A Short Bright Flash – Augustin Fresnel and the Birth of the Modern Lighthouse - Couverture rigide

Levitt, Theresa

Couverture rigide

ISBN 10 : 039306879X ISBN 13 : 9780393068795

Editeur : W. W. Norton & Company, 2013

Synopsis

Augustin Fresnel (1788-1827) shocked the scientific elite with his unique understanding of the physics of light. The lens he invented was a brilliant feat of engineering that made lighthouses blaze many times brighter, farther, and more efficiently. Battling the establishment, his own poor health, and the limited technology of the time, Fresnel was able to achieve his goal of illuminating the entire French coast. At first, the British sought to outdo the new Fresnel-equipped lighthouses as a matter of national pride. Americans, too, resisted abandoning their primitive lamps, but the superiority of the Fresnel lens could not be denied for long. Soon, from Dunkirk to Saigon, shores were brightened with it. The Fresnel legacy played an important role in geopolitical events, including the American Civil War. No sooner were Fresnel lenses finally installed along U.S. shores than they were drafted: the Union blockaded the Confederate coast; the Confederacy set about thwarting it by dismantling and hiding or destroying the powerful new lights. Levitt's scientific and historical account, rich in anecdote and personality, brings to life the fascinating untold story of Augustin Fresnel and his powerful invention.

A propos du livre

Présentation de l'éditeur :

Augustin Fresnel (1788 - 1827) shocked the scientific elite with his view of the physics of light. The lens he invented was a feat of engineering that made lighthouses blaze many times brighter, further and more efficiently than they had before. As secretary of France's Lighthouse Commission, he planned and oversaw the lighting of the nation's coast. Although Fresnel died young, his brother Leonor presided over the spread of the new technology around the globe. The new lights were of strategic importance in navigation and the Fresnel legacy played an important role in geopolitical events. Levitt's scientific and historical account, rich in anecdote and personality, is a compelling read.

Revue de presse :

It is rare that we see a lighthouse-related book, historical in nature, with the level of research that was put into A Short Bright Flash. Theresa Levitt's superior work has illustrated the genius and ongoing legacy of Augustin Fresnel, whose brilliance not only saved lives but had an everlasting impact on the development of world trade, and whose advanced ideas are still implemented in today's modern culture. --Jeffrey S. Gales, executive director, U.S. Lighthouse Society

À propos de cette édition

• Éditeur: W. W. Norton & Company
• Date d'édition: 2013
• ISBN 10: 039306879X
• ISBN 13: 9780393068795
• Reliure: Relié
• Numéro d'édition: 1
• Nombre de pages: 288