History of Optics from Greek Antiquity to the Nineteenth Century - Darrigol, Olivier (Research Director at Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique CNRS, Research Director at Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique CNRS, University of Paris 7)

This book is a long-term history of optics, from early Greek theories of vision to the nineteenth-century victory of the wave theory of light. It is a clear and richly illustrated synthesis of a large amount of literature, and a reliable and efficient guide for anyone who wishes to enter this domain.