To Know a Starry Night by Paul Bogard

To Know a Starry Night Reviews

• 
  Richard Derus

  The Publisher Says: No matter where we live, what language we speak, or what culture shapes our worldview, there is always the night. The darkness is a reminder of the ebb and flow, of an opportunity to recharge, of the movement of time. But how many of us have taken the time to truly know a starry night? To really know it.
  
  Combining the lyrical writing of Paul Bogard with the stunning night-sky photography of Beau Rogers, To Know a Starry Night explores the powerful experience of being outside under a natural starry sky—how important it is to human life, and how so many people don’t know this experience. As the night sky increasingly becomes flooded with artificial-light pollution, this poignant work helps us reconnect with the natural darkness of night, an experience that now, in our time, is fading from our lives.
  
  I RECEIVED A DRC FROM THE PUBLISHER VIA NETGALLEY. THANK YOU.
  
  My Review: There is a very strong chance that, if you're my age or younger, you've never seen a truly dark night sky. If you grew up east of the Mississippi River, it's almost a guarantee. The saddest part of that is the sheer, astonishing vastness of stars. The closest I've come to seeing skies like these:
  
  ...was an early 1970s car trip with my oldest sister who was leaving South Texas for California. I went with her and, at more than one point, she stopped the car at night, turned off the car lights, and we stared up at sheerly astoundingly bright skies...not from (in those days) mercury-vapor lights that were common and getting more so on major highways, as we were in the proverbial middle of nowhere, but from stars. Thousands and thousands and thousands of stars, more than I had ever seen before. The night skies I encountered in middle age above Machu Picchu were the only comparably startling revelation to me.
  
  What made Author Bogard present this book of Photographer Beau Rogers's glorious night-time images to us was his increasing awareness that his own daughter, whose company on these night-time ramblings in the American West he treasured, might not have even these places to see the natural condition of darkness again in her lifetime.
  
  Nothing could possibly be sadder than that!
  
  What a loss to Humanity the curse of light pollution is...and how necessary it is to protect what there is left of it.
  
  We're simply not paying enough attention to these losses. There's nothing to replace natural darkness. There's little research into the costs of the loss to the natural world...there's next to none on its impact to us, the polluters. What we lose only starts with the aesthetic awareness of the extent of the beauty around us on the planet.
  
  This absolutely astoundingly gorgeous book is perfect to gift to your photography fan as well as the environmentally aware young person. It's a spectacular creation and worthy of a space on anyone's display shelf, coffee table, or even tablet.
• 
  Tracy

  To Know a Starry Night is absolutely breathtaking, both in words and photography, and eye-opening in content. The author and photography aims to show the full beauty of the night sky and the sad fact that we are "losing stars" due to light pollution, though many of us don’t even realize what we are missing - the solace of nature and connection to our past, our place in the universe.
  
  This book is just stunningly beautiful to look at and yet educational about a topic most of us may not consider. Highly recommended for everyone, especially those with an interest in astronomy, photography, conservation, and nature.
  
  I am so very grateful to Netgalley and University of Nevada Press for the opportunity to read and review To Know a Starry Night.
• 
  Denise

  Thanks to NetGalley and University of Nevada Press for the advance review digital copy of this beautiful book. I appreciate the early read opportunity, in exchange for my review. As an aspiring astrophotographer and long-time advocate for building a personal relationship with nature, this book ticked a lot of boxes for me.
  
  While it would be easy to label
  To Know a Starry Night a coffee table book and skip past the text while lingering over the photos, resist that temptation!!
  
  Beau Rogers stunning night sky photographs emphasize key points from Paul Bogard's series of stand-alone, personal essays with titles ranging from Darkness, to Moonlight, Solace, and Fear. Some are fairly scientific, describing the Bortle Dark-Sky Scale and the importance of bright days and dark nights for our physical, mental and spiritual health. Others are deeply personal, celebrating Bogard's 15-year relationship with Lulu, his dog, or his hopes for his young daughter's relationship to darkness and the night sky.
  
  Yes, I found myself skimming one or two of these self-contained chapters. But for others, I caught myself jotting notes in my daily planner - new-to-me facts, ideas and terms that I want to spend time pondering.
  
  Bogard's essays also recommend other books on the topic of darkness and the nigh sky. I always appreciate the generosity of writers who include titles in the same space right in the main body, rather that forcing readers to go digging through the references buried in the back pages. Two of Bogard's recommendations made it onto my "Want To Read" list.
  
  Final thought - buy this book in physical form. It's worth the extra cost for two reasons: 1) there are so many photographs that file size issues mean they are not in full resolution in the digital ARC I downloaded; but 2) more importantly, many of the photographs are two-page spreads that turn into split images in Adobe Digital Editions. This seriously undermines the impact of Beau Roger's carefully curated set of night sky images from across the western USA. They can only truly be appreciated in printed form.
  
  
• 
  Irina R.

  This is such a beautiful book! Thought-provoking, lyrical, poetical,philosophical yet educational. I loved how the book talks about light pollutions and the impact it has on the night-time sky gazing and the universe and the things we are missing out when our night skies is polluted with the artificial lights.
  
