{"product_id":"american-eclipse-david-baron-9781631490163","title":"American Eclipse | David Baron","description":"\u003csection class=\"product-description\" style=\"color: #1a1a1a; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 1.6;\"\u003e\n  \u003ch2 style=\"color: #2c3e50; font-size: 1.75em; margin-bottom: 15px; border-bottom: 2px solid #2c3e50; padding-bottom: 5px;\"\u003eAmerican Eclipse: A Nation's Epic Race to Catch the Shadow of the Moon and Win the Glory of the World\u003c\/h2\u003e\n  \n  \u003ch3 style=\"color: #2c3e50; font-size: 1.25em; margin-top: 20px; margin-bottom: 10px;\"\u003eExtended Synopsis\u003c\/h3\u003e\n  \u003cp style=\"margin-bottom: 15px;\"\u003eIn \u003cem\u003eAmerican Eclipse\u003c\/em\u003e, acclaimed science journalist David Baron captures a crucial turning point in Western intellectual history: the total solar eclipse of July 29, 1878. As the moon's shadow swept across the American frontier from the Montana Territory to Texas, it acted as a macro-catalyst for a young, industrializing nation. This rare celestial event forced a raw republic to look beyond its rugged borders and mobilize its scientific genius, ultimately proving its structural capacity to compete with the established, elite scientific institutions of Europe. Baron brings this Gilded Age drama to life by detailing the high-stakes logistical parameters of nineteenth-century astronomy.\u003c\/p\u003e\n  \u003cp style=\"margin-bottom: 15px;\"\u003eRather than approaching the eclipse as a dry celestial catalog entry, the narrative coordinates the historical drama across three fiercely competitive expeditions. James Craig Watson, a brilliant asteroid hunter, risks his reputation hauling massive telescopes to Wyoming Territory to find the hypothesized planet \"Vulcan\" hidden in the sun's glare. Meanwhile, iconic Vassar astronomer Maria Mitchell aggressively defies an indifferent, male-dominated establishment by leading an all-female expedition to Denver, carving out an undeniable space for women in the global scientific vanguard. Finally, a young Thomas Edison braves the frontier with his newly minted \"tasimeter,\" facing intense mechanical and logistical challenges that would eventually spark his breakthroughs with the incandescent lightbulb. It is a story of ambition, failure, and glory.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n  \u003ch3 style=\"color: #2c3e50; font-size: 1.25em; margin-top: 20px; margin-bottom: 10px;\"\u003eAuthor Biography\u003c\/h3\u003e\n  \u003cp style=\"margin-bottom: 15px;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eDavid Baron\u003c\/strong\u003e is an acclaimed science journalist, author, and broadcaster with a profound fascination for eclipses and the intersection of science and history. His meticulous archival research and compelling narrative style breathe life into the historical trajectory of American innovation and astronomical discovery.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n  \u003ch3 style=\"color: #2c3e50; font-size: 1.25em; margin-top: 20px; margin-bottom: 10px;\"\u003eReader Targeting\u003c\/h3\u003e\n  \u003cul style=\"margin-bottom: 20px; padding-left: 20px;\"\u003e\n    \u003cli style=\"margin-bottom: 5px;\"\u003eHistory enthusiasts focused on the Gilded Age, the American West, and 19th-century scientific expeditions.\u003c\/li\u003e\n    \u003cli style=\"margin-bottom: 5px;\"\u003eStudents and scholars of astronomy and the history of science.\u003c\/li\u003e\n    \u003cli style=\"margin-bottom: 5px;\"\u003eReaders interested in the early biographies and technological challenges of figures like Thomas Edison and Maria Mitchell.