The first looks very interesting. Moonshadow by Terry Manners from Chameleon publishing is about eclipses and one total solar eclipse in particular. Lots of photos and it sounds like a lively story. This is rather intriguing as I have casually kicked around the idea of chasing a future eclipse... Maybe, in a few years, if there's one nearby.Hmmm. I should check if any are coming to Australia! Never thought of that before. I could try timing such a special event with my future trip plans to Oz.
The second tome is The Nature Companions Practical Skywatching by consultant editors David H. Levy and Dr. John O'Byrne. Much of the book is basic material which I wonder if is review for me. A latter section of the book is rather interesting, a star-hopping guide of some 20 notable parts of the sky. Very nicely organized. I heard the charts are by Tirion.All that said, I had my heart set on something a bit more "meaty." I asked my sister about an exchange when all of a sudden my Mom piped up: "I'll buy the book from you!" She explained that she doesn't have a book on the basics. This might prove the best of both worlds...
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Moonshadow is a poor book, I'm sad to say. I started to get very irked about 1/3 of the way in. The author rambles on and on. It seemed like he was just trying to pad and fill the book with content. There are whole sections that have nothing to do with eclipses. The historical treatments trivialise some important issues and discoveries. I almost stopped reading it. And then, suddenly, it was over. I expected something along the lines of a diary or journal by the author, with colourful anecdotes of a long trip to see an eclipse.
Some of the photographs are wonderful. Others are inappropriate.
In summary, I would not recommend this book.
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