A provocative thesis. Koestler's "The Sleepwalkers" provides an outstanding portrait of Kepler, and an introduction to Tycho, Copernicus and Galileo. IMHO, he is a little unfair to Ptolemy, certainly one of the greatest scientist to ever live. (Ptolemy got in the way of progress only because his achievements were so great that it took 1500 years to improve upon them. Objectively Copernicus did not improve on Ptolemy, in fact he used Ptolemy's model as the basis for his own. Today we would recognize what Copernicus did as little more than a coordinate transformation. Koppernick's main achievement was inspiring Kepler.) Koestler is in love with Kepler and he makes Kepler an appealing character. Tycho, Copernicus, Galileo all enjoyed far more financial security and social privilege than Kepler. Could a desperate Kepler have seen Tycho's demise as the solution to his problems? (He admitted to usurping Tycho's data on his death.) It cannot be ruled out.
If you don't have time or patience to wade through Koestler, Bates, Mueller and White, "Fundamentals of Astrodynamics" provides a decent synopsis (I think in chapter 2 or 3.)
Today we would recognize what Copernicus did as little more than a coordinate transformation.Actually, it's a great deal more than just a coordinate transformation. In Coprenicus's version, one has the law that "things further from the center of revolution move more slowly" for moons, planets, galaxies, etc. There is no such law for Ptomemy's version.