Synopses & Reviews
Werewolves and Wernher von Braun, Stonehenge and the sex lives of sea corals, aboriginal myths, and an Anglican bishop: In his new book,
Moon, Bernd Brunner weaves variegated information into an enchanting glimpse of Earth’s closest celestial neighbor, whose mere presence inspires us to wonder what might be “out there.”
Going beyond the discoveries of contemporary science, Brunner presents an unusual cultural assessment of our complex relationship with Earth’s lifeless, rocky satellite. As well as offering an engaging perspective on such age-old questions as “What would Earth be like without the moon?” Brunner surveys the moon’s mythical and religious significance and provokes existential soul-searching through a lunar lens, inquiring, “Forty years ago, the first man put his footprint on the moon. Will we continue to use it as the screen onto which we cast our hopes and fears?”
Drawing on materials from different cultures and epochs, Brunner walks readers down a moonlit path illuminated by more than seventy-five vintage photographs and illustrations. From scientific discussions of the moon’s origins and its “chronobiological” effects on the mating and feeding habits of animals to an illuminating interpretation of Bishop Francis Godwin’s 1638 novel The Man in the Moone, Brunner’s ingenious and interdisciplinary explorations recast a familiar object in an entirely original and unforgettable light and will change the way we view the nighttime sky.
Review
"[An] elegant cultural history. . . .Brunner ably dispatches recent science . . . and takes us on a lively tour of lunar folklore and speculative fiction."and#8212;The New Yorker
Review
and#8220;. . . a nimble, fast-moving survey of the silvery moonand#8217;s impact upon us and our world. Brunner looks at the moonand#8217;s influence upon tides, of course, and also its place in early psychology, the occult, popular culture and as a necessary first step on humanityand#8217;s journey to Mars.and#8221;and#8212;Nick Owchar,and#160;Los Angelesand#160;Times
Review
"Astronomers, geologists, rocketeers and space jockeys all have a practical interest in the Moon, but earthbound mortals look up and project all their fears and fantasies on to its pale surface. Without it our tides would not ebb and flow, our poetry would be the poorer, our nights would be dark and we would not believe in werewolves baying in the fullness of its face. We know perfectly well that the Moon is a cold, rocky, lifeless little satellite, but whereand#8217;s the romance in that? Brunner shows how it has shone silver through our dreams and destinies. It is the inspiration for myths and marvels and may be a kicking-off point for a further jump into space."and#8212;Kate Saunders, The Times (London)
Review
Read the New York Times article Kate Saunders - The Times (London)
Review
See the New York Times slideshow http://www.nytimes.com/2010/12/28/science/28scibks.html?scp=1&sq=brunner&st=cse
Review
“Brunner encapsulates this sense of mystery about the moon in a relative short and accessible work. A useful introduction to its cultural history.”—Roger Launius, Senior Curator, Division of Space History, National Air and Space Museum Smithsonian Institution
http://www.nytimes.com/slideshow/2010/12/21/science/20101221-Moon.html
Review
"Eclectic, entertaining and sometimes esoteric!"—Sean Johnston, author of
History of Science, A Beginner's Guide Roger Launius
Review
“
Moon is an enjoyable romp through the various fields of lunar lore, including its history as an object of curiosity, worship, and study. Fun and fast-paced!”—Dr. Paul D. Spudis, author of
The Once and Future Moon Sean Johnston
Review
"An intriguing literary expedition to our nearest neighbor in space."—Patricia Fara, author of
Science: A Four Thousand Year History Paul D. Spudis
Review
'Brunner's perky cultural history - of the Moon in superstition, song, and indeed science - encompasses many wonderful things both imaginary (inhabitants including man-bats or cat-women) and actual (strange lights known as "lunar transient phenomena", or the burial on the Moon of an American geologist's ashes).' — Steven Poole, The Guardian Patricia Fara
Review
"Readable and appealingly illustrated."—The Bookseller Steven Poole - The Guardian
Review
"There are plenty of arresting facts and ideas, and it is these that will give Moon its appeal to readers of popular science and history."—Lorien Kaye, The Age The Bookseller
Review
"This appealing little volume must surely be the most eccentric book of the year. But then isnt that appropriate, given that the subject is the Moon?"—Clive Aslet, Country Life Lorien Kaye - The Age
Review
"In his new book, Moon, Brunner weaves variegated information into an enchanting glimpse of Earth's closest celestial neighbor. . . . Brunner's ingenious and interdisciplinary explorations recast a familiar object in an entirely original and unforgettable light and will change the way we view the nighttime sky."—Lunar and Planetary Information Bulletin Clive Aslet - Country Life
Review
"I deeply recommend this book to anyone who has ever looked for The Man in the Moon, and wondered, even for a moment, why it has taken us so long to consider going back for a return visit."—Brad Wright, Portland Book Review Lunar and Planetary Information Bulletin
Review
"In Bernd Brunner's . . . volume dealing with the moon, we are plunged immediately into a fascinating tour of the moon in ancient cultures. . . . well written, . . . full of fascinating bits of information."—James Trefil, Washington Post Brad Wright - Portland Book Review
Review
"Bernd Brunner serves up a learned but fluently written almanac of things lunar, with less emphasis on the science of the whirling orb than on the uses we have made of it in art, literature, folklore and the imagination over time."—Greg McNamee, Kirkus Reviews James Trefil - Washington Post
Review
"Many books cover moon science; many others concentrate on the mythology, folklore, and cultural aspects surrounding it. Brunner's does this and more, giving readers a thorough, entertaining look at people as much as at the moon. ... A valuable book for anyone with an interest in Earth's companion." —CHOICE Greg McNamee - Kirkus Reviews
Review
“The book is a tour de force on the relationship between man and the moon, giving equal attention to science, poetry, and mythology, while still including a welcome body of miscellanea. It quickly becomes clear that the scientific history of the moon is inseparable from the popular ideas of its composition and also that now and then even serious scientists develop especially curious projections far in advance of literary fantasy when describing the lunar inhabitants.”—Tilman Spreckelsen, Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung CHOICE
