American Eclipse: A Nation's Epic Race to Catch the Shadow of the Moon and Win the Glory of the World is a non-fiction book by journalist David Baron, published by Liveright in 2017, about the popular impression of the 1878 solar eclipse as observed across the United States. It won the American Institute of Physics Science Writing Award in 2018.[1]
 | |
| Author | David Baron |
|---|---|
| Subject | American history, history of science |
| Publisher | 2017 (Liveright) |
| Pages | 349 |
| ISBN | 978-1-63149-016-3 |
Background
editBaron was inspired to write the book after viewing his first total solar eclipse in Aruba in 1998. He decided that he would publish it in 2017 in order to coincide with the solar eclipse of August 21, 2017.[2]
Synopsis
editAmerican Eclipse follows three scientists, James Craig Watson, Maria Mitchell, and Thomas Edison as they traveled to view the total solar eclipse on July 29, 1878.
Reception
editKirkus Reviews described American Eclipse as a "compelling... timely, energetic combination of social and scientific history."[3] Graham Ambrose, writing for The Denver Post, lauded Baron's social history of a scientific topic and that Baron "successfully swerves from the dry, impenetrable prose of science writing, grasping instead at something poetic, often funny."[4]
Publication
editAmerican Eclipse was released in hardcover in June 2017, paperback in 2018, and rereleased with a new afterword in 2024, to coincide with the solar eclipse of April 8, 2024.[5] The book was also adapted into a musical in and premiered at Baylor University on April 7, 2024.
Further reading
edit- Carson, Jennifer (July 10, 2017). "An 1878 eclipse offered American scientists the chance to prove their scientific chops. Did they deliver?". Science. Archived from the original on August 17, 2017. Retrieved August 21, 2017.
- Corrigan, Maureen (May 24, 2017). "Searching for a Summer Escape? These 6 Books Will Carry You Away". NPR. Retrieved August 21, 2017.
- de León, Concepción (August 4, 2017). "Missing the Eclipse? Read All About It". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331.
- Dotinga, Randy (August 14, 2017). "'American Eclipse' writer David Baron: 'A total eclipse for me is a spiritual experience'". The Christian Science Monitor. ISSN 0882-7729.
- Hirschbiel, Cate (March 9, 2017). "Discovering the Historical, Cultural and Inspirational Impacts of a Solar Eclipse". Library Journal Reviews. Archived from the original on August 21, 2017. Retrieved August 21, 2017.
- Potenza, Alessandra (August 11, 2017). "An eclipse chaser explains why the rare celestial event shouldn't be missed". The Verge. Retrieved August 21, 2017.
- "Rev. of American Eclipse". Publishers Weekly. April 17, 2017. Retrieved August 21, 2017.
- Strickland, Ashley (August 20, 2017). "Why eclipses have inspired terror and awe". CNN. Retrieved August 21, 2017.
References
edit- ^ "Winners of 2018 AIP Science Writing Awards Announced". American Institute of Physics. October 23, 2018. Retrieved June 13, 2024.
- ^ "David Baron on What Literature Tells Us About the 2024 Eclipse". Literary Hub. April 4, 2024. Retrieved June 13, 2024.
- ^ "American Eclipse". Kirkus Reviews. April 4, 2017.
- ^ Ambrose, Graham (July 19, 2017). "Book Review: The eclipse that made America great". The Denver Post. Retrieved June 13, 2024.
- ^ "David Baron—American Eclipse: A Nation's Epic Race to Catch the Shadow of the Moon and Win the Glory of the World (Revised Edition)". National Association of Science Writers. Retrieved June 13, 2024.
External links
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