\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003c\/ul\u003e\n\n  \u003ch3 style=\"color: #2c3e50; font-size: 1.25em; margin-top: 20px; margin-bottom: 10px;\"\u003eAccolades\u003c\/h3\u003e\n  \u003cblockquote style=\"margin: 20px 0; padding: 15px; background: #f9f9f9; border-left: 5px solid #2c3e50; font-style: italic;\"\u003e\n    A masterfully constructed historical narrative that refracts nineteenth-century science through the mythologized age of the Wild West. An indispensable reference asset tracking the raw, human infrastructure behind the birth of modern American innovation.\n  \u003c\/blockquote\u003e\n\n  \u003ch3 style=\"color: #2c3e50; font-size: 1.25em; margin-top: 20px; margin-bottom: 10px;\"\u003eBibliographic \u0026amp; Physical Specifications\u003c\/h3\u003e\n  \u003ctable style=\"width: 100%; border-collapse: collapse; margin-bottom: 25px; font-size: 0.95em; border: 1px solid #e0e0e0;\"\u003e\n    \u003ctbody\u003e\n      \u003ctr style=\"border-bottom: 1px solid #e0e0e0;\"\u003e\n        \u003cth style=\"text-align: left; padding: 10px; background-color: #f8f9fa; color: #2c3e50; width: 40%;\"\u003ePublisher\u003c\/th\u003e\n        \u003ctd style=\"padding: 10px; color: #1a1a1a;\"\u003eLiveright Publishing Corporation\u003c\/td\u003e\n      \u003c\/tr\u003e\n      \u003ctr style=\"border-bottom: 1px solid #e0e0e0;\"\u003e\n        \u003cth style=\"text-align: left; padding: 10px; background-color: #f8f9fa; color: #2c3e50;\"\u003ePublication Date\u003c\/th\u003e\n        \u003ctd style=\"padding: 10px; color: #1a1a1a;\"\u003eJune 6, 2017\u003c\/td\u003e\n      \u003c\/tr\u003e\n      \u003ctr style=\"border-bottom: 1px solid #e0e0e0;\"\u003e\n        \u003cth style=\"text-align: left; padding: 10px; background-color: #f8f9fa; color: #2c3e50;\"\u003eFormat \u0026amp; Binding\u003c\/th\u003e\n        \u003ctd style=\"padding: 10px; color: #1a1a1a;\"\u003eHardcover (Clothbound with heavy cardstock boards)\u003c\/td\u003e\n      \u003c\/tr\u003e\n      \u003ctr style=\"border-bottom: 1px solid #e0e0e0;\"\u003e\n        \u003cth style=\"text-align: left; padding: 10px; background-color: #f8f9fa; color: #2c3e50;\"\u003eISBN-13 \/ ISBN-10\u003c\/th\u003e\n        \u003ctd style=\"padding: 10px; color: #1a1a1a; font-weight: bold;\"\u003e9781631490163 \/ 1631490168\u003c\/td\u003e\n      \u003c\/tr\u003e\n      \u003ctr style=\"border-bottom: 1px solid #e0e0e0;\"\u003e\n        \u003cth style=\"text-align: left; padding: 10px; background-color: #f8f9fa; color: #2c3e50;\"\u003ePage Count\u003c\/th\u003e\n        \u003ctd style=\"padding: 10px; color: #1a1a1a;\"\u003e352\u003c\/td\u003e\n      \u003c\/tr\u003e\n      \u003ctr style=\"border-bottom: 1px solid #e0e0e0;\"\u003e\n        \u003cth style=\"text-align: left; padding: 10px; background-color: #f8f9fa; color: #2c3e50;\"\u003eDimensions \u0026amp; Weight\u003c\/th\u003e\n        \u003ctd style=\"padding: 10px; color: #1a1a1a;\"\u003e9.60 x 6.40 x 1.20 inches | 24.2 oz (686 grams)\u003c\/td\u003e\n      \u003c\/tr\u003e\n      \u003ctr style=\"border-bottom: 1px solid #e0e0e0;\"\u003e\n        \u003cth style=\"text-align: left; padding: 10px; background-color: #f8f9fa; color: #2c3e50;\"\u003eBISAC Categories\u003c\/th\u003e\n        \u003ctd style=\"padding: 10px; color: #1a1a1a;\"\u003eHISTORY \/ United States \/ 19th Century\u003cbr\u003eSCIENCE \/ Astronomy\u003cbr\u003eHISTORY \/ Expeditions \u0026amp; Discoveries\u003c\/td\u003e\n      \u003c\/tr\u003e\n    \u003c\/tbody\u003e\n  \u003c\/table\u003e\n\n  \u003ch3 style=\"color: #2c3e50; font-size: 1.25em; margin-top: 20px; margin-bottom: 10px;\"\u003eFrequently Asked Questions\u003c\/h3\u003e\n  \u003cp style=\"margin-bottom: 10px;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eDoes this book include historical illustrations?