What do you think?
Rate this book
Comet Madness
Halley’s Comet visits the earth every seventy-five years. Since the dawn of civilization, humans had believed comets were evil portents. In 1705, Edmond Halley liberated humanity from these primordial superstitions (or so it was thought), proving that Newtonian mechanics rather than the will of the gods brought comets into our celestial neighborhood. Despite this scientific advance, when Halley’s Comet returned in 1910 and astronomers announced that our planet would pass through its poisonous tail, newspapers gleefully provoked a global hysteria that unfolded with tragic consequences.
In Comet Madness, author and historian Richard J. Goodrich examines the 1910 appearance of Halley’s Comet and the ensuing frenzy sparked by media manipulation, bogus science, and outright deception. The result is a fascinating and illuminating narrative history that underscores how we behave in the face of potential calamity – then and now.
As the comet neared Earth, scientists and journalists alike scrambled to get the story straight as citizens the world over panicked. Popular astronomer Camille Flammarion attempted to allay fears in a newspaper article, but the media ignored his true position that passage would be harmless; weather prophet Irl Hicks, publisher of an annual, pseudo-scientific almanac, announced that the comet would disrupt the world’s weather; religious leaders thumbed the Bible’s Book of Revelation and wondered if the comet presaged the apocalypse. Newspapers, confident that there was gold in these alternate theories, gave every crackpot a megaphone, increasing circulation and stoking international hysteria.
As a result, workmen shelved their tools, farmers refused to plant crops they would never harvest, and formerly reliable people stopped paying their creditors. More opportunistic citizens opened “comet insurance” plans. Others suffered mental breakdowns, and some took their own lives.
Comet Madness reveals how humans confront the unknown, how scientists learn about the world we inhabit, and how certain people—from outright hucksters to opportunistic journalists—harness fear to produce a profit.
In Comet Madness, author and historian Richard J. Goodrich examines the 1910 appearance of Halley’s Comet and the ensuing frenzy sparked by media manipulation, bogus science, and outright deception. The result is a fascinating and illuminating narrative history that underscores how we behave in the face of potential calamity – then and now.
As the comet neared Earth, scientists and journalists alike scrambled to get the story straight as citizens the world over panicked. Popular astronomer Camille Flammarion attempted to allay fears in a newspaper article, but the media ignored his true position that passage would be harmless; weather prophet Irl Hicks, publisher of an annual, pseudo-scientific almanac, announced that the comet would disrupt the world’s weather; religious leaders thumbed the Bible’s Book of Revelation and wondered if the comet presaged the apocalypse. Newspapers, confident that there was gold in these alternate theories, gave every crackpot a megaphone, increasing circulation and stoking international hysteria.
As a result, workmen shelved their tools, farmers refused to plant crops they would never harvest, and formerly reliable people stopped paying their creditors. More opportunistic citizens opened “comet insurance” plans. Others suffered mental breakdowns, and some took their own lives.
Comet Madness reveals how humans confront the unknown, how scientists learn about the world we inhabit, and how certain people—from outright hucksters to opportunistic journalists—harness fear to produce a profit.
282 pages, Hardcover
Published February 15, 2023
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews
October 25, 2022
I was hesitant to read a book reminding me how poorly people behave, and how easily they are led to do so. Given the 100-year distance to the event, and the nature of the event, I went ahead anyway.
I don't think the author accomplished what he intended with this one. The premise going in is that the world was consumed by "comet madness" in the months and years leading up to the 1910 appearance of Halley's Comet. After a brief history of Halley sightings from history, the author spends 2/3 of the book building the case that the newspapers alone were responsible for the madness, by stirring people up with stories that were slanted to sell papers or were outright fabrications. It's hard to make a case that comet madness really existed when all you have to go on is the same newspaper articles you claim are false.
To his credt, he unearths a large number of old newspaper articles from all over. He clearly did his research, but it slows down the reading experience when most of what you see is quote after quote. The author needed to tell the story of what happened based on his research, not just reproduce nuggets from that research.
The last third flips the narrative, presenting a more level-headed populace, and while the stories of what actually happened are presented as fact rather than quotes, they must've come from newspaper articles he didn't cite. I finished feeling like I had learned a lot but didn't quite get what I came for.
