First published in 1988, Stephen Hawking’s ‘A Brief History of Time’ has enjoyed a stunning success, with over 10 million copies sold in 20 years and translated into over 30 languages - and it is not hard to see why. Covering a range of the most exciting and cutting-edge topics in Physics today, such as time, black holes, and the history of the universe, Professor Hawking brings alive the most mind-boggling concepts in Physics with clear explanations and beautifully crafted analogies in an astonishing effort to help you understand the laws which govern our universe. Such brilliant scientific writing is rare, but a true joy to read once you find it.

‘A Brief History of Time’ opens with a short history of Physics and Astronomy, beginning with the likes of Aristotle, Ptolemy and Copernicus, and tracking the progression of Physics all the way through to the great scientists of the modern era, such as Newton, Hubble and Einstein. Hawking then goes on to explain, in amazing clarity and simplicity, yet with a great level of detail, the complex theories of relativity, the expanding universe, and quantum mechanics, not to mention the standard model of elementary particles. Although I felt that I had an adequate understanding of all of these theories before I opened this book, now that I close it, I feel even more confident in my knowledge, as Hawking’s writing style is so plain and accessible that even the most difficult concepts don’t sound so daunting.

That being said, once you are thrown into the world of black holes, there is no going back. Taking up approximately a quarter of the relatively short text, black holes are Hawking's area of expertise. They are a strange phenomenon of the universe, and even with Hawking’s notoriously easy-to-follow writing style, they are complicated and confusing. Despite having heard of them before, as a popular obsession among science-fiction writers, it is still difficult to perceive an area of infinitely curved space-time which does not allow light, matter or even time to survive. Concentration is required to get the most from this part of the text, but it is rewarding and awe-inspiring if that concentration is given. The world of black holes is complex, for sure, but it is also incredible and beyond bizarre, a true phenomenon of the natural universe. Furthermore, Hawking’s expertise in the area makes him a more-than-suitable guide through history and behaviour of these mysterious objects, and his plain language makes it at least a little easier to follow.

After the thrilling ride through black holes, ‘A Brief History of Time’’s final chapters discuss even more big and intriguing questions, such as the origin and fate of the universe, the nature of time, the prospects for the future, including unification of Physics, worm-holes and time-travel. I particularly found myself enjoying the chapter entitled ‘The Arrow of Time’, which discusses the nature of the of the most difficult to understand concepts in Physics, which is the nature of time itself. Why does it run in the direction it does? What would happen if time was reversed and contraction occurred instead of expansion? Why does the arrow of time exist at all? These are just some of the fascinating questions asked and pondered on by Professor Hawking in this chapter.

In conclusion, ‘A Brief History of Time’ is probably one of the most well-known pieces of scientific writing of all time, and it holds that title with great justification. The clear language, easy analogies – not to mention the humorous tone which Hawking adopts throughout, makes a book about difficult concepts relatively easy to read, and cements Stephen Hawking as one of the leading scientists of his time.