Review
“Brunner is a good non-fiction author for a broad readership. He refrains from pelting us with technical terms, while still giving the impression that he has a good command of his topic. He is particularly attracted to the relationships between nature and culture. (…) He often manages to provide vivid descriptions: he lets scientists from several centuries speak about the moon, tells stories of healing and ritual regarding the nights heavenly body, and dovetails the history of the moon film with the Cold War.”—Lars von der Gönna, Westdeutsche Allgemeine Zeitung Tilman Spreckelsen - Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung
Review
“… one will find here a feast of historical connection and reactions to the moon.” —San Francisco Book Review Lars von der Gonna - Westdeutsche Allgemeine Zeitung
Review
“A wry compendium of all things moon-related, this enjoyable book takes in everything from the popular song “Blue Moon” to Pink Floyds The Dark Side of the Moon, from Georges Meliess pioneering film A Trip to the Moon to Kubricks 2001 and Duncan Joness Moon.”—The Guardian Nick Owchar - Los Angeles Times
Review
Selected as a Choice Outstanding Academic Title for 2011 in the Astronautics and Astronomy category. The Guardian
Review
"Superb non-fiction books. ... They are archives unto themselves. A repository for dreams, visions, and fears."—Die Zeit Choice Outstanding Academic Title - Choice
Review
andldquo;An enlightening and interesting account of the Moon and its continuing and expanding influence on mankind.andrdquo;
Synopsis
An entertaining, often surprising cultural examination of Earth's moon, through history, science, and literature, from ancient times to the present
Werewolves and Wernher von Braun, Stonehenge and the sex lives of sea corals, aboriginal myths, and an Anglican bishop: In his new book, Moon, Bernd Brunner weaves variegated information into an enchanting glimpse of Earth's closest celestial neighbor, whose mere presence inspires us to wonder what might be "out there."
Going beyond the discoveries of contemporary science, Brunner presents an unusual cultural assessment of our complex relationship with Earth's lifeless, rocky satellite. As well as offering an engaging perspective on such age-old questions as "What would Earth be like without the moon?" Brunner surveys the moon's mythical and religious significance and provokes existential soul-searching through a lunar lens, inquiring, "Forty years ago, the first man put his footprint on the moon. Will we continue to use it as the screen onto which we cast our hopes and fears?"
Drawing on materials from different cultures and epochs, Brunner walks readers down a moonlit path illuminated by more than seventy-five vintage photographs and illustrations. From scientific discussions of the moon's origins and its "chronobiological" effects on the mating and feeding habits of animals to an illuminating interpretation of Bishop Francis Godwin's 1638 novel The Man in the Moone, Brunner's ingenious and interdisciplinary explorations recast a familiar object in an entirely original and unforgettable light and will change the way we view the nighttime sky.
Synopsis
Since humans first gazed upward, the Moon has hung in the sky unchanged, entrancing generations of poets, artists, and scientists alike. Once worshipped as a deity, often thought to cause madness, now known to manipulate our tides and much else besides, humanityand#8217;s relationship with the moon has been ever-changing; the one constant has been our continued fascination with it.
Moon gives a comprehensive account of our lunar companionand#8217;s significance, tracing its origins out of a collision with the Earth and following its rich cultural resonance in the worlds of literature, art, religion, and politics.
The Moonand#8217;s story is also humanityand#8217;s own story: it gave humans the ability to organize time, dividing the year into months and ordaining the dates of festivals such as Easter, Ramadan, and the Chinese New Year. Indeed, its moderating effect on the Earthand#8217;s spin could mean that without the Moon life may never have been able to evolve. Edgar Williams shows how the interdependence of Moon and Earth also finds its unwitting parallel in the realm of culture, where the moon has constantly found it itself embedded in our preoccupations, whether in the worship of Elizabeth I as Diana, moon goddess, or in the long-lived dream of humans inhabiting its surface.
and#160;
Synopsis
Long before a rocket hit the Man in the Moon in the eye in Georges Mand#233;liand#232;sand#8217;s early filmand#160;
Le Voyage dans la Lune, the earthand#8217;s lone satellite had entranced humans. We have worshipped it as a deity, believed it to cause madness, used it as a means of organizing time, and we now know that it manipulates the tidesand#151;our understanding of the moon continues to evolve. Following the moon from its origins to its rich cultural resonance in literature, art, religion, and politics,and#160;
Moonand#160;provides a comprehensive account of the significance of our lunar companion.
and#160;
Edgar Williams explores the interdependence of the Earth and the moon, not only the possibility that life on Earth would not be viable without the moon, but also the way it has embedded itself in culture. In addition to delving into roles the moon has played in literature from science fiction and comics to poetry, he examines how Elizabeth I was worshipped as the moon goddess Diana, the moonand#8217;s place in folklore and astrology, and humanityand#8217;s long-standing dream of inhabiting its surface. Filled with entertaining anecdotes, this book is the kind of succinct, witty, and informative look at everything lunar that only comes around once in a blue moon.
About the Author
Bernd Brunner is a freelance writer. He is the author of other successful works intersecting history, science, and literature, including Bears and The Ocean at Home.
Table of Contents
Introduction
1. Lunar Shadows
2. Time and Motion
3. Stories and Legends
4. Man and the Moon
5. Lunar Art and Literature
6. One Small Step for a Man, One Giant Leap for Mankind
7. Legacy
Timeline for Moon Landings
References
Select Bibliography
Associations and Websites
Acknowledgements
Photo Acknowledgements
Index