Many people helped me in the writing of this book, in particular those I met during my research trip to the United States, all of whom were exceptionally generous with their time. I would especially like to thank Dave Wilkinson, Jim Peebles and Bob Dicke at Princeton University; Robert Wilson of AT&T Bell Laboratories in Holmdel, New Jersey; Bruce Partridge of Haverford College in Philadelphia; and John Mather and Chuck Bennett of NASA’s Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland. In fact, I would like to thank Chuck Bennett twice – not to forget his wife, Renee – for his time and patience in helping me to bring the story of the afterglow of creation up to date.
I would also like to thank Derek Martin, formerly of Queen Mary College, London, who lent me the entire contents of his filing cabinet on the cosmic background radiation; George Smoot of the University of California at Berkeley; Robert Herman of the University of Texas at Austin; Lyman Page of Princeton University; Herb Gush of the University of Vancouver; and Michael Rowan-Robinson, John Beckman, John Gribbin, Andy Mckillop, Ken Croswell, Nigel Henbest, John Emsley, Jeff Hecht and Michael White.
This book would never have come about without Neil Belton, who had faith that I could do a good job. And the updated edition would never have happened without Henry Volans. My sincerest thanks to both of you. I would also like to thank my agent at the time the book was commissioned, Murray Pollinger, my current agent, Felicity Bryan, and my copy-editor, Ian Bahrami.
Most of all, however, I would like to thank my wife, Karen, who put up with me getting up at the crack of dawn each day to write and whose critical comments on each chapter gave me confidence that my explanations were not too opaque.
It goes without saying, I hope, that none of the people I have mentioned are responsible for any errors I have made.