the royal observatory, cape of good hope, was the first major astronomical observatory in the southern hemisphere, and this volume presents a comprehensive account of its origin, construction and use. it describes technical aspects, such as the instruments and their makers, the installation of the instruments and their initial problems. the difficulties of founding a scientific institution in a remote colony are also detailed. there is a biography of the cambridge-trained mathematician fearon fallows, the observatorys first director. the architecture, building methods and construction techniques are analyzed. there is also a wealth of detail on the social aspects of life in cape town in the 1820s, touching on slavery and ecclesiastical matters. the book is unusual in the emphasis it gives to the human side of astronomy. audience: historians of science, astronomers and historians, particularly of early 19th century south africa.