I don't think the author accomplished what he intended with this one. The premise going in is that the world was consumed by "comet madness" in the months and years leading up to the 1910 appearance of Halley's Comet. After a brief history of Halley sightings from history, the author spends 2/3 of the book building the case that the newspapers alone were responsible for the madness, by stirring people up with stories that were slanted to sell papers or were outright fabrications. It's hard to make a case that comet madness really existed when all you have to go on is the same newspaper articles you claim are false.
To his credt, he unearths a large number of old newspaper articles from all over. He clearly did his research, but it slows down the reading experience when most of what you see is quote after quote. The author needed to tell the story of what happened based on his research, not just reproduce nuggets from that research.
The last third flips the narrative, presenting a more level-headed populace, and while the stories of what actually happened are presented as fact rather than quotes, they must've come from newspaper articles he didn't cite. I finished feeling like I had learned a lot but didn't quite get what I came for.
August 10, 2024
A pop-science book about "the madness of crowds" and the way newspapers
made a scare to sell papers, including hoaxes and fake news. Having read a lot about the history of astronomy and science in general I felt I knew most of this, but I commend that Goodrich rehabilitates the French astronomer Camille Flammarion, who has been slandered in this case and regarded as a fabulist and instigator of the notion that the return of Haley's comet would annihiliate all life on planet earth. Flammarion had some wild ideas on life on other planets in our solar system, but he was basically sound when it came to mainstream astronomy. This is clearly pointed out here.
This book is published by Prometheus, a publishing house well-represented in my private library. It is a bit dry and very like a journalistic reportage. Minor digressions are a nuisance. I think the story could have worked better as a shorter essay.
It will find a place next to Bartholomew and Radford's "Hoaxes, Myths, and Manias" (2002) and Daniel Cohen's "Waiting for the Apocalypse" (1983) on my bookshelf.
made a scare to sell papers, including hoaxes and fake news. Having read a lot about the history of astronomy and science in general I felt I knew most of this, but I commend that Goodrich rehabilitates the French astronomer Camille Flammarion, who has been slandered in this case and regarded as a fabulist and instigator of the notion that the return of Haley's comet would annihiliate all life on planet earth. Flammarion had some wild ideas on life on other planets in our solar system, but he was basically sound when it came to mainstream astronomy. This is clearly pointed out here.
This book is published by Prometheus, a publishing house well-represented in my private library. It is a bit dry and very like a journalistic reportage. Minor digressions are a nuisance. I think the story could have worked better as a shorter essay.
It will find a place next to Bartholomew and Radford's "Hoaxes, Myths, and Manias" (2002) and Daniel Cohen's "Waiting for the Apocalypse" (1983) on my bookshelf.
May 15, 2024
This was entertaining and I learned a lot about comets, but it’s not quite as advertised.
This isn’t the type of narrative nonfiction that I love, mostly because it feels more like a research dump at times and at other points it simply too repetitive to be a compelling and propulsive account.
The “comet madness” of 1910 was what I was excited to read about, and we do get a bit of the the folie deux in this, but mostly it’s a repetitive slog through dozens and dozens of accounts of how sensationalized newspaper accounts were convincing a certain segment of the population that they were definitely going to die when Halley’s Comet passed near earth. It’s pretty much the same story we hear about any sensational event around this time, largely focused on the fact that many newspapers would say absolutely anything to make a few extra bucks. Not exactly groundbreaking stuff, and we probably didn’t need so many examples of it here.
The astronomy included in this was quite good, and I did like the parts that are more about the science of comets and how their path might or might not affect the earth,. There are also a few brief forays into aeronautics, which I quite enjoyed.
This is worth reading if you like narrative science, though the writing isn’t the best and the purported concept behind the book is not quite as advertised.
This isn’t the type of narrative nonfiction that I love, mostly because it feels more like a research dump at times and at other points it simply too repetitive to be a compelling and propulsive account.
