Book: French translation of Isaac Newton's Principia Mathematica with a preface by Stephen Hawking

Newton, I. , De philosophiae naturalis principia mathematica, Christian Bourgois Editeur, 1985. French translation with preface by Stephen Hawking. With postcard by publishing house inserted

This French translation of Isaac Newton's Principia from the mid-1980s is very remarkable in including a preface by Stephen Hawking dating from before he became a celebrity, indicating his longer-standing interest in the mathematician. The book is also an excellent source to determine his understanding of Newton around the time he was writing "A Brief History of Time".

Isaac Newton was one of the scientists that fascinated Hawking, and he even included a biographical vignette of Newton at the end of A Brief History of Time. Later, Hawking published a compilation of the works of Newton and other precursors titled "On the Shoulders of Giants", a phrase famously used by Newton. Hawking's tombstone in Westminster Abbey also uses the same text as Newton's, but translated into English.

Hawking enjoyed pointing out that Newton was a very unpleasant man, but nonetheless admired his contributions to physics. Newton was also Hawking's predecessor as Lucasian professor of mathematics.

Hawking's office includes many books and other allusions to Isaac Newton.

Stephen Hawking's office contained more than 300 books, all located on the bookshelves above the kitchen counter. They date as early as his student years, and the bulk corresponds to his long professional career from the 1960s to the 2010s. From the 1990s onwards Stephen would have used digital versions increasingly, so the books in his bookcases were a select subset. While some items are rare copies -like the dissertations he advised or book drafts- most of the library contents are rather standard prints. The majority contain significant individual marks, and even for those that do not, the connection to Hawking is evident. Books by friends and colleagues often contain inscriptions and inserts that evidence their relationship. Others remind of places he visited, conferences he attended, or relate to having become a celebrity and inspiration throughout the world. Of the books that he authored, there are usually multiple versions, translations, and occasionally draft versions. A good portion of the books also contain inserts such as notes by the authors or editors, receipts, and occasionally unrelated material that found its way into them around the time of their acquisition. A portion of them has also been bookmarked with post-its by Stephen's assistants pointing to the sections most relevant to show visitors.