology: radio stars and Martin Ryle's 2C survey W. T. Sullivan, III

17. Radio source counts P. Scheuer

18. Discovery of quasars M. Schmidt

19. History of dark matter in the universe (1922-1974) V. Trimble

Part VI. Dramatis Personae: 20. Carl Wilhelm Wirtz - a pioneer in observational cosmology W. C. Seitter and H. W. Duerbeck

21. Cosmic rays and cosmological speculations in the 1920s: the debate between Jeans and Millikan M. De Maria and A. Russo

22. Sinclair Smith (1899-1938) V. Trimble

23. Revisiting Fritz Zwicky A. Braccesi.