  Infact, it made me sad when he said about us and the future generations not being able to see the stars and the universe at night anymore as much as those people back in the olden days did where they can easily see the stars and the universe just from their own backyard!, all because of light pollutions!.
  
  The part where the author reminisced about his childhood memories of walking in the woods and the deserts with his father at night to view the night skies, made me reminisced my own childhood memories whereby i would sit outside in my home lawn at night and gaze admiringly at the stars. I'd let my own imaginations take me to somewhere magical where it is just myself and universe and melts away all my sadness and loneliness.
  
  I loved when the author quoted how much the vast universe just takes away our sadness and loneliness by making us think that the universe is bigger than our own problems are!. Also, i still remember how fascinated i am in learning about the planets and the galaxies where i'd go to the school library during recess and read those books on the planets and watch planet documentaries.
  
  I loved how the author also is reminding us on going out at night and spending some quality time with yourself and nature by viewing the night skies and to cherish its beauty while it is still there. Of course, the beautiful and visually stunning night skies photographs are living proofs of this beauty that if not taken care of will diminish. What a big loss would that be for us and the future generations.
• 
  Fern Adams

  A truly beautiful book. ‘To Know a Starry Sky’ is a collection of incredibly photography of the night sky, taken in the USA, mostly in national parks. Alongside this is writing about darkness and the sky.
  
  I really enjoyed reading and looking through. Multiple photographs I returned to several times. The night sky is wonderful and how often we take it for granted. It’s a sad thought to think how much we miss these days with light pollution that could be viewed 100 years ago. A book to be looked at over and over again.
  
  I would recommend people go for the physical book as I was viewing this on my e-reader and felt the photography would have been even better on a page.
  
  Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for sending me an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
• 
  Georgene Bramlage

  "To Know a Starry Night" is a dazzling achievement. But unfortunately, digital copies of this book do not do justice to the work of writer Paul Bogard and photographer Beau Rogers. I would have liked to hold a physical of this book copy, to know its size, the weight of paper, the depth and radiance of the photographs' colors, and their juxtaposition to the epigraphs and essays.
  The writing style and photographic eloquence allow readers to perceive Bogard and Rogers' attraction to the glories of the night sky. Both make a convincing case against the pollution of the night sky. This pollution is stunningly shown in Rogers' closing photograph of San Francisco, California's Bay Bridge. Bogard closes his writing by stating that "light pollution is readily within our abilities to solve."
  My favorite photograph is that of a meteor shower above Lake Tahoe, Nevada. However, my favorite essay is introduced by an epigraph taken from Kathleen Dean Moore's "The Gifts Of Darkness." In this essay, Bogard writes of his earliest memories of the night sky, the hope that he has for his toddler daughter to know some of what he has observed, his future without parents, and humans' attempt "to control," which leads to loss of the night sky and mystery.
  I did not realize when beginning this book that Bogard's essays would be so personal. I expected more writing about light pollution and preservation of stary skies. Bogard's writing needs to be tighter with more organization. However, it is heartening to know that here in the United States, viewers can still find great night skies in off-the-beaten-track places like some of our western and northern National Parks.
  "To Know a Stary Night' would make a fine gift for anyone interested in either light pollution of the night sky, night photography, or appreciation of a starry sky. Thank you, @universitynevadapress, for this digital ARC via @NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
  
• 
  Sherron Wahrheit

  As an adult living on the US east coast, it’s been a long time since I’ve seen the stars, and I mean decades! The night sky photography here reminds me of my childhood traveling the western US and visiting national parks with my parents. My parents upbringing in the rural Appalachians , animals, sky and mountains berms and mountains and this has rubbed off on me.
  
  This book is the culmination of five contributors’ work. Each shows their love of nature and well-placed concern regarding our stewardship of mother earth.
  
  Karen Travino, a colleague of Paul’s in astro tourism, notes the multi sensory aspects of ecology in her beautiful preface.
  
  Scott Slovic wrote the foreward and connected Paul and Beau. He notes the unifying experience of the sky, an experience leveler, from Ralph Waldo Emerson’s rapturous transcendentalist essays to Ken Lambert’s observations from behind prison bars. As one who sees connections in nature, he does as well in this social sphere, by introducing Paul the writer and Beau the photographer.
  
  This is a stunning coffee table book, full of night sky photography and language that connect us to the sky above and ground below. If you remember starry nights like I do, this book helps keep alive those memories. If you haven’t been out into nature to see the sky, get your hands on this book to see what you have been missing. And if urbanization continues its exponential growth unchecked, this book will document for future generations what we have lost. What we have lost?
  
  This book also describes light pollution, measured by means of the Bortle scale, with photographs from space. Light pollution is an important concept to understand, since much of nature’s life cycles depend on the daily cycles of light and dark to cue their behavior. Which is the most lit up country? Some may jokingly guess Ireland or Russia. Or Jamaica? But of course, the United States tops the list, especially New England, but so does England, France, Italy, as do the cities of Cairo and Dubai.
  