The “comet madness” of 1910 was what I was excited to read about, and we do get a bit of the the folie deux in this, but mostly it’s a repetitive slog through dozens and dozens of accounts of how sensationalized newspaper accounts were convincing a certain segment of the population that they were definitely going to die when Halley’s Comet passed near earth. It’s pretty much the same story we hear about any sensational event around this time, largely focused on the fact that many newspapers would say absolutely anything to make a few extra bucks. Not exactly groundbreaking stuff, and we probably didn’t need so many examples of it here.
The astronomy included in this was quite good, and I did like the parts that are more about the science of comets and how their path might or might not affect the earth,. There are also a few brief forays into aeronautics, which I quite enjoyed.
This is worth reading if you like narrative science, though the writing isn’t the best and the purported concept behind the book is not quite as advertised.
January 13, 2023
My thanks to both NetGalley and the publisher Rowman & Littlefield for an advance copy of this book on the return of Halley's Comet in the early part of the 20th century and the fear that it caused around the world.
As I have gotten older I really do feel that people go out of their way to find things to scare themselves and to get angry about. Just writing this review I am told that people are afraid that the government is going to take away gas stoves, and that the full outrage machine is out in force to fight this attack on the right to cook on stoves. So how does this start. Getting your news from a media that makes money on hits and outrage. Poor schools, and a collapsing infrastructure. Just plain old stu... let me be nice a call it stubbornness. It's hard to say, but this is not new in America nor even world history. Back in 1910 the world was thought to be ending, and many a person made good money pushing that thought. Richard J. Goodrich in his book Comet Madness: How the 1910 Return of Halley's Comet (Almost) Destroyed Civilization looks at a time in America when science said one thing, a lot of other people thought something else, and humans being humans insisted on doing their own research.
The appearance of comets or really and celestial objects in the sky were to early humans, was always thought to mean something momentous was to happen. The death of a king, the end of an empire, maybe famine, pestilence, possibly even the end. In 1705 Edmund Halley used the math and science of the times to look at one object and tried to puzzle out why it appeared, and when it might appear again theorizing that it took 75 years for the comet to travel and return to Earth. Halley was sure he had it right, but unfortunately never lived to see that he was, as the comet returned in 1758. By 1910 most people assumed that Halley's Comet as it had been dubbed would return. And that's when the stories began to appear. Some felt that the comet would destroy the Earth's weather. Some thought the comet would poison us all. Even better it was a portent of the apocalypse. For every science article, another person would have a better story. Crops went untended, rents weren't paid, marriages fell apart as many thought it would be the end.
A fascinating account of a time when everyone thought they had the inside source, or the real scoop on a situation, didn't and countless innocent and gullible people paid the cost. Goodrich has combed many newspapers finding articles for both sides on the Halley's Comet debate, bu finding that since people bought papers with bad news, well the doomsayers had much more of a say. Goodrich is very good at describing the various eras the book covers, along with the science, and pseudoscience and bunkum that filled the newspapers. As usual it is the loudest stupid, and stupidest acts that made the most noise, most people acted more interested than panicked, however this is still a very interesting study on how the message can be corrupted for money, sales, hits and the pains it can inflict on people.
Recommended for both science readers and people interested in both media and how rumors and bad science can become so ingrained in people's heads and hearts. Over one hundred years later, with so much more knowledge and technology, humans are still creatures who believe just about anything and are still afraid to leave the comfort of the group and the fire to see what really is making that noise out in the dark.
As I have gotten older I really do feel that people go out of their way to find things to scare themselves and to get angry about. Just writing this review I am told that people are afraid that the government is going to take away gas stoves, and that the full outrage machine is out in force to fight this attack on the right to cook on stoves. So how does this start. Getting your news from a media that makes money on hits and outrage. Poor schools, and a collapsing infrastructure. Just plain old stu... let me be nice a call it stubbornness. It's hard to say, but this is not new in America nor even world history. Back in 1910 the world was thought to be ending, and many a person made good money pushing that thought. Richard J. Goodrich in his book Comet Madness: How the 1910 Return of Halley's Comet (Almost) Destroyed Civilization looks at a time in America when science said one thing, a lot of other people thought something else, and humans being humans insisted on doing their own research.
