Drawing on his experience as historian of astronomy, practicing astrophysicist, and director of Lick Observatory, Donald Osterbrock uncovers a chapter in the history of astronomy by providing the story of the Yerkes Observatory.

"An excellent description of the ups and downs of a major observatory."—Jack Meadows, Nature

"Historians are much indebted to Osterbrock for this new contribution to the fascinating story of twentieth-century American astronomy."—Adriaan Blaauw, Journal for the History of Astronomy

"An important reference about one of the key American observatories of this century."—Woodruff T. Sullivan III, Physics Today