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The Martians: The True Story of an Alien Craze that Captured Turn-of-the-Century America by David Baron at Abbey's Bookshop,
The Martians: The True Story of an Alien Craze that Captured Turn-of-the-Century America
— —
David Baron

The Martians

The True Story of an Alien Craze that Captured Turn-of-the-Century America

David Baron

$49.95

Hardback

Not in-store but you can order this
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English
Liveright
01 November 2025
History; History of the Americas; 20th century history: c 1900 to c 2000; Social & cultural anthropology; Solar system: the Sun & planets; Space science
The Times headline was no joke. In the early 1900s, many Americans actually believed that we had discovered intelligent life on Mars. The Martians-a truly bizarre tale reconstructed through newly discovered clippings, letters, and photographs by bestselling science writer David Baron-begins in the 1890s with Percival Lowell, a wealthy Harvard scion who was so certain of his Mars discovery that he (almost) convinced a generation of astronomers that grainy telescopic photographs of the red planet revealed meltwater and an intricate canal system, declaring ""there can be no doubt that living beings inhabit our neighboring world"" (New York Times). So frenzied was the reaction that international controversies arose. Tesla announced he had received Martian radio signals. Biologists debated whether Martians were winged or gilled. Martians headlined Broadway shows, and a new genre called science fiction arose. While Lowell's claims were savagely debunked, his influence sparked a compulsive interest in Mars and life in outer space that continues to this day.
By:  
Imprint:   Liveright
Country of Publication:   United States [Currently unable to ship to USA: see Shipping Info]
Dimensions:   Height: 236mm,  Width: 160mm,  Spine: 28mm
Weight:   580g
ISBN:   9781324090663
ISBN 10:   1324090669
Pages:   336
Publication Date:  
Audience:   General/trade ,  ELT Advanced
Format:   Hardback
Publisher's Status:   Active

David Baron is an award-winning journalist, broadcaster, and author of The Beast in the Garden and American Eclipse. A former science correspondent for NPR, he has also written for the New York Times, Washington Post, Wall Street Journal, Los Angeles Times, Scientific American, and other publications. David recently served as the Baruch S. Blumberg NASA/Library of Congress Chair in Astrobiology, Exploration, and Scientific Innovation. He lives in Boulder, Colorado.

Reviews for The Martians: The True Story of an Alien Craze that Captured Turn-of-the-Century America

""Mars, our barren neighbor, has served as an empty canvas for our expansionist imaginations since long before Elon Musk arrived on the scene. Baron chronicles the lasting influence of the Mars mania that gripped America during the early 1900s, how it captured the imaginations of Nikola Tesla and Alexander Graham Bell, generated speculative news headlines, fueled astronomical ambitions and left an indelible imprint on our culture."" -- The New York Times Book Review: one of “21 Nonfiction Books Coming this Summer” ""David Baron’s exuberant book tells the story of a seemingly alien race—Americans of a century or so ago—that, on closer inspection, bears an uncanny resemblance to us today. The rich had gotten fantastically richer, life was unsettled by an array of new technologies, and, in their frustration, people began looking elsewhere for answers."" -- Russell Shorto, author of Taking Manhattan


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