\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003eYes, the volume includes mid-19th-century photographic plates, technical solar maps, and historical portrait engravings from the era.\u003c\/p\u003e\n  \u003cp style=\"margin-bottom: 15px;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWhat made the 1878 eclipse so significant?\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003eIt occurred during the dawn of the Gilded Age, prompting an intense race among American scientists to assert the nation's intellectual and technological capabilities against established European institutions.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n  \u003cscript type=\"application\/ld+json\"\u003e\n  {\n    \"@context\": \"https:\/\/schema.org\",\n    \"@graph\": [\n      {\n        \"@type\": [\"Book\", \"Product\"],\n        \"@id\": \"https:\/\/bustdownbooks.com\/products\/american-eclipse-david-baron-9781631490163#book\",\n        \"name\": \"American Eclipse: A Nation's Epic Race to Catch the Shadow of the Moon and Win the Glory of the World\",\n        \"author\": {\n          \"@type\": \"Person\",\n          \"name\": \"David Baron\"\n        },\n        \"isbn\": \"9781631490163\",\n        \"sku\": \"9781631490163\",\n        \"mpn\": \"1631490168\",\n        \"numberOfPages\": \"352\",\n        \"publisher\": {\n          \"@type\": \"Organization\",\n          \"name\": \"Liveright Publishing Corporation\"\n        },\n        \"datePublished\": \"2017-06-06\",\n        \"bookFormat\": \"https:\/\/schema.org\/Hardcover\",\n        \"inLanguage\": \"English\",\n        \"description\": \"Discover the gripping history of the 1878 total solar eclipse that drove scientists, including Thomas Edison, to the Wild West in the name of science.\",\n        \"educationalLevel\": \"Academic\",\n        \"audience\": {\n          \"@type\": \"EducationalAudience\",\n          \"educationalRole\": \"Student \/ Scholar\"\n        },\n        \"offers\": {\n          \"@type\": \"Offer\",\n          \"price\": \"7.99\",\n          \"priceCurrency\": \"USD\",\n          \"availability\": \"https:\/\/schema.org\/InStock\",\n          \"priceValidUntil\": \"2027-12-31\",\n          \"seller\": {\n            \"@type\": \"Organization\",\n            \"name\": \"Bust-Down Books, LTD.\"\n          }\n        },\n        \"about\": [\n          { \"@type\": \"Thing\", \"name\": \"History of Astronomy\" },\n          { \"@type\": \"Thing\", \"name\": \"19th Century American History\" },\n          { \"@type\": \"Thing\", \"name\": \"Scientific Expeditions\" }\n        ]\n      },\n      {\n        \"@type\": \"FAQPage\",\n        \"@id\": \"https:\/\/bustdownbooks.com\/products\/american-eclipse-david-baron-9781631490163#faq\",\n        \"mainEntity\": [\n          {\n            \"@type\": \"Question\",\n            \"name\": \"Does this book include historical illustrations?\",\n            \"acceptedAnswer\": {\n              \"@type\": \"Answer\",\n              \"text\": \"Yes, the volume includes mid-19th-century photographic plates, technical solar maps, and historical portrait engravings from the era.\"\n            }\n          },\n          {\n            \"@type\": \"Question\",\n            \"name\": \"What made the 1878 eclipse so significant?\",\n            \"acceptedAnswer\": {\n              \"@type\": \"Answer\",\n              \"text\": \"It occurred during the dawn of the Gilded Age, prompting an intense race among American scientists to assert the nation's intellectual and technological capabilities against established European institutions.\"\n            }\n          }\n        ]\n      }\n    ]\n  }\n  \u003c\/script\u003e\n\n  \u003chr style=\"border: 0; 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