MARCH 2020 - AudioFile
The excitement of early-twentieth-century astronomers echoes through Beresford Bennett's narration. His deep voice paints pictures of five expeditions that set out to capture solar eclipses around the world for the purpose of proving Einstein's theory of relativity, which he introduced in 1911. To do so, scientists needed to show how stars behave against the sun, phenomena that aren’t normally visible. Their mission became even more complicated as WWI broke out. The audiobook’s tone becomes solemn as Bennett tells stories of the war, such as astronomers watching mobilization in Kiev. S. James Gates, Jr., narrates his introduction, which adds the coauthor’s gravitas to these awesome events. J.A.S. © AudioFile 2020, Portland, Maine
From the Publisher
"This is a fascinating and exciting adventure tale! It chronicles the quest of eclipse-chasing astronomers who strove to test if light deflected when passing near the sun according to Einstein's theory of general relativity. Their inspiring missions depict the graceful ballet between scientific theory and experiment. In an age when we are searching for the horizons of black holes and the ripples from the origins of the universe, this book will inspire us with the ongoing excitement of understanding our cosmos."—-Walter Isaacson, author of Einstein: His Life and Universe, Benjamin Franklin: An American Life, Steve Jobs, and Leonardo da Vinci
"With a scientist's authority and a novelist's skill, this fascinating book captures the pioneering efforts to put Einstein's theory to the test, and offers insightful portrayals of the brilliant and intrepid scientists who led the enterprise."
—Martin Rees, UK Astronomer Royal and author of On the Future
"It's all there--adventure, science, history and drama--and wonderfully told."
—Michael S. Turner, cosmologist, author of The Early Universe, and inventor of the term "dark energy"
MARCH 2020 - AudioFile
The excitement of early-twentieth-century astronomers echoes through Beresford Bennett's narration. His deep voice paints pictures of five expeditions that set out to capture solar eclipses around the world for the purpose of proving Einstein's theory of relativity, which he introduced in 1911. To do so, scientists needed to show how stars behave against the sun, phenomena that aren’t normally visible. Their mission became even more complicated as WWI broke out. The audiobook’s tone becomes solemn as Bennett tells stories of the war, such as astronomers watching mobilization in Kiev. S. James Gates, Jr., narrates his introduction, which adds the coauthor’s gravitas to these awesome events. J.A.S. © AudioFile 2020, Portland, Maine
