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Moon: A Brief History

Moon: A Brief History
Library Shelf Location 35.MOON
Publication Date 2010
Description Contents Gazing at the moon -- Moon of the mind -- Charting the moonscape -- Pale sun of the night -- Encounters of a lunar kind -- Lunar passion in Paris -- Accounts of genesis -- A riddled surface -- Lunar choreography -- Esoteric practices -- Spurious correspondences -- Visions of the moon -- Before and after Apollo. Summary Using werewolves and Wernher von Braun, Stonehenge and the sex lives of sea corals, aboriginal myths, and an Anglican bishop in this new book, the author weaves variegated information into a 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, he presents a 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?" he 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, he 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, his interdisciplinary explorations recast a familiar object in an original light. Review 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) 'Readable and appealingly illustrated.' (The Bookseller) '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... We know perfectly well that the Moon is a cold, rocky, lifeless little satellite, but where's the romance in that? Brunner shows how it has shone silver though our dreams and destinies. It is the inspiration for myths and marvels.' (Kate Saunders, The Times (London)) 'This appealing little volume must surely be the most eccentric book of the year. But then isn't that appropriate, given that the subject is the Moon?' (Clive Aslet, Country Life) 'A nimble, fast-moving survey of the silvery moon's impact upon us and our world. Brunner looks at the moon's influence upon tides, of course, and also its place in early psychology, the occult, popular culture and as a necessary first step on humanity's journey to Mars.' (Nick Owchar, Los Angeles Times)" Review Selected as a Choice Outstanding Academic Title for 2011 in the Astronautics and Astronomy category.--Choice Outstanding Academic Title"Choice" (03/12/2012) Biography 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. He lives in Berlin, Germany. Subject Lunar theory. Human beings — Effect of the moon on. Moon — Observations — History. Moon — Exploration — History. Spaceflight to the moon — History.
ISBN 9780300152128
Quantity 1
Pages xi, 290 pages : illustrations ; 22 cm
Author Bernd Brunner
Format Hardback
Publisher Yale University Press
Category Non-art books relating to BALTIC exhibitions
Keywords Space (universe), Moon
Related Event They Used to Call it the Moon (Friday 25 April – Sunday 29 June 2014)
Related Gallery BALTIC’s project space at BALTIC 39, Newcastle upon Tyne
Language English

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