First published in 1836 under the title Astronomy for Schools, Families, and Private Learners. Having begun his professional life as a teacher, Mudie understood how “to convey a knowledge of those general principles ... in the clearest manner possible” and thereby to hold the interest of his readers. In this expanded version he discusses the heavenly bodies, their classes and placements, orbits and motions; touching on the best science of his day.
Mudie’s professional career was, at best, difficult. He tried publishing journals of various sorts, all of which quickly folded. His books — ranging from titles on people and places (Edinburgh to China), to a set on the four seasons, to zoology and oceanongraphy — were his staple income, though he died almost penniless. His writings extend over three columns in the Bibliographer’s Manual of English Literature, in a list that barely scrapes the surface of the 90 or so books / editions that he published across his lifetime.