American eclipse : a nation's epic race to catch the shadow of the moon and win the glory of the world / David Baron.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Baron, David, 1964- author.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Science--United States--History--19th century.

Science.

Science--United States--History--20th century.

Astronomy.

History.

Eclipses.

United States--Civilization--1865-1918.

United States.

Civilization.

Eclipses--History.

Astronomy--United States--History--19th century.

Astronomy--United States--History--20th century.

Local Subjects:

Science--United States--History--19th century.

Science--United States--History--20th century.

Astronomy--United States--History--19th century.

Astronomy--United States--History--20th century.

United States--Civilization--1865-1918.

Genre:

History.

Physical Description:

xii, 330 pages : illustrations (some color), maps, color chart ; 25 cm

Edition:

First edition.

Place of Publication:

New York, N.Y. : Liveright Publishing Corporation, a division of W. W. Norton & Company, [2017]

Summary:

In vibrant historical detail, American Eclipse animates the fierce jockeying that came to dominate late nineteenth-century American astronomy, revealing the challenges faced by three of the most determined eclipse chasers who participated in this adventure. James Craig Watson, in his day a renowned asteroid hunter; Vassar astronomer Maria Mitchell, who fought to demonstrate that science and higher learning were not anathema to femininity; and Thomas Edison, a young inventor and irrepressible showman. With vivid accounts of train robberies and Indian skirmishes, Baron's page-turning drama not only brings to life the mythologized age of the Wild West in a totally unexpected way but forever memorializes an historic eclipse that would come to symbolize American science in its ascendance.-- Adapted from book jacket.

Contents:

Prologue: Shall the sun be darkened

Part one: 1876. Reign of shoddy

Professor of quadruplicity

Nemesis

"Petticoat parliament"

Part two: 1878. Politics and moonshine

The wizard in Washington

Sic transit

"Good woman that she are"

Show business

Part three: 1878. Among the tribes of uncivilization

Queen city

Nature's editor

Old probabilities

Part four: 1878. Favored mortals

First contact

Totality

American genius

Part five: 1878-1931. Ghosts

Shadow and light

Epilogue: Tendrils of history.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references (pages [289]-308) and index.

ISBN:

9781631490163

1631490168

OCLC:

959875389