American Eclipse: A Nation's Epic Race to Catch the Shadow of the Moon and Win the Glory of the World
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Product Description
Author: David Baron
Edition: 1
Format: Kindle eBook
Number Of Pages: 344
Publisher: Liveright
Release Date: 06-06-2017
Details:
This “suspenseful narrative history” (Maureen Corrigan, NPR) brings to life the momentous eclipse that enthralled a nation and thrust American science onto the world stage.
On a scorching July afternoon in 1878, at the dawn of the Gilded Age, the moon’s shadow descended on the American West, darkening skies from Montana Territory to Texas. This rare celestial event—a total solar eclipse—offered a priceless opportunity to solve some of the solar system’s most enduring riddles, and it prompted a clutch of enterprising scientists to brave the wild frontier in a grueling race to the Rocky Mountains. Acclaimed science journalist David Baron, long fascinated by eclipses, re-creates this epic tale of ambition, failure, and glory in a narrative that reveals as much about the historical trajectory of a striving young nation as it does about those scant three minutes when the blue sky blackened and stars appeared in mid-afternoon.
Lauded as a “sweeping, compelling” (Wall Street Journal) work of science history, American Eclipse tells the story of the three tenacious and brilliant scientists who raced to Wyoming and Colorado to observe the rare event. Dedicating years of “exhaustive research to reconstruct a remarkable chapter of U.S. history” (Scientific American), award-winning writer David Baron brings to three-dimensional life these competitors—the planet-hunter James Craig Watson, pioneering astronomer Maria Mitchell, and the ambitious young inventor Thomas Edison—to thrillingly re-create the fierce jockeying of nineteenth-century American astronomy. With spellbinding accounts of train robberies and Indian skirmishes, the mythologized age of the Wild West comes alive as never before. An “enthralling” (Daniel Kevles) and magnificent portrayal of America’s dawn as a scientific superpower, American Eclipse depicts a young nation that looked to the skies to reveal its towering ambition and expose its latent genius.
Languages: English
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On July 29th, 1878, Colorado's "Mile High City" and many other localities in a path stretching from Montana, through Wyoming, Oklahoma and Texas and on to the Gulf of Mexico, would be privy to a rare sight: a Total Solar Eclips. The fledgling United States wanted to establish itself as a major member of the World's science community. To that end most our home-grown scientists and inventors were eager to make observations of this once in a lifetime event. But to reach the "Path of Totally" required a long and sometimes dangerous journey to the very edge of our Civilization, to the Wild, Wild West. In "American Eclipse" journalists and author David Baron traces the trials, tribulations and successes of these men and women, of science on their quest to observe and document this stunning event. Along the way he also looks at the nations political and social climate in the late 19th Century. The book starts out with some background on each of the principal characters involved in the expeditions. Some of these people were familiar to me, like Thomas Edison, while others were less known, like astronomers William Harkness, Simon Newcomb and Astrophotographer Henry Draper. One outstanding character was Maria Mitchell, one of the earliest women astronomers, who faced many challenges during her career in what was mostly a "for men only" profession. However she was determined to prove that a woman could make astronomical observations as good as any man. As for Edison's, well his primary goal was to test his newest, though untested, invention for measuring inferred radiation and registering any temperature changes in the solar corona. As the count down to Totally came to a close the Scientist, and the Nation itself, seemed to hold their collective breathes for the event of the Century. The Kindle edition includes many great illustrations, archival photos and period sketches of locations, people, equipment and the eclipse itself. David Baron's writing perfectly captures the tension of waiting for, and observing, Totality. And the narrative moves along at a fast clip, filled with anticipation that kept me interested throughout the book. As far as I could tell Baron's research was very thorough, giving the narrative an authentic flavor that left me wanting for more. Be sure to read the author's Notes on Sources and extensive Acknowledgments for insights on the author's work ethic. This is truly an excellent book that I recommend for any lovers of science and history. I had no technical or downloading problems with this Kindle edition.Last Ranger
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A great history of science and technology book that's also a good story. Great travel reading, especially if you're on your way to an eclipse or are on the beach sitting in the sun.
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If you are already interested in the history of astronomy in the late 19th century, this is a good book. If not, it is a book that doesn't quite convince us that it has an important, coherent story to tell.
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well written interesting subject .
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Great yarn and historical perspective on astronomy.
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Short little book, fun read, not as much about the women as I had thought it would be, but still good history...
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GREAT history! Kept us entertained from home to Madras! (yes. we saw the eclipse! It was AWESOME!)
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Really enjoyed learning a bit of history I was not aware of before.
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great book and history of eclipse
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Repetitive and wondering but of interest.
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Very well written!
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Like a story taken from RadioLab or This American Life, American Eclipse by David Baron, tells the story of the world’s fascination with the total eclipse of the sun, from The Great American Eclipse in July of 1878, to the recent total eclipse on August 21, 2017. The story unwinds through three unlikely characters – Thomas Edison – the inventor, readying to test out an invention, Maria Mitchell, president of the Association for the Advancement of Women, to promote the notion of women in science, and a cosmologist seeking fame, James Craig Watson, and draws correlations and the summary, that an event such as this can and has pulled a nation together- shedding our differences, if only for a day…or, for three minutes of something so fantastic.
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A little light on science but an interesting survey of how this eclipse was observed by 19th century scientists and lay people. It was also interesting to me personally, as I live in the Denver area.
