Good Words

From The Space Library

Good Words was a British magazine published by Alexander Strahan and William Isbister. The first edition appeared in January 1860 and from its inception was edited by Norman Macleod, one of Queen Victoria's ministers and a graduate of the University of Glasgow. When Macleod died his brother Donald took over the editorship.

For the first twelve months Good Words appeared as a weekly magazine, but was subsequently sold in monthly bundles. Beginning in 1861 it became a full-time monthly. It continued until 1906.

Good Words was principally a religious publication but it also included regular columns on science, geography and history. Contributors included famed astronomer John Herschel, and William Leitch, whose September 1861 article A Journey Through Space includes the earliest known reference to Isaac Newton's laws being applied to a rocket for space travel.