Totality: Eclipses of the Sun (Paperback)

~ Mark Littmann (Author), Ken Willcox (Author), Fred Espenak (Author) "First contact..." (more)
Key Phrases: eclipse bulletins, chasing eclipses, saros series, Baily's Beads, United States, Fred Espenak (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Francis Baily spent his 20s exploring unsettled parts of North America and didn't get around to astronomy until he was 37, when he traveled to an annular eclipse of the Sun in southern Scotland. On May 15, 1836, he watched as light from the occluded sun poured through the lunar valleys and reached him broken up into "a row of lucid points, like a string of bright beads." With those words, Baily founded the industry of eclipse chasing.

The best feature of Totality is its wealth of biographical information about eclipse chasers past and present. Throughout this century, every total eclipse over land has been attended by scientists willing to travel great distances, endure hostile climates--and risk complete failure because of clouds--for a few minutes' view of the corona. This turbulent outer part of the sun, best studied when the sun is obscured, draws observers across the globe to this day.

Totality, like most eclipse guides produced in time for the 1999 eclipse, doesn't seem to know which readers it's addressing. Near the beginning, the reader is abjured not to let all the science bits "stand in the way of your enjoyment of the wild, wacky, and wonderful things people have thought and done about solar eclipses." What a strange sentiment in such a fascinating and adult marriage of science, history, biography, and sound technical advice. --Simon Ings, Amazon.co.uk --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

From Booklist

Rationalized beyond awe, we like to think there is nothing particularly wondrous about solar eclipses. Don't tell that to this troika of scientists, who organize the geometry, superstitions, eclipse expeditions, safe-viewing advice, and an almanac of the next two decades' worth of eclipses into a compendium that astronomy enthusiasts will clamor for. Littman et al. revel in the subject and provide a wealth of pertinent, interesting facts. One fact lends urgency to seeing every possible display of the spectacle: the final solar eclipse will take place in 620 million years, as the inexorably receding moon will no longer appear large enough to cover the solar disk. A practical fact urges library acquisition of this title: the eclipse on 11 August 2000 begins at dawn 300 miles off Boston, perhaps tempting vacationers to charter every whale-watching boat possible. But libraries needn't worry about ephemerality: the authors, in addition to the fascinating data, diagrams, and photos they provide, express effectively the awesomeness of the subtly darkening prelude to the dramatically instant onset of totality. A sure star in the astronomy collection. Gilbert Taylor --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 296 pages
• Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA; 2 edition (July 29, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0195131797
• ISBN-13: 978-0195131796
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6.2 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #2,098,440 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Feel again the excitement of the totality, November 28, 1999

By	Angel Gomez Roldan (Teide Observatory, Canary Islands, Spain) - See all my reviews

After being three times under the Moon's shadow, I already know very well what kind of excitement, marvel and amazement a person can feel during a total eclipse of the Sun. Reading "Totality", not only you learn, understand and comprehend better everything concerning the "most awesome sight in the heavens" (sic from the book's review), but feel again those very special sensations you only expect to find during totality. If you are not infected by the eclipse bug after the 1999 European eclipse, perhaps this book will do the work. I only miss a bit more extent on science (chapter 9) and about historical eclipses (chapter 5). Anyway, a very well-written, complete and fascinating book.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Best book on solar eclipses!, July 28, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Totality: Eclipses of the Sun (Hardcover)

"Totality" is a superior reference providing a very comprehensive coverage of solar eclipses. I highly recommend this book for advice on understanding, enjoying, photographing, and experiencing solar eclipses, especially total solar eclipses. The information provided is easy to understand as well as practical and useful. I have about a dozen books on eclipses and this is one is the best. "Totality" is a must read for anyone preparing to experience a solar eclipse.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent addition to Eclips-o-phile's bookshelf, July 19, 2001

By	Gerald Levy "revakh" (Rossmoor, CA USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Amazon Verified Purchase

Even if you have other eclipse books at home, TOTALITY provides fresh information about this fascinating phenomenon. This book describes in clear language what makes a total solar eclipse so special. The authors explanation of the science behind eclipses helps to demystify the eclipse, while the chapter devoted to impressions from a group of dedicated eclipse chasers, gives a sense of the magic of a total solar eclipse. There are plenty of drawings and photographs complement the writing, with an excellent set of references in the appendix. Highly recommended, Jerry Levy ....