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This is a terrific book. Baron gives the reader a clear feeling of how important the 1878 solar eclipse was to a burgeoning American scientific community which was truly in its infancy at that time. The whole idea of Edison, and others, going to Rawlins, WY a mere two years after Little Big Horn is simply fantastic and the descriptions of Denver are also unique. In view of the 2017 solar eclipse and the 2024 one in our near future, this is a very timely read.
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Well written, very well documented (half the book). But interesting.
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The author tied social and historic elements into the reporting of the eclipse. The parties described represented different elements in society at the time reflecting politics, science and the press. I read this book right after I observed total solar eclipse so it was particularly significant to me.
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Great story or Americans chasing the eclipse and of maturing in the age of science.
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PASSION FOR ECLIPSES!!!
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Baron's imagery is engaging and a commentary on innovation, ingenuity and globalization. -- Norma Rosado-Blake, AAAS Archivist
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Interesting
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Excellent coverage of a most interesting time in our country's development--well worth the read!
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Fascinating and well-researched book about how they viewed the eclipse in the 19th century. Loved the side-stories about some of the scientists and inventors of the day.
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We listened to this as we drove to witness totality in the 2017 eclipse in Oregon. Story provided history, science, and personal stories. Enjoyed it!!
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American Eclipse is a great read, especially if you are one of the millions who witnessed this year's Great American Eclipse. You'll connect well with the impressively researched story of how people were affected by the 1878 eclipse, and Baron's wonderful description of the experience of totality will help you relive what you experienced for yourself. Highly recommended.
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Great book -- David Baron ties together a fantastic series of threads with what is, honestly, material that is somewhat dry -- an experiment of Thomas Edison that basically didn't work, the travel drama of a group of pioneering women scientists (and many other scientists) that traveled successfully to see the eclipse but didn't make any earth-shattering discoveries, the claimed discovery of a planet inside Mercury's orbit that was just wishful thinking, a scientists that almost died from altitude sickness but actually recovered fine, etc. It was a great lead-up to the Great American Eclipse of 2017, and will be a great read for the Great North American Eclipse of 2024, the Great Australian Eclipse of 2029, etc.Nick Matzke, researcher, The Australian National University
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This book contains a very readable and interesting account of the 1878 eclipse.That account is about 187 pages long.Unfortunately the book is 344 pages long.There are long, very long, nigh almost endless digressions into the life of Thomas Edison, the 19th Century, and (it seems) pretty much everything the author came across during his research. I enjoy the long, epic, well researched novel, (I'm a big fan of James Michener) but this reminded me of the term papers I wrote in college where I went out of my way to show just how many books I had read in the course of my research... even if they hadn't turned out to be relevant to the topic.If I had wanted a long Edison biography, or a general review of 19th Century American History I would have bought them, there was no need to include both of these books with an otherwise interesting book about the eclipse.
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Love this book. It is so fun to read. Very well written!
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Love it since it was bought about a week before the eclipse at a lecture by the author. I bought it hardcopy as well and have his signature in it. A great read before the event!!!
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A thoroughly enjoyable read, well-researched, well-written, and engaging on many levels. I particularly enjoyed the prominence given Vassar Professor of Astronomy Mariah (Ma-RYE-uh) Mitchell and her expedition. Interspersed with male astronomers, celebrity inventors and scientists, the history of women in astronomy is given a well-deserved prominence with appreciation of their travails and accomplishments. This one will be re-read and is a rich source of historical references.
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Interesting topic. very readable style.
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Fabulous book. I read it while preparing for the August 21 Eclipse. A great read.
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I loved this book! It was utterly fascinating.
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I thought this book was amazing! It tied in the science with history, and read like a novel. Fantastic!!
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Although the NPR review I heard on this book made it sound like the best one out there, it is certainly not a page turner. While obviously well researched and though it brings to light some interesting things about Thomas Edison and women's struggles in the field of astronomy, I found it to be too detailed, often with minutia that didn't add much to the story. A companion story of the era, "Nothing Like it in the World" by Stephen Ambrose is an example of how much better trips across the plains of Wyoming and Nebraska in the 1800's can be made into fascinating tales.
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Great snapshot of turn of the 19th century U.S as well as the substantive matters concerning this vital eclipse.
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We live in the path of totality for the upcoming eclipse and have been somewhat astounded by the intense interest from around the world. This book gave me more of an understanding and appreciation of this rare event. The stories of these scientists and their descriptions of the eclipse will make the viewing a much fuller experience.
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Very informative and a fun read. Makes the event more exciting, in particular because we are from Denver.
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Makes me want to run right out and become an Astronomer! Baron is a great researcher and mixes history and astronomy into a wonderful story.
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A delightful account of the national experience of the Eclipse of 1878, and timely as the United States prepares for the Eclipse of 2017. Very enjoyable and excellent study of an important Gilded Age event that tells us much about the American experience in the 1870s. The extensive research is well-balanced with accessible prose that reads like a novel. Historical figures such as Thomas Edison and Maria Mitchell come alive with a personality that is not always apparent in other historical accounts. This is an excellent addition to the history of American science and of the Gilded Age in the US.
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As an amateur astronomer and an amateur historian myself, I was fascinated by this book on multiple levels. Particularly interesting to me were the descriptions of the preparations and anxieties each group of astronomers faced as the 1878 eclipse approached. These same preparations and anxieties are being felt just as strongly today as we await August 21st and what has been dubbed the "Great American Eclipse". The tools of the hunt may have changed, the the quarry remains equally as elusive. What if, after traveling hundreds of miles, we're clouded in? What if a shutter fails to trip? Successful writers of history are able to connect the present with the past. David Baron has definitely accomplished this task.
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