The appearance of comets or really and celestial objects in the sky were to early humans, was always thought to mean something momentous was to happen. The death of a king, the end of an empire, maybe famine, pestilence, possibly even the end. In 1705 Edmund Halley used the math and science of the times to look at one object and tried to puzzle out why it appeared, and when it might appear again theorizing that it took 75 years for the comet to travel and return to Earth. Halley was sure he had it right, but unfortunately never lived to see that he was, as the comet returned in 1758. By 1910 most people assumed that Halley's Comet as it had been dubbed would return. And that's when the stories began to appear. Some felt that the comet would destroy the Earth's weather. Some thought the comet would poison us all. Even better it was a portent of the apocalypse. For every science article, another person would have a better story. Crops went untended, rents weren't paid, marriages fell apart as many thought it would be the end.
A fascinating account of a time when everyone thought they had the inside source, or the real scoop on a situation, didn't and countless innocent and gullible people paid the cost. Goodrich has combed many newspapers finding articles for both sides on the Halley's Comet debate, bu finding that since people bought papers with bad news, well the doomsayers had much more of a say. Goodrich is very good at describing the various eras the book covers, along with the science, and pseudoscience and bunkum that filled the newspapers. As usual it is the loudest stupid, and stupidest acts that made the most noise, most people acted more interested than panicked, however this is still a very interesting study on how the message can be corrupted for money, sales, hits and the pains it can inflict on people.
Recommended for both science readers and people interested in both media and how rumors and bad science can become so ingrained in people's heads and hearts. Over one hundred years later, with so much more knowledge and technology, humans are still creatures who believe just about anything and are still afraid to leave the comfort of the group and the fire to see what really is making that noise out in the dark.
February 8, 2023
https://www.mwgerard.com/review-comet...
Discovered by Royal Astronomer Edmund Halley in 1758, the celestial body was noted for its predictable perihelion, bringing it close to Earth each 75 years or so. Although it had been making this trip for eons, it was named after Halley as he was the one to formally trace its path and prove that the comet that has been seen for millenia was indeed the same one returning over and over. It last passed by us in 1986 and it will next stop by in 2061.
In 1910, the imminent appearance of Halley's Comet set off an unusual collection of fears, theories, and superstitions. The most prevalent was some variation of a gas cloud as Earth passed through the tail of the comet. This gas might do any number of things, including wipe out all life on the planet.
The book focuses mainly on the media wars surrounding the statements of Camille Flammarion, the preeminent popular scientist of his day. He was based in Paris but his work was read throughout the world.
"Flammarion, although capable of calculation, possessed the heart of a poet. He was enthralled by the majesty of the heavens and believed that astronomy was a springboard for the imagination. He preferred speculation about what might be over the dry documentation of what was." ~Loc. 658
But like irresponsible news outlets in every era, greedy editors led with headlines that stoked panic. They took the scientific imaginings of what cyanogen gas might do, in certain circumstances, and turned them into doomsday predictions. It meant that Flammarion spent a good deal of time and ink trying to correct and clarify his analysis.
At times the book loses some momentum as it tracks the media battles. The more interesting sections highlight some of the odder reactions of everyday people. Ads were placed for submarine rides, suggesting people stay underwater for three days (with supplies, of course) until the gas dissipated. Snake oil salesmen sold comet pills that supposedly protected against cyanogen gas. Other enterprising people sold comet insurance...[spacer height="20px"]
"...policies that promised a cash payment of $500 'to the widow or children of the victim in case death is met through the comet striking the earth.' Policyholders paid 25 cents a week to insure their lives. Although a sensible person might question the value of a policy that paid off only in the event of a world-destroying cataclysm, business was brisk." ~Loc. 2754
Spoiler alert, the world did not end in 1910, nor did it end in 1986. And while there will always be a small contingent of people who go for loony ideas but perhaps looking back we can learn from the past.
My thanks to Prometheus Books for the review copy. Read via NetGalley.
Discovered by Royal Astronomer Edmund Halley in 1758, the celestial body was noted for its predictable perihelion, bringing it close to Earth each 75 years or so. Although it had been making this trip for eons, it was named after Halley as he was the one to formally trace its path and prove that the comet that has been seen for millenia was indeed the same one returning over and over. It last passed by us in 1986 and it will next stop by in 2061.
