Tester's book is wonderful for learning the facts of astrology and how and why it began. He offers factual information on how it has advanced from the ancient days to what it is now.
It's not so much a learning tool for learning astrology but a great book for anyone wanting to learn more about astrology's history.

Just the fact that this book was written at all earns it a 5-Star from me. Where else will you find a sympathetic book about the history of astrology written by a Senior Lecturer in Classics at the University of London?

I often use this book in my astrology classes to delve into the fascinating history of our favorite field.

Tester takes it from the very beginning -- the Greeks, not the Chaldeans as sometimes supposed -- and brings it right through the Middle Ages and the Age of Enlightenment. Chances are you've never heard astrology talked about this way. If you are a history buff, like me, it's just all that much more interesting. It's history the way you never heard it taught, too.

Tester's work is scholarly but readable and I found the information just fascinating.

I give this book a mildly enthusiastic 5 stars. My passion for the book is somewhat diminished in that his history is rather insular: one learns a great deals about the thought of some of the central figures in the history of astrology, but almost nothing about the historical or social setting of that discipline. For instance, a general knowledge of Greek science is utterly essential in understanding the manner in which astology first developed in the West. Tester seems to assume a mastery of this background.

Despite this, Tester discusses all the key figures in the history of Western astrology from the Hellenistic period through the Renaissance, and does so with depth and subtlety.

It should be added that this is a very scholarly treatment of the subject. Anyone seeking a popular history of the subject or anyone who actually believes in the validity of astrology is likely not to find this volume to their liking. But those who enjoy the works of authors like Frances Yates and Keith Thomas, this volume will prove to be of great interest.