Books I have authored or edited: Galileu Galilei. Sidereus Nuncius. O Mensageiro das Estrelas Tradução, Estudo e Notas por Henrique Leitão (Lisboa: Fundação Calouste Gulbenkian, 2010).  The publication of this book generated lots of media attention both before and after its official presentation to the public on March 17, 2010. Newspaper Público made a piece in it (Ana Machado, «Portugal esperou 400 anos pela tradução de uma obra de Galileu»), ionline, Diário de Notícias, Ciência Hoje also had some information, as well as some blogs (See here, here, and here). I had a long interview on the radio (Antena 2) with journalist Paulo Guerra and collaborated in a public presentation of the book in Coimbra (some images here). See also the nice and detailed review, by Emma Sallent Del Colombo (in Actes d'Història de la Ciència i de la Tècnica, 3 (2010) 95-97). The book can be ordered at the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation. Henrique Leitão (texto) e Jorge Miguel (ilustrações) Chamo-me ... Pedro Nunes (Lisboa: Didáctica Editora, 2010).  The story of the life and scientific accomplishments of Pedro Nunes, for young readers. This was my first attempt at writing for a very young audience. I am somewhat curious to see if I succeeded or not. Let me tell you that it was much harder than I had anticipated; can you imagine trying to interest young readers in the life of a sixteenth century mathematician? Not easy... The illustrations are by Jorge Miguel, a very talented illustrator I was fortunate to work with.Falta apagar o lápis is his blog. There are no contemporary representations of Pedro Nunes. We haven't the faintest idea of his physical appearance. This was an extra difficulty we had to cope with. The book can be ordered directly at the site of Didáctica Editora. Henrique Leitão, Os Descobrimentos Portugueses e a Ciência Europeia (Lisboa: Alêtheia, Fundação Champallimaud, 2009), 104 p.  A
Summary of the fifteenth and sixteenth century Portuguese scientific
activities. Beautiful pictures. I wrote a text trying to provide a nice
overview with reference to the most recent research. Have you read it?
What do think of it? The book can be ordered here or here. Manuel Bocarro. Tratado dos Cometas que Apareceram em Novembro Passado de 1618. Henrique Leitão (Lisboa: Biblioteca Nacional, 2009).  Manuel Bocarro's Tratado dos Cometas is one of the most interesting Portuguese scientific books of the seventeenth century. Fully downloadable here. Estrelas de Papel. Livros de Astronomia dos séculos XIV a XVIII. Comissário científico: Henrique de Sousa Leitão; coordenação técnica: Lígia de Azevedo Martins (Lisboa: Biblioteca Nacional de Portugal, 2009), 197 pp.  Catalogue of the Exhibition at the National Library. Orders to Biblioteca Nacional de Portugal. Sphaera Mundi: A Ciência na «Aula da Esfera». Manuscritos Científicos do Colégio de Santo Antão nas colecções da BNP. Comissário científico: Henrique de Sousa Leitão; coordenação técnica: Lígia de Azevedo Martins (Lisboa: Biblioteca Nacional de Portugal, 2008), 247 pp.
More information about this book here. Book can be fully downloaded here [pdf - 7.6MB]. Book can be ordered here. [Reviewed by Tayra Lanuza-Navarro, Journal for the History of Astronomy, 40 (2009) 368-369] Henrique Leitão, A Ciência na “Aula da Esfera” no Colégio de Santo Antão, 1590-1759 (Lisboa: Comissariado Geral das Comemorações do V Centenário do Nascimento de S. Francisco Xavier, 2007) 110 pp.  [Reviewed by Luís Tirapicos, Expresso, 6 Setembro 2008, Actual, p. 43] Unfortunately, not easy to find. It can ordered to livraria Alêtheia (R. do Século, 13) or Revista Brotéria (R. Maestro António Taborda, 14, Lisboa). Conceição Tavares e Henrique Leitão, Bibliografia de História da Ciência em Portugal, 2000-2004 (Lisboa: Centro de História das Ciências da Universidade de Lisboa, 2006) 132 pp.  The book can be fully downloaded here. There is also an Adenda & Corrigenda.
