Description
Book SynopsisIn August 2017, 100 million will gather across the USA to watch a total solar eclipse. This book, written by the widely read popular science author Frank Close, describes the spellbinding allure of this most beautiful natural phenomenon, taking the reader to a war zone in the Western Sahara, to the South Pacific, and to the African bush.
Trade ReviewEntertaining, inspiring, and highly informative. * John Riutta, Astronomy, Featured Book Reviews *
Science and wonder mix seamlessly in this tale. * The Weekly Standard *
A down-to-earth, lyrical account of solar eclipses, centering on his [Frank's] trips to Africa, the South Pacific and other locales where he pursues, with a mix of intrepid zest and mathematical precision, total solar eclipses. Eclipse beautifully blends these travel narratives with the history of eclipses. * Shelf Awareness *
The author artfully weaves together his own experiences and an explanation of the phenomenon. * Kirkus Reviews *
Close's simple, winding, and occasionally evocative language is tinged with nostalgia, and his readers will see both the humanist and scientific elements involved in the "exquisite alignment of sun, moon, and earth." Close provides eyewitness account from regular people and personal reflections on seeing totality, convincingly demonstrating that there is nothing better than standing in lunar darkness and feeling 'humbled by the ability of science to predict'. * Publishers Weekly *
Close's book, combining the rigour of a scientist with the excitement of a layman, is [a] perfect primer.
More than just a primer on the science of solar eclipses, this memoir chronicles a physicists lifetime fascination with the celestial phenomenon and introduces readers to the quirky world of eclipse chasers. * Science News Books of the Year *
There are a plethora of guides to eclipse chasing that will satisfy those who want to know all the whys and wherefores of predicting and observing eclipses ... The reader does get a real sense of the lasting impact these eclipses have had on Close and the feeling that being present in the umbral shadow is an experience not to be missed. As an introduction to eclipses and the places eclipse watching might take you, this is an interesting read. * Steve Bell, Observatory Magazine *
Table of Contents1: Peterborough 30 June 1954 2: Waiting for Godot 3: Preparation 4: Cornwall: 11 August 1999 5: June 21st is Midwinter's Day 6: "Who's arranged this eclipse?" 7: Earthshine in the Sahara: Libya 2006 8: The most remote eclipses 9: Atlantic Adventure 10: Back to the Future Epilogue: Everything under the Sun is in Tune
