A review by djpax13
American Eclipse: A Nation's Epic Race to Catch the Shadow of the Moon and Win the Glory of the World by David Baron
4.0
I picked up this book shortly after the eclipse in 2017 and only recently managed to read it. That said, I enjoyed it quite a bit. Barron details what he sees as a crucial moment in U.S. history that helped to establish ourselves as science innovators and world-class researchers. He gives vivid sketches of what various groups went through to get to the path of totality in 1878, not just physically, but emotionally, psychologically, and metaphorically. Much of the book deals with Thomas Edison, both his triumphs and quite a few of his foibles.
Baron's writing style is engaging; one can tell that he has a deep love for the subject. Sometimes he can get a bit too zealous, however, and I wonder if that leads him to jump to a conclusion here and there. Nothing too substantive, simply how he words certain events and feelings of the main protagonists. He has clearly done thorough research and provides copious notes at the end of the book, providing quite a bit of background material, should one be interested. Finally, the addition of period photographs was a treat.
Overall, quite a good book. In some places, it dragged a bit, but my own deep interest in the topic (astronomy in general and eclipses in particular) kept me focused and engaged.
Baron's writing style is engaging; one can tell that he has a deep love for the subject. Sometimes he can get a bit too zealous, however, and I wonder if that leads him to jump to a conclusion here and there. Nothing too substantive, simply how he words certain events and feelings of the main protagonists. He has clearly done thorough research and provides copious notes at the end of the book, providing quite a bit of background material, should one be interested. Finally, the addition of period photographs was a treat.
Overall, quite a good book. In some places, it dragged a bit, but my own deep interest in the topic (astronomy in general and eclipses in particular) kept me focused and engaged.