Luís Saraiva and Henrique Leitão (eds.), The Practice of Mathematics in Portugal. Papers from the International Meeting organized by the Portuguese Mathematical Society, Óbidos, 16-18 November, 2000 (Coimbra: Acta Universitatis Conimbrigensis, 2004), 758 pp.  Proceedings of an International meeting on the History of Mathematics in Portugal. [Reviewed by Ivor Grattan-Guinness, Annals of Science, 63 (2006) 236-237] The book can be ordered at Wook, or at Livraria Almedina or at the Imprensa da Universidade de Coimbra. O Livro Científico Antigo dos séculos XV e XVI. Ciências físico-matemáticas na Biblioteca Nacional. Catálogo de livros científicos dos séculos XV e XVI. Comissário científico: Henrique de Sousa Leitão; coordenação técnica: Lígia de Azevedo Martins (Lisboa: Biblioteca Nacional, 2004), 533 pp.  This is the Catalogue of scientific books of the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries at the National Library in Portugal. I am working on the catalogue for the seventeenth century, but it will take a while. This book can be ordered contacting the Biblioteca Nacional de Portugal, and it is partially avaible via Google Books. Luís Trabucho de Campos, Henrique Leitão and João Filipe Queiró (eds.), International Conference: Petri Nonii Salaciensis Opera, Lisbon-Coimbra, 24-25 May 2002. Proceedings (Lisboa: Departamento de Matemática, Faculdade de Ciências da Universidade de Lisboa, 2003), 184 pp.  Unfortunately, not easy to find. It was published by the Departamento de Matemática da Universidade de Lisboa. Try contacting them. (If you are really desperate to get the book and cannot find it, send me a message). Pedro Nunes, 1502-1578: Novas terras, novos mares e o que mays he: novo ceo e novas estrellas. Catálogo bibliográfico sobre Pedro Nunes. Comissário científico: Henrique de Sousa Leitão; coordenação técnica: Lígia de Azevedo Martins (Lisboa: Biblioteca Nacional, 2002), 301 pp.  Here can be found the most exhaustive and detailed bibliographic description not only of Pedro Nunes' own works, but also of many other relayed books. Both his sources and the books that cite him are presented and described. Besides the catalogue itself, this book has some studies. This book can be ordered contacting the Biblioteca Nacional de Portugal, and it is partially avaible via GoogleBooks. Henrique de Sousa Leitão, O Comentário de Pedro Nunes à Navegação a Remos (Lisboa: Edições Culturais da Marinha, 2002) 104 pp.  Translation and study of an important work by Pedro Nunes (1502-1578) on the mechanical problem of rowing. It is the first study of this work by the famous Portuguese sixteenth century mathematician. Nunes' mathematical commentary on the problem of rowing is the first major step forward in the understanding of this problem after (pseudo-) Aristotle's highly qualitative analysis in Mechanical Questions, and the most interesting discussion until Euler's contributions. The book was published by the Comissão Cultural de Marinha and can be ordered contacting them. I am also involved in the publication of the multi-volume Obras de Pedro Nunes (see Projects) and, together with Ana Simões, I am the coordinator of the Colecção História e Filosofia da Ciência, published by Porto Editora (12 vols. published so far): 1. Helge Kragh, Introdução à Historiografia da Ciência (2003); 2. Richard S. Westfall, A Construção da Ciência Moderna. Mecanismos e Mecânica (2003); 3. George Basalla, A Evolução da Tecnologia (2004); 4. Edward Grant, Os Fundamentos da Ciência Moderna na Idade Média (2004); 5. Thomas L. Hankins, Ciência e Iluminismo (2004); 6. Alan Debus, O Homem e a Natureza no Renascimento (2004); 7. John Hedley Brooke, Ciência e Religião. Algumas perspectivas históricas (2005); 8. Mario Biagioli, Galileu, Cortesão. A Prática da Ciência na Cultura do Absolutismo (2006). 9. Yves Gingras, Peter Keating e Camille Limoges, Do Escriba ao Sábio. Os detentores do Saber da Antiguidade à Revolução Industrial (2007); 10. Ana Simões, Maria Paula Diogo, Ana Carneiro, Cidadão do Mundo. Uma biografia científica do abade Correia da Serra (2006); 11. Kostas Gavroglu, O Passado das Ciências como História (2007); 12. Michael Sharrat, Galileu, Inovador (2010). 13. Thomas S. Kuhn, O Percurso desde A Estrutura (2011). 14. Robert E. Kohler, Os Senhores da Mosca. A genética da Drosophila e a Vida Experimental (2011). I was scientific advisor for the book A Astronomia de Pedro Nunes na Aula de Matemática, by Isabel Cristina Dias and Helena Isabel Sousa (Lisboa: APM, 2008). See my author's page at Wook. |
