Three weeks ago, I announced that The Sun Kings had been longlisted by The Royal Society for their 2008 Science Book Prizes.  Well, it is with a cocktail of excitement and disbelief that I can announce today that the judges have gone on to shortlist my book.

The judges said: “The Sun Kings is a real page turner which will open your eyes to the number of scientific discoveries throughout history that might have been lost. The real majesty and power of the sun shines through and, if you’ve never given a second thought to your nearest star, you will now.”

There are five other books on the shortlist and, as when the longlist was announced, I am thrilled beyond measure to be in the company of such authors. To read the Royal Society’s full announcement of the shortlist, click here