THE END OF NIGHT

"A lyrical, far-reaching book. Part elegy, part call-to-arms, The End of Night feels like an essential addition to the literature of nature."   — Boston globe

A deeply panoramic tour of the night, from its brightest spots to the darkest skies we have left.

A starry night is one of nature's most magical wonders. Yet in our artificially lit world, three-quarters of Americans' eyes never switch to night vision and most of us no longer experience true darkness. In THE END OF NIGHT, Paul Bogard restores our awareness of the spectacularly primal, wildly dark night sky and how it has influenced the human experience across everything from science to art.

From Las Vegas' Luxor Beam--the brightest single spot on this planet--to nights so starlit the sky looks like snow, Bogard blends personal narrative, natural history, science, and history to shed light on the importance of darkness--what we've lost, what we still have, and what we might regain--and the simple ways we can reduce the brightness of our nights tonight.

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REVIEWS


"A moving, poetic, immersive, multifaceted, and thought-provoking study... Terrific."

Publishers Weekly

"[Bogard] offers delightful insights from experts on the activities of nature during the night.... Bogard will leave readers in awe of darkness and in admiration of his book."

Library Journal (starred review)

"In this artful blend of environmental and cultural history, Bogard manages to make a book about light pollution pure reading pleasure. As he travels the world looking for dark spaces that best reveal the night skies, Bogard considers our affinity for artificial light, the false sense of security it provides, and its implications. Smart, surprising, and thoroughly enjoyable.

—Colleen Mondor, Booklist

"The most precious things in the modern world are probably silence, solitude, and darkness—and of these three rarities, true darkness may be the rarest of all. Many thanks to Paul Bogard for searching out the dark spots and reminding us to celebrate them!"

—Bill McKibben, author of The End of Nature

"Darkness is among the many things we have lost gradually, without mourning. Paul Bogard offers a brilliantly illuminating history and a badly needed reminder that we have been blind to the death of night."

—Bill Streever, author of Cold


NATURE | VOL 499 | 4 JULY 2013

NATURE | VOL 499 | 4 JULY 2013

WALL STREET JOURNAL | 26 JULY 2013

WALL STREET JOURNAL | 26 JULY 2013

COLUMBUS DISPATCH | 14 JULY 2013

COLUMBUS DISPATCH | 14 JULY 2013

THE ATLANTIC | 24 JULY 2013

THE ATLANTIC | 24 JULY 2013