Jon Trevelyan (UK)
Final week, I revealed a e book evaluate of The Trilobite Collector’s Guide, by Andy Secher, by which I steered that it was an ideal alternative for a Christmas current for individuals who like geology. I feel the identical might be stated for this (nevertheless it’s not all geology). As soon as once more, it has a espresso desk e book really feel, however as soon as once more, it’s a lot, way more.
With a ahead by Dava Sobel (who wrote the wonderful e book Longitude), it takes the identical format because the e book, STRATA: William Smith’s Geological Maps, which I reviewed some time in the past and appreciated very a lot. Each books are giant (27 × 2.8 × 37cm), which permits for the illustrations to actually communicate for themselves, however in all probability prevents it from ever being learn cowl to cowl. Somewhat, they’re each wonderful books for dipping in any out of, both for a particular learn or simply to have a look at the stunning photos.
The background to the e book is that, after Challenge Apollo began successfully after President Kennedy introduced in 1961 the intention to go to the moon, scientists on the US Geological Survey began finishing up geological mapping of the Moon. And, over the following 11 years, a staff of twenty-two individuals created 44 great charts – one for every named quadrangle on the Earthside of the Moon. (And these quadrangles have been given some nice names: J. Herschel, Plato, Aritstoteles, Rümker, Sinus Iridum, Cassini, Eudoxus, Geminus, Seleucus Aristarchus, Timocharis, Montes Apenninus, Mare Serenitatus, Macrobius, and others.)
Nevertheless, the purpose to notice is that these maps have been hand-drawn and hand-coloured. And on this e book, these are reproduced and accompanied by skilled evaluation and interpretation by Smithsonian science curator, Matthew Shindell, who’s the guide editor.
However it’s not simply these geological maps that the e book accommodates. It appears that evidently the Moon has been a fascination to man because the starting, so the e book has chapters on the symbolic and legendary associations that the Moon has. For instance, because the e book makes clear, the Moon was essential to prehistoric man within the creation of a calendar. And it performed a key position in historic creation myths and astrology, and it has typically been related to insanity (word the phrases lunar and lunatic). On this manner, each legendary and cultural affiliation of the Moon all through historical past is explored, culminating within the 1969 Moon touchdown.
To realize this, the e book additionally consists of chapters written by consultants of their fields. I’ve set out beneath lists of those chapters (the categorisation is mine), which I hope reveals how huge the e book’s protection is.
| Science The Artemis Missions, by Emily A Margolis The Far Facet of the Moon, by Emily S Martin How the Moon Governs the Tides, by Giles Sparrow Understanding the Phases of the Moon, by Giles Sparrow The Concept of Lunar Eclipses, by Giles Sparrow The Moon and a Geocentric Universe, by Samantha Thompson Lunar Images – Alternative and Problem, by David H DeVorkin A Paper Moon – Cartes de Visite, by Ian Haydn Smith |
| Anthropology and historical past The Moon in Historical Egyptian Creation Myths, by Jennifer Houser Wegner The First Moon Race – Luna versus Pioneer, by Michael J Neufeld ‘Promoting’ the Moon within the Nineteen Fifties, by Michael J Neufeld The Female Symbolism of the Moon, by Elisabetta Fabrizi The Symbolism of the Moon in Astrology, by Nicholas Campion ‘The Moon is my Mom’ – Lakota Views, by Suzanne Kite The Prehistoric Lunar Calendar, by Matthew Shindell The Moon in Historical Greek and Roman Delusion, by Karen ní Mheallaigh The Apollo Programme, by Teasel Muir-Concord ‘Moonstruck’ – Lunacy and the Full Moon, by Kate Golembiewski Early Telescopic Research of the Moon, by Giles Sparrow Mayan Lunar Astrology, by Gerardo Aldana The Feminine Cycle and the Moon, by Rhianna Elliot |
| The inventive arts Modern Artists and the Moon, by Melanie Vandenbrouck Surrealists and the Moon, by Melanie Vandenbrouck The Cinematic Moon, by Ian Haydn Smith The Moon in Silent Cinema, by Ian Haydn Smith The Moon in Standard Science Books, by Alexandra Loske The Moon in Literature and Fiction, by Alexandra Loske Moonscapes – The Moon in Nineteenth-Century Portray, by Hélène Valance |
There may be additionally, after all, the required glossary, by Matthew Shindell.
I’ll conclude with a evaluate from no lesser supply than the BBC Sky at Night time, which places it moderately nicely:
Vibrant and brilliantly offered … containing every thing you’d need to know in regards to the Moon. Lunar might be opened repeatedly, with a assure that you simply’ll discover one thing new every time amongst its pages “
Concerning the writer. Matthew Shindell is a historian of science whose work focuses on the historical past of the Earth and planetary sciences. He’s the curator of Planetary Science on the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum and co-hosts the Museum’s podcast, AirSpace. He obtained his PhD within the Historical past of Science from the University of California, San Diego, and has taught on the University of Southern California and Harvard University.
As I say, this might be an ideal current this Christmas for somebody shut.
Lunar: A Historical past of the Moon in Myths, Maps + Matter, by Matthew Shindell (guide editor), Thames and Hudson Ltd, London (2024), hardcover (256 pages), ISBN: 978-0-500027141
Trending Merchandise
