My Telescope Making Bookshelf

I have lots of books about telescope building. I thought others might like to see what books are available. For each, I will attempt to list the publisher and ISBN, as well as a short review.

Title Author Publisher ISBN

Build Your Own Telescope Richard Berry Willmann-Bell, Inc. 0-943396-42-5

This is a terrific book for the beginning telescope maker. While it is not really sufficient in its coverage of mirror making, it is excellent in its coverage of all the rest of telescope making: mainly assembling the tube and building a telescope mount. It has plans for five different telescopes, one of which is probably going to be pretty close to something you'd like to build. Highly recommended.

How To Make A Telescope Jean Texereaux Willmann-Bell, Inc 0-943306-04-2

If you are only going to have one book on telescope making, this is the book to get. I still refer to it constantly even after a decade of making telescopes. It isn't the best beginners book: it will take a couple of readings to understand what Texereaux is saying, but it is worth the trip.

Making Your Own Telescope Allyn J, Thomspon Sky Publishing Corporation

This book had its first edition in 1947, so it isn't the most modern of treatments. Still, it does cover the vast majority of the topics that you'll need, and I find it to be overall quite sound and easy to read. You'll probably find a copy in any big library. Worth checking out. I got my copy at a garage sale for $.50.

Standard Handbook for Telescope Making Neale E. Howard Harper and Row Publishers, NY 0-06-181394-X

This is the book that I used when my Dad and I started building my first telescope back in 1975. It has a friendly, practical, easy to read style that I still like, although I don't think their coverage of using the Foucault or knife-edge test is quite right. I'd rely on Texereaux for that. Another book that I find frequently in libraries, good for beginners.

Optical Shop Testing Editor: Daniel Malacara John Wiley & Sons, Inc. 0-471-52232-5

A dense book intended for optical professionals. It has a great deal of information which might be beyond amateur means to successfully use, but it also covers the testing that is traditionally done by amateurs. I have this book because I lucked out and found a used copy for $30, instead of the $100+ dollars it normally sells for.

All About Telescopes Sam Brown Edmund Scientific Unknown

Advanced Telescope Making Techniques: Volume 1 Alan Makintosh Willmann-Bell, Inc 0-943396-11-5

Advanced Telescope Making Techniques: Volume 2 0-943396-12-3

A series of notes that was originally published as the Maksutov Circulars. A mish-mash of interesting little forays into the fringes of telescope design and testing. Includes some gems.

Telescope Optics: Evaluation and Design Rutten and van Venrooij Willmann-Bell, Inc 0-943396-18-2

An excellent book for the advanced amateur who seeks to learn more about optics and alternative telescope design. You can also order some fairly simple software as a companion to the book. Very interesting.

Prism and Lens Making F. Twyman Adam Hilger, NY 0-85274-150-2

This is a rather dated book, but contains a great deal of interesting information, including some notes by G. Ritchey about his work on the 60" reflector at Mt. Wilson. Not particularly useful, but incredibly interesting, I got my copy by lucking out at a book sale.

Unusual Telescopes Peter L. Manly Cambridge University Press 0-521-38200-9

Not really a telescope making book, Manly presents short descriptions of hundreds of unusual telescopes. Everything from huge radio telescopes to telescopes mounted on old lawnmowers is covered, albeit not in much detail. A fun book to have, but probably not immensely practical for the beginner.

Telescopes - How to Make Them and Use Them Thorton Page and Lou Williams Page Macmillan Publishing

An odd book, which is really just a collection of articles edited loosely together. A bit of history, a bit of theory, a bit of practical stuff, it is all in here. A couple of bright bits from my point of view: an article by John Gregory on Cassegrain-Maksutov's, and brief coverage of the Schiefspiegler.

Star Testing Astronomical Telescopes Harold Richard Suiter Willmann-Bell Inc. 943396-44-1

I recommend this book not only to telescope makers, but also to people who own or want to buy telescopes. If you want to be able to decide if a telescope is really functioning properly, one of the best ways is to star test it, and this book gives all the practical details for how to star test and interpret what you see. Very well done, highly recommended, it has helped me become vastly more critical of the performance of my own telescopes.

The Handbook for Star Trackers Jim Ballard Sky Publishing Corp 0-933346-47-6

Not strictly speaking a telescope making book, this book tells you how to construct star trackers: simple platforms that will allow you to take reasonably long exposures of the sky using just ordinary camera lenses. Photographs like these are easy to take, don't take much equipment, and yet can be very beautiful. Good for getting your feet wet in astrophotography while only laying out $10 in materials and your 35mm camera.