In 1910, the imminent appearance of Halley's Comet set off an unusual collection of fears, theories, and superstitions. The most prevalent was some variation of a gas cloud as Earth passed through the tail of the comet. This gas might do any number of things, including wipe out all life on the planet.
The book focuses mainly on the media wars surrounding the statements of Camille Flammarion, the preeminent popular scientist of his day. He was based in Paris but his work was read throughout the world.
"Flammarion, although capable of calculation, possessed the heart of a poet. He was enthralled by the majesty of the heavens and believed that astronomy was a springboard for the imagination. He preferred speculation about what might be over the dry documentation of what was." ~Loc. 658
But like irresponsible news outlets in every era, greedy editors led with headlines that stoked panic. They took the scientific imaginings of what cyanogen gas might do, in certain circumstances, and turned them into doomsday predictions. It meant that Flammarion spent a good deal of time and ink trying to correct and clarify his analysis.
At times the book loses some momentum as it tracks the media battles. The more interesting sections highlight some of the odder reactions of everyday people. Ads were placed for submarine rides, suggesting people stay underwater for three days (with supplies, of course) until the gas dissipated. Snake oil salesmen sold comet pills that supposedly protected against cyanogen gas. Other enterprising people sold comet insurance...[spacer height="20px"]
"...policies that promised a cash payment of $500 'to the widow or children of the victim in case death is met through the comet striking the earth.' Policyholders paid 25 cents a week to insure their lives. Although a sensible person might question the value of a policy that paid off only in the event of a world-destroying cataclysm, business was brisk." ~Loc. 2754
Spoiler alert, the world did not end in 1910, nor did it end in 1986. And while there will always be a small contingent of people who go for loony ideas but perhaps looking back we can learn from the past.
My thanks to Prometheus Books for the review copy. Read via NetGalley.
October 25, 2022
What's more dangerous than a comet? Bad science and bogus journalism, apparently.
Comet Madness by Richard Goodrich centers on the 1910 Visit of Halley's Comet. Goodrich takes a look at how the media created an absolute frenzy around...well, not much of anything but misrepresentations and crackpot theories. If you are a person who walks around these days saying, "fake news" then this book is clearly for you. Goodrich pulls no punches in blaming the media for some of the crazy, sad, and heartbreaking actions people took due to yellow journalism.
The book is mostly a chronicle of scientific theories about what Halley's Comet would (or mostly would not) do on it's visit to Earth. Goodrich clearly did a lot of research and he scoured numerous newspapers to dredge up the stories of people refusing to pay bills, praying harder than ever, or in the worst cases, harming themselves. Some parts are sad and some parts are downright hilarious.
The wild veering between a sad story and then a witty retort to a reporter can make the book feel disjointed at times. Also, while it is not the point of the book, I would have liked a chapter solely devoted to the actual facts around the comet. These are minor nitpicks. It is still a very enjoyable read.
(This book was provided as an advance copy by Netgalley and Rowman & Littlefield.)
Comet Madness by Richard Goodrich centers on the 1910 Visit of Halley's Comet. Goodrich takes a look at how the media created an absolute frenzy around...well, not much of anything but misrepresentations and crackpot theories. If you are a person who walks around these days saying, "fake news" then this book is clearly for you. Goodrich pulls no punches in blaming the media for some of the crazy, sad, and heartbreaking actions people took due to yellow journalism.
The book is mostly a chronicle of scientific theories about what Halley's Comet would (or mostly would not) do on it's visit to Earth. Goodrich clearly did a lot of research and he scoured numerous newspapers to dredge up the stories of people refusing to pay bills, praying harder than ever, or in the worst cases, harming themselves. Some parts are sad and some parts are downright hilarious.
The wild veering between a sad story and then a witty retort to a reporter can make the book feel disjointed at times. Also, while it is not the point of the book, I would have liked a chapter solely devoted to the actual facts around the comet. These are minor nitpicks. It is still a very enjoyable read.
(This book was provided as an advance copy by Netgalley and Rowman & Littlefield.)
