Mapping Time

E. G. (Edward Graham) Richards was formerly a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Biophysics at King's College, University of London. His interest in the calendar was sparked when he wrote and published computer programmes for converting dates from one calendar to another. An historical note on the various calendars included in the exercise was intended to accompany the programmes but as the author's appetite for knowledge about the calendars grew, so did the note. It eventually became, after many years of research, this book. Dr Richards and his wife live in London.

• LIST OF TABLES, LIST OF ALGORITHMS, LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS, PREFACE, INTRODUCTION, PART ONE: THE CALENDAR IN THEORY; PART TWO: THE CALENDARS OF THE WORLD; PART THREE: CALENDAR CONVERSIONS; PART FOUR: EASTER; APPENDICES 1. ASTRONOMICAL CONSTANTS; 2. THE NAMES OF THE DAYS OF THE WEEK; 3. THE NAMES OF THE DAYS OF THE YEAR IN THE FRENCH REPUBLICAN CALENDAR; GLOSSARY; FURTHER READING; INDEX.

This is a work of enthusiastic research. Richards makes even the most arcane complications arising from the accident of Earth's spin and orbit seem facinating.