A short, bright flash: Augustin Fresnel and the birth of the modern lighthouse
Description
"Combin[es] matters of biography, science, engineering, technology, art, history, economics and politics seemingly effortlessly and definitely seamlessly. An excellent book and a joy to read."—Henry Petroski, Wall Street Journal 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.
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ISBN:
9780393068795
9780393733945
9780393733945
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Grouping Information
Grouped Work ID | 568bc8db-8e6f-669c-6b29-37bc0a719511 |
---|---|
Grouping Title | short bright flash augustin fresnel and the birth of the modern lighthouse |
Grouping Author | theresa levitt |
Grouping Category | book |
Grouping Language | English (eng) |
Last Grouping Update | 2024-04-24 04:46:53AM |
Last Indexed | 2024-04-28 23:33:05PM |
Solr Fields
accelerated_reader_point_value
0
accelerated_reader_reading_level
0
author
Levitt, Theresa
author_display
Levitt, Theresa
available_at_bemis
Bemis Public Library
detailed_location_bemis
Bemis Lower Level
display_description
"Combin[es] matters of biography, science, engineering, technology, art, history, economics and politics seemingly effortlessly and definitely seamlessly. An excellent book and a joy to read."—Henry Petroski, Wall Street Journal 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.
format_bemis
Book
format_category_bemis
Books
id
568bc8db-8e6f-669c-6b29-37bc0a719511
isbn
9780393068795
9780393733945
9780393733945
itype_bemis
Juvenile Biography
last_indexed
2024-04-29T05:33:05.910Z
lexile_score
-1
literary_form
Non Fiction
literary_form_full
Non Fiction
local_callnumber_bemis
623.8942 LEVITT,T
owning_library_bemis
Bemis Public Library
owning_location_bemis
Bemis Public Library
primary_isbn
9780393068795
publishDate
2013
publisher
W. W. Norton & Company
recordtype
grouped_work
subject_facet
Biographies
Electronic books
Fresnel lenses -- History
Fresnel, Augustin Jean, -- 1788-1827
Lighthouses -- History
Nonfiction
Physicists -- France -- Biography
Science
Electronic books
Fresnel lenses -- History
Fresnel, Augustin Jean, -- 1788-1827
Lighthouses -- History
Nonfiction
Physicists -- France -- Biography
Science
title_display
A short, bright flash : Augustin Fresnel and the birth of the modern lighthouse
title_full
A short bright flash [electronic resource] : Augustin fresnel and the birth of the modern lighthouse. Theresa Levitt
A short, bright flash : Augustin Fresnel and the birth of the modern lighthouse / Theresa Levitt
A short, bright flash : Augustin Fresnel and the birth of the modern lighthouse / Theresa Levitt
title_short
A short, bright flash
title_sub
Augustin Fresnel and the birth of the modern lighthouse
topic_facet
Fresnel lenses
Fresnel, Augustin Jean
History
Lighthouses
Nonfiction
Physicists
Science
Fresnel, Augustin Jean
History
Lighthouses
Nonfiction
Physicists
Science
Solr Details Tables
item_details
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---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
ils:.b38490468 | .i123610862 | Bemis Lower Level | 623.8942 LEVITT, T | 1 | false | false | On Shelf | Feb 15, 2020 | below | ||||
overdrivecmc:ODN0004265293 | ODN0004265293 | Overdrive (CMC) | Online Overdrive (CMC) | eBook | eBook | 1 | false | true | Overdrive (CMC) | http://link.overdrive.com/?websiteID=162&titleID=4265293 | Available Online | Overdrive (CMC) |
record_details
Bib Id | Format | Format Category | Edition | Language | Publisher | Publication Date | Physical Description | Abridged |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
ils:.b38490468 | Book | Books | First edition | English | W. W. Norton & Company | [2013] | 281 pages : illustrations, maps ; 22 cm | |
overdrivecmc:ODN0004265293 | eBook | eBook | English | 2013 | 1 online resource |
scoping_details_bemis
Bib Id | Item Id | Grouped Status | Status | Locally Owned | Available | Holdable | Bookable | In Library Use Only | Library Owned | Holdable PTypes | Bookable PTypes | Local Url |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
ils:.b38490468 | .i123610862 | On Shelf | On Shelf | false | true | true | false | false | true | 195, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 170, 11, 171, 12, 13, 14, 15 |