March 20, 2024
Ugh. So much squandered promise with this book. As both a space geek and journalist, I feel like this book should have hit my sweet spot with its focus on astronomy and media criticism. But instead we end up with an anti-media, anti-religious screed that does not cast an equally critical eye on scientists that played a large role in planting misplaced seeds of hysteria during the 1910 passage of Halley's comet. The author seems to largely want to serve as an an apologist for one scientist in particular and ends up totally downplaying the large role that his off-handed remarks about potential catastrophe and related pseudoscientific quakery contributed to so-called panic over the comet. The author rightly notes reports of crazed reactions to the comet that were totally fabricated, yet at the same time takes other reports as fact without casting an equally critical eye on them.
October 24, 2022
The untold story of the 1910 return of Halley's comet can be quiet long and a bit drab in parts. This book builds and builds and then quickly lets the reader down as there is not much of a conclusion. It seems that Mr Goodrich intends to blame overreaction and sensationalism to events both in the past and currently (the pandemic is mentioned) squarely on the media without really focusing on the lives impacted but these reports. While an interesting read it was a slog at times to finish and could be be summed up as a collection of newspaper articles and report strung together in a narrative meant to entice the reader into following along but without a sufficient pay-off at the end.
March 7, 2023
Apparently what Goodrich did is go to Newspapers.com, look up a bunch of 1910 articles about the visit of Halley's Comet, and summarize all those in a book that basically argues that journalists are liars who will publish anything for the sake of circulation figures. He includes very little beyond these articles, though he admits that, for all the bizarre (and mostly fictional) things that people did in reaction to the comet, the vast majority of people were excited and did not believe the apocalyptic tales generated in the press. Go to Wikipedia instead of reading this book. Better yet, get a subscription to Newspapers.com and read the articles for yourself.
July 18, 2023
Somewhat repetitive at times, this book describes a wave of panic that accompanied the return of Halley's comet in 1910, with a strong inclination to blame the panic and suicides and misinformation on the irresponsibility of a capitalist press seeking to see more papers by sensational and often fabricated stories. The French astronomer Flammarion is presented as an especially sympathetic figure, one who tried to calm potential fear about comets, only to have the press continually misrepresent his work to incite more panic . . . but the book is endlessly repetitive about this. Somewhat dull and dragging at times, due to repetition.
July 22, 2023
4.5 rounded up. A very interesting historical perspective of the time period before Halley's comet appeared in 1910. The wild speculation, the ridiculous hypotheses, the religious prophecies. It's got everything here - and all wrapped up in the role of the media in exploiting their readers. It was a reminder that the way the media works is not new, and was likely much worse back then. The loss of life because of comet madness. And then the complete and utter let down when literally nothing happened. The only frustration was I felt like there was a lot of repetition. Otherwise, an insightful read.
January 30, 2023
There was much I liked about this book. It was a fun read with some good humor. I found Goodrich to be a good storyteller with a conversational writing style. The discussion of the scientific method was very good and the science was well-explained. I also thought that the discussions of Flammarion were insightful. The closest thing to this story I lived through was Y2K so it was an interesting take. Overall, this is a great read. Thank you to Netglley and Rowman & Littlefield, Prometheus for the advance reader copy.
Read
November 26, 2022This man has read a lot of newspapers. I would rather he spend less time reading century-old news and more time writing, because his writing is fantastic and I want to read more of it. If you happen to be interested in the history of news and misinformation, you will love this book. If not, it's great to skim (the first three chapters are particularly lovely), but man there's a lot of local news reports.
ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
October 26, 2023
Σε περίπτωση που ακόμα αναρωτιέστε πόσο παλιά είναι τα fake news και η κακή δημοσιογραφία, εδώ η περίπτωση της εμφάνισης του κομήτη του Χαλει και η υστερία που προκάλεσε περί καταστροφής του κόσμου το 1910 (ναι, είχε εξηγηθεί τι είναι ο κομήτης και η τεχνολογία έκανε άλματα και τότε).
Υπέροχη σκέψη για βιβλίο, ενδιαφέρουσα πλοκή, αλλά χάνει τα αστεράκια γιατί από ένα σημείο και μετά επαναλαμβάνεται και παραθέτει στείρα πηγές της εποχής. Η προκατάληψη κατά των δημοσιογράφων δικαιολογείται.
