Author Description

Throughout human history people have used light to lengthen their day. Modern life is now inconceivable without the light bulb, but up until the nineteenth century the only useful source of light was flame. This fascinating volume explains how light--from primitive torches to florescent lighting--has affected our daily lives. The book describes how oil lamps, candles, and gas lights work and outlines the principles of all the main types of electric lights now available. Thoroughly illustrated, Lengthening the Day provides a history of lighting, along with contemporary uses and technical details. Quotations from Aristophanes to Jane Austen, and from James Boswell to Kenneth Grahame, illustrate the social importance of lighting.