Robert Recorde. Tudor scholar and mathematician (Q2818802)

Among mathematicians and historians of mathematics, Robert Recorde (c.~1512--1558) is known as the inventor of the equality sign, as well as the author of the highly successful arithmetic textbook \textit{The grounde of artes} [\textit{J. Denniss} and \textit{F. Smith}, in: Robert Recorde. The life and times of a Tudor mathematician. Cardiff: University of Wales Press. 25--38 (2013; Zbl 1352.01008)]. The present book is a complete biography of the Welsh scholar intended for a general audience, and provides a convincing picture of a universal scholar with an impressive breadth of knowledge and interests. Recorde had a rich life: First of all, he was a competent doctor of medicine and the author of another bestseller, \textit{The urinal of physick}, dealing with the analysis of patients' urine in order to assess their health. He was a talented poet, as evidenced by the verses interspersed throughout his numerous books. As a comptroller of the Durham house royal mint and appointed surveyor of silver mines in Ireland, he was also deeply involved in English state affairs. Nevertheless, Recorde is rightfully best remembered as an outstanding expositor of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, and astronomy; his treatises written in the form of a dialogue between a master and a scholar are still an enjoyable read.NEWLINENEWLINESadly, Recorde lived in difficult times, and had to fear prosecution for his Protestant faith after Queen Mary ascended to the English throne. More importantly, the intrigues of his political enemies had brought him to prison, where he died at the approximate age of 46.NEWLINENEWLINEAlthough the book contains a wealth of information, it is written in an engaging style and reads like a novel. The author does an excellent job of portraying not only Robert Recorde himself, but also people that played an important role in his life, as well as the overall atmosphere of Britain in Tudor times. The value of the book also lies in the fact that it tries to debunk some prevalent myths about Recorde, e.g., the false portrait that still continues to be reproduced.NEWLINENEWLINEThis nice book is warmly recommended to all readers interested in the history of science.