Υπέροχη σκέψη για βιβλίο, ενδιαφέρουσα πλοκή, αλλά χάνει τα αστεράκια γιατί από ένα σημείο και μετά επαναλαμβάνεται και παραθέτει στείρα πηγές της εποχής. Η προκατάληψη κατά των δημοσιογράφων δικαιολογείται.
March 23, 2023
The further along I got in this book the worse it was. I dislike a question based syntax; it doesn't add suspense. This book was significantly more a critique of journalism than an exploration of comet psychological influence. It was also bizarre that it was primarily a focus of one time the comet passed; an exploration of 1986 experience would have been enlightening.
April 4, 2023
I found Comet Madness to be a very interesting read. Rather than focusing on the scientific response, it focuses on the societal effect of news coverage of the the 1910 appearance of Harleys Comet. I found Goodrich's writing to be both interesting and informative.
*I received a review copy from the publisher through NetGalley
*I received a review copy from the publisher through NetGalley
April 30, 2023
Goodrich packs a lot into a small book managing to pace the narrative fairly well while attempting to explain the hysteria around the 1910 appearance of Halley's comet. I wish I had more to say about this book but I read it quickly and nothing really stuck out to me, good or bad. I appreciated learning more about the topic but likely will not seek out more in this topic or by this author.
September 3, 2023
Thanks to the author, I learned more on the subject, I'd personally wish to get a bit more of the writing, I am sure he could have elaborated more, as the writing style is pretty enjoyable, and, this is very personal, I really enjoy books more serious, less humor, but that is a very personal choice. Hysteria towards the unknown can be overconsuming, even a century after the events.
March 9, 2023
A comprehensive look into the panic surrounding the 1910 appearance of Halleys comet. Well written, but mostly accounts of stupid people being stupid. Did learn some good history here, so it was well worth the read.
September 3, 2023
3.5 Stars
A thorough chronicle of the yellow journalism-induced madness surrounding the passage of Halley's comet. Woven with humor and wit, this is a tale told largely through historical sources, and an example of how pernicious and deceitful major media is/has been.
A thorough chronicle of the yellow journalism-induced madness surrounding the passage of Halley's comet. Woven with humor and wit, this is a tale told largely through historical sources, and an example of how pernicious and deceitful major media is/has been.
November 23, 2023
A very interesting and entertaining subject, but it was a little bit of a dry read with lots of back and forth and retelling of previously mentioned tidbits. The moral of the story is to beware of fake news.
February 6, 2024
I love quirky nonfiction books. This book is a great reflection on how media (printed or social) skewers truth just to make a buck. I'm sad that folks took their own lives because of fear mongering newspaper men, but glad civilization wasn't destroyed by Haley's comet!
June 30, 2024
Some thoughts I had while reading this book:
The world wants to be decided
Comets unlock primordial fears
We are so dramatic -- scientists predicting that "improbable gaseous interactions resulting in universal deliriousness and madness" would occur from the tail of the comet. the likelihood that we would all die laughing because of a comet.
The world wants to be decided
Comets unlock primordial fears
We are so dramatic -- scientists predicting that "improbable gaseous interactions resulting in universal deliriousness and madness" would occur from the tail of the comet. the likelihood that we would all die laughing because of a comet.
June 28, 2023
Interesting book, however, it is very repetitive throughout. The book seems to be centered around exonerating French Astronomer Camille Flammarion from false claims made my newspapers of the time.
October 25, 2023
An interesting look at the world in 1909 and 1910 as it awaited the arrival of Halley’s Comet in 1910.
November 20, 2023
Enjoyable. Maybe I'll get to see it when I'm 84-- I wasn't paying attention the first time around.
December 24, 2023
It was okay. I enjoyed the style and voice of the author but the information was just the same. You read half the book, you read the whole thing.
April 9, 2024
Too much repetition.
November 3, 2023
This was a somewhat interesting history of Halley's Comet. It was pretty entertaining to learn about the way that people reacted to seeing the comet in centuries past. Things that would seem silly to us today were taken so seriously back then. It's a fairly interesting look back on how humans have reacted to unknown events in the past.
Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews