This book is something of a classic of the literature of the history of mathematics. It deals not with the men and women who made mathematics their life and work but with those significant figures who were primarily known for some other activity yet whose contributions to mathematics were of permanent value. With this lucid and hugely enjoyable survey, Professor Coolidge attempted to evaluate their mathematical discoveries in the light of what was known about their lives and circumstances. First published in 1949, it remains a valuable and highly scholarly introduction to these figures. Inevitably, modern scholarship has thrown new light on the subjects of this book. Rather than disrupt the overall flow of the book which is produced here unchanged, Professor Jeremy Gray has provided a short biographical note about Professor Coolidge and an introductory essay which discusses where new historical and mathematical material is now available. Thus, Professor Gray is able to describe both the strengths and flaws of this account and to discuss the new ways in which the history of mathematics is being re-evaluated.

This unique history surveys the mathematical contributions of numerous individuals noted mainly for their groundbreaking activities in other fields. It evaluates the discoveries of such luminaries as Plato, Leonardo da Vinci, Omar Khayyam, Jan de Witt, Denis Diderot, William George Horner, Antoine Arnauld, and many others, providing fascinating information on their lives and circumstances. The book also includes a valuable introductory essay by Professor Jeremy Gray, who comments on changes that have taken place in the study of history and mathematics since the initial publication of this classic work in 1949.

'the reader will find a good deal here ... The Mathematics of Great Amateurs has stood the test of time to become an essential reference on the shelf of every working historian of mathematics. It remains a delightful "read" for the general mathematician with even a passing interest in the development of the subject.' David M. Burton, University of New Hampshire, The Mathematical Intelligencer, Vol. 14, No. 3, 1992