Title	Author	Publisher	ISBN

Build Your Own Telescope	Richard Berry	Willmann-Bell, Inc.	0-943396-42-5
	This is a terrific book for the beginning telescope maker. While it is not really sufficient in its coverage of mirror making, it is excellent in its coverage of all the rest of telescope making: mainly assembling the tube and building a telescope mount. It has plans for five different telescopes, one of which is probably going to be pretty close to something you'd like to build. Highly recommended.

How To Make A Telescope	Jean Texereaux	Willmann-Bell, Inc	0-943306-04-2
	If you are only going to have one book on telescope making, this is the book to get. I still refer to it constantly even after a decade of making telescopes. It isn't the best beginners book: it will take a couple of readings to understand what Texereaux is saying, but it is worth the trip.

Making Your Own Telescope	Allyn J, Thomspon	Sky Publishing Corporation
	This book had its first edition in 1947, so it isn't the most modern of treatments. Still, it does cover the vast majority of the topics that you'll need, and I find it to be overall quite sound and easy to read. You'll probably find a copy in any big library. Worth checking out. I got my copy at a garage sale for $.50.

Standard Handbook for Telescope Making	Neale E. Howard	Harper and Row Publishers, NY	0-06-181394-X
	This is the book that I used when my Dad and I started building my first telescope back in 1975. It has a friendly, practical, easy to read style that I still like, although I don't think their coverage of using the Foucault or knife-edge test is quite right. I'd rely on Texereaux for that. Another book that I find frequently in libraries, good for beginners.

Optical Shop Testing	Editor: Daniel Malacara	John Wiley & Sons, Inc.	0-471-52232-5
	A dense book intended for optical professionals. It has a great deal of information which might be beyond amateur means to successfully use, but it also covers the testing that is traditionally done by amateurs. I have this book because I lucked out and found a used copy for $30, instead of the $100+ dollars it normally sells for.

All About Telescopes	Sam Brown	Edmund Scientific	Unknown

Advanced Telescope Making Techniques: Volume 1	Alan Makintosh	Willmann-Bell, Inc	0-943396-11-5
Advanced Telescope Making Techniques: Volume 2	0-943396-12-3
	A series of notes that was originally published as the Maksutov Circulars. A mish-mash of interesting little forays into the fringes of telescope design and testing. Includes some gems.

Telescope Optics: Evaluation and Design	Rutten and van Venrooij	Willmann-Bell, Inc	0-943396-18-2
	An excellent book for the advanced amateur who seeks to learn more about optics and alternative telescope design. You can also order some fairly simple software as a companion to the book. Very interesting.

Prism and Lens Making	F. Twyman	Adam Hilger, NY	0-85274-150-2
	This is a rather dated book, but contains a great deal of interesting information, including some notes by G. Ritchey about his work on the 60" reflector at Mt. Wilson. Not particularly useful, but incredibly interesting, I got my copy by lucking out at a book sale.

Unusual Telescopes	Peter L. Manly	Cambridge University Press	0-521-38200-9
	Not really a telescope making book, Manly presents short descriptions of hundreds of unusual telescopes. Everything from huge radio telescopes to telescopes mounted on old lawnmowers is covered, albeit not in much detail. A fun book to have, but probably not immensely practical for the beginner.

Telescopes - How to Make Them and Use Them	Thorton Page and Lou Williams Page	Macmillan Publishing
	An odd book, which is really just a collection of articles edited loosely together. A bit of history, a bit of theory, a bit of practical stuff, it is all in here. A couple of bright bits from my point of view: an article by John Gregory on Cassegrain-Maksutov's, and brief coverage of the Schiefspiegler.

Star Testing Astronomical Telescopes	Harold Richard Suiter	Willmann-Bell Inc.	943396-44-1
	I recommend this book not only to telescope makers, but also to people who own or want to buy telescopes. If you want to be able to decide if a telescope is really functioning properly, one of the best ways is to star test it, and this book gives all the practical details for how to star test and interpret what you see. Very well done, highly recommended, it has helped me become vastly more critical of the performance of my own telescopes.

The Handbook for Star Trackers	Jim Ballard	Sky Publishing Corp	0-933346-47-6
	Not strictly speaking a telescope making book, this book tells you how to construct star trackers: simple platforms that will allow you to take reasonably long exposures of the sky using just ordinary camera lenses. Photographs like these are easy to take, don't take much equipment, and yet can be very beautiful. Good for getting your feet wet in astrophotography while only laying out $10 in materials and your 35mm camera.

Mark T. VandeWettering <markv@telescopemaking.org>