preface and acknowledgements
　1 introduction
　　1.1 an explanation for the reader
　　1.2 how this book came about
　　1.3 a warning to the reader
　　1.4 the nature of physics and theoretical physics
　　1.5 the influence of our environment
　　1.6 the plan of the book
　　1.7 apologies and words of encouragement
　　1.8 references
case study ⅰ the origins of newton's laws of motion and of gravity
　i.1 reference
　2 from ptolemy to kepler-the copernican revolution
　　2.1 ancient history
　　2.2 the copernican revolution
　　2.3 tycho brahe - the lord of uraniborg
　　2.4 johannes kepler and heavenly harmonies
　　2.5 references
　3 galileo and the nature of the physical sciences
　　3.1 introduction
　　3.2 galileo as an experimental physicist
　　3.3 galileo's telescopic discoveries
　　3.4 the trial of galileo - the heart of the matter
　　3.5 the trial of galileo
　　3.6 galilean relativity
　　3.7 reflections
　　3.8 references
　4 newton and the law of gravity
　　4.1 introduction
　　4.2 lincolnshire 1642-61
　　4.3 cambridge1661-5
　　4.4 lincolnshire 1665-7
　　4.5 cambridge 1667-96
　　4.6 newton the alchemist
　　4.7 the interpretation of ancient texts and the scriptures
　　4.8 london1696-1727
　　4.9 references
　　appendix to chapter 4: notes on conic sections and central orbits
　　a4.1 equations for conic sections
　　a4.2 kepler's laws and planetary motion
　　a4.3 rutherford scattering
case study ⅱ maxwell's equations
　5 the origin of maxwell's equations
　　5.1 how it allbegan
　　5.2 michael faraday - mathematics without mathematics
　　5.3 how maxwell derived the equations for the electromagnetic field
　　5.4 heinrich hertz and the discovery of electromagnetic waves
　　5.5 reflections
　　5.6 references
　　appendix to chapter 5: useful notes on vector fields
　　a5.1 the divergence theorem and stokes' theorem
　　a5.2 results related to the divergence theorem
　　a5.3 results related to stokes' theorem
　　a5.4 vector fields with special properties
　　a5.5 vector operators in various coordinate systems
　　a5.6 vector operators and dispersion relations
　　a5.7 how to relate the different expressions for the magnetic fields produced by currents
　6 how to rewrite the history of electromagnetism
　　6.1 introduction
　　6.2 maxwell's equations as a set of vector equations
　　6.3 gauss's theorem in electromagnetism
　　6.4 time-independent fields as conservative fields of force
　　6.5 boundary conditions in electromagnetism
　　6.6 ampere's law
　　6.7 faraday's law
　　6.8 the story so far
　　……
case study ⅲ mechanics and dynamics - linear and non-linear
case study ⅳ thermodynamics and statistical physics
case study ⅴ the origins of the concept of quanta
case study ⅵ special relativity
case study ⅶ general relativity and cosmology
index