From the "Introduction":

....The history I will present of the theories of space, time, and motion since Newton...is not a retelling of the story of the absolute-relational controversy. Rather, it is an account of how concepts of absolute and relative space, time, and motion have come to play the parts that they play in physical theory, and the impact that the construction, refinement, and critical analysis of these concepts has had on the conceptual development of physics. It is therefore no less than the story of the movement of physics toward a kind of philosophical maturity—toward a state of clarity in fundamental concepts, and of self-consciousness concerning the ways in which fundamental concepts acquire their empirical meaning.

Critical praise for Understanding Space-Time:

"Evidently DiSalle has...[written]...this...[book]."  Howard Stein, Professor Emeritus, University of Chicago

"Every once in a while a book comes along. This is such a book." David Malament, Professor Emeritus, University of California, Irvine