Bernd Brunner is a freelance writer. He is the author of other successful works intersecting history, science, and literature, including Bears and The Ocean at Home. He lives in Berlin, Germany.
"[An] elegant cultural history. . . .Brunner ably dispatches recent
science . . . and takes us on a lively tour of lunar folklore and
speculative fiction."—The New Yorker
*The New Yorker*
“. . . a nimble, fast-moving survey of the silvery moon’s impact
upon us and our world. Brunner looks at the moon’s influence upon
tides, of course, and also its place in early psychology, the
occult, popular culture and as a necessary first step on humanity’s
journey to Mars.”—Nick Owchar, Los Angeles Times
*Los Angeles Times*
"Astronomers, geologists, rocketeers and space jockeys all have a
practical interest in the Moon, but earthbound mortals look up and
project all their fears and fantasies on to its pale surface.
Without it our tides would not ebb and flow, our poetry would be
the poorer, our nights would be dark and we would not believe in
werewolves baying in the fullness of its face. We know perfectly
well that the Moon is a cold, rocky, lifeless little satellite, but
where’s the romance in that? Brunner shows how it has shone silver
through our dreams and destinies. It is the inspiration for myths
and marvels and may be a kicking-off point for a further jump into
space."—Kate Saunders, The Times (London)
*The Times (London)*
Read the New York Times article
*http://www.nytimes.com/2010/12/28/science/28scibks.html?scp=1&sq=brunner&st=cse*
See the New York Times slideshow
*http://www.nytimes.com/slideshow/2010/12/21/science/20101221-Moon.html*
“Brunner encapsulates this sense of mystery about the moon in a
relative short and accessible work. A useful introduction to its
cultural history.”—Roger Launius, Senior Curator, Division of Space
History, National Air and Space Museum Smithsonian Institution
*Roger Launius*
"Eclectic, entertaining and sometimes esoteric!"—Sean Johnston,
author of History of Science, A Beginner's Guide
*Sean Johnston*
“Moon is an enjoyable romp through the various fields of lunar
lore, including its history as an object of curiosity, worship, and
study. Fun and fast-paced!”—Dr. Paul D. Spudis, author of The
Once and Future Moon
*Paul D. Spudis*
"An intriguing literary expedition to our nearest neighbor in
space."—Patricia Fara, author of Science: A Four Thousand Year
History
*Patricia Fara *
'Brunner's perky cultural history - of the Moon in superstition,
song, and indeed science - encompasses many wonderful things both
imaginary (inhabitants including man-bats or cat-women) and actual
(strange lights known as "lunar transient phenomena", or the burial
on the Moon of an American geologist's ashes).' — Steven Poole, The
Guardian
*The Guardian*
"Readable and appealingly illustrated."—The Bookseller
*The Bookseller*
"There are plenty of arresting facts and ideas, and it is these
that will give Moon its appeal to readers of popular science and
history."—Lorien Kaye, The Age
*The Age*
"This appealing little volume must surely be the most eccentric
book of the year. But then isn’t that appropriate, given that the
subject is the Moon?"—Clive Aslet, Country Life
*Country Life*
"In his new book, Moon, Brunner weaves variegated information into
an enchanting glimpse of Earth's closest celestial neighbor. . . .
Brunner's ingenious and interdisciplinary explorations recast a
familiar object in an entirely original and unforgettable light and
will change the way we view the nighttime sky."—Lunar and Planetary
Information Bulletin
*Lunar and Planetary Information Bulletin*
"I deeply recommend this book to anyone who has ever looked for The
Man in the Moon, and wondered, even for a moment, why it has taken
us so long to consider going back for a return visit."—Brad Wright,
Portland Book Review
*Portland Book Review*
"In Bernd Brunner's . . . volume dealing with the moon, we are
plunged immediately into a fascinating tour of the moon in ancient
cultures. . . . well written, . . . full of fascinating bits of
information."—James Trefil, Washington Post
*Washington Post*
"Bernd Brunner serves up a learned but fluently written almanac of
things lunar, with less emphasis on the science of the whirling orb
than on the uses we have made of it in art, literature, folklore
and the imagination over time."—Greg McNamee, Kirkus Reviews
*Kirkus Reviews*
"Many books cover moon science; many others concentrate on the
mythology, folklore, and cultural aspects surrounding it. Brunner's
does this and more, giving readers a thorough, entertaining look at
people as much as at the moon. ... A valuable book for anyone with
an interest in Earth's companion." —CHOICE
*CHOICE*
“The book is a tour de force on the relationship between man and
the moon, giving equal attention to science, poetry, and mythology,
while still including a welcome body of miscellanea. It quickly
becomes clear that the scientific history of the moon is
inseparable from the popular ideas of its composition and also that
now and then even serious scientists develop especially curious
projections far in advance of literary fantasy when describing the
lunar inhabitants.”—Tilman Spreckelsen, Frankfurter Allgemeine
Zeitung
*Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung*
“Brunner is a good non-fiction author for a broad readership. He
refrains from pelting us with technical terms, while still giving
the impression that he has a good command of his topic. He is
particularly attracted to the relationships between nature and
culture. (…) He often manages to provide vivid descriptions: he
lets scientists from several centuries speak about the moon, tells
stories of healing and ritual regarding the night’s heavenly body,
and dovetails the history of the moon film with the Cold War.”—Lars
von der Gönna, Westdeutsche Allgemeine Zeitung
*Westdeutsche Allgemeine Zeitung*
“… one will find here a feast of historical connection and
reactions to the moon.” —San Francisco Book Review
*San Francisco Book Review*
“…a nimble, fast-moving survey of the silvery moon’s impact upon us
and our world. Brunner looks at the moon’s influence upon tides, of
course, and also its place in early psychology, the occult, popular
culture and as a necessary first step on humanity’s journey to
Mars.” —Nick Owchar, Los Angeles Times
*Los Angeles Times*
“A wry compendium of all things moon-related, this enjoyable book
takes in everything from the popular song “Blue Moon” to Pink
Floyd’s The Dark Side of the Moon, from Georges Melies’s pioneering
film A Trip to the Moon to Kubrick’s 2001 and Duncan Jones’s
Moon.”—The Guardian
*The Guardian*
Selected as a Choice Outstanding Academic Title for 2011 in the
Astronautics and Astronomy category.
*Choice*
"Superb non-fiction books. ... They are archives unto themselves. A
repository for dreams, visions, and fears."—Die Zeit
*Die Zeit*
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