  Paul Bogard’s essays have an autobiographical quality showing us how he bonded with those he loves under the star studded skies. From times shared with his beloved dog to the birth of his daughter, the book is emotionally raw, personal journey as well as educational observations.
  
  Thank you NetGalley for providing an ARC in exchange for my feedback.
• 
  TheBookishMug

  'To know a Starry Night' by 'Paul Bogard', the book contains a beautiful collection of night sky photography which at first will catch your attention. The sequence of photos is added as it should be. As an astrophile, I can sit and stare at these pics for hours. I occasionally picked up the book as the title caught my attention and the book turned out to be amazing.
  The book includes short essays on people's experience of darkness, the beauty of the night sky with plenty of quotations from the great classics. The author too shares his personal experience of darkness and the beauty of the night sky.
  The problem of Light pollution is the major takeaway. In the book, there are tips given for how to truly experience the beauty of the night sky and they're fascinating.
  Overall, I enjoyed the feel of this book. Thank you NetGalley and University of Nevada publication providing a digital ARC of the book before its release.
• 
  Sameirah Ahsan

  Thanks to University of Nevada Press for the advanced reader's copy of this book in exchange of my honest review. To know a Starry Night is due to be published on 12 October 2021.
  
  This book is a collection of incredible night photography mostly taken in US national parks and personal essays about the science, psychology and human perception about the night sky, natural night light and darkness. The topics range from very analytical to poetic.
  
  I had a particular fascination with the night sky during my adolescence. I remember taking my father's old binoculars (not telescope lol, yea I know haha), a mat, blanket, a flashlight and a book to the roof of my aunt's old house where I grew up. I'd lay for hours, reading under the blanket and occasionally trying to spy the stars if the skies were clear, which was usually the case in the then-deserted Uttara neighborhood. I found this book a joy to read because so many of my old childhood emotions suddenly resurfaced with some of the more descriptive sections of the book.
  
  I loved that I learnt so many new things too, for instance, the Bortle scale which is a numeric scale that is used to measure the night sky's brightness. I love how the author lulls you into a state of solastalgia with his speculations of the night sky from a 100yrs ago, one with less artificial light pollution and more stars. My only regret is not being able to see the physical copy of the book, because in its epub version, the photo quality is diminished as expected.
  
  It would have been cooler, though, if I could experience the locations in real life. ✨
  
  Goodreads:
  https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/7...
  
  Bookstagram:
  https://www.instagram.com/booksnher/
• 
  Mellissa Bushby

  5 🌟
  
  It is rare that I give a 5 star rating, but well-deserved in this case. The authors inate love for the darkness and all it represents is so beautifully and eloquently written, especially regarding how he shares his knowledge and love of the stars with his tiny daughter.
  
  As someone who is most at peace and at her happiest in the dark, i understand his concern for yet one more thing we are destroying, the night's natural light. I love nothing more than to be in the bushveld, sitting quietly in the darkness and listening to the night sounds, the birds, animals and insects that are at home in the shadows. The wind whispering sweet nothings through the trees, the haunting cry of a bush baby or the soft notes of a nightjar, all bathed in the glow of starlight and moonlight.
  
  There are now far fewer places where you can still see a sky full of stars, sadly a situation which will only worsen with the spread of humankind. As it is, light pollution is leaving gaping, inky holes where 100 years ago millions of pinpricks of light twinkled down on us from above, constellations and comets, phases of the moon, planets being born and dying, collapsing into themselves after burning fiercely, their brilliance inspiring tales of galaxies unknown.
  
  This would make the perfect gift for anyone who loves the solace and beauty offered by the night, and appreciates the magnificence - and importance - of a sky full of stars.
  
  Thanks to NetGalley, the author and publisher for my ARC.
• 
  Annie

  Originally posted on my blog:
  Nonstop Reader.
  
  To Know a Starry Night is an often breathtaking photographic ode to the night sky and darkness in its myriad colors written by
  Paul Bogard and featuring photographs by
  Beau Rogers. Released 12th Oct 2021 by the
  University of Nevada Press, it's 144 pages and is available in hardcover and ebook formats.
  
  The written parts of the book are gathered very loosely into 8 thematic meandering essays. The author explores light pollution, the primal satisfaction and awe of true darkness (mostly lost to us now), solitude, heavenly bodies, and stars, always the stars, so distant. Really though, it's the breathtaking skyscapes which are center stage here, both varied and similar and of an unusual virtuosity. The themes are universal, but the photos are weighted to the western contiguous USA: California, Colorado, Utah, New Mexico, Arizona, Montana, Washington, and Oregon.
  
  Four stars. This is a beautifully curated coffee-table worthy collection of masterful photos of the night sky. Although the quality of the digital eARC provided for review was high quality, this is a book which will shine brightest in physical print. This would be a good selection for library acquisition, home library display, or a lovely gift for an outdoors-y friend.
  
  Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.
• 
  Danielle

  Read this review and more on my
  blog, uncovered-books.
  
  I received a free copy of To Know A Starry Night from the publisher in exchange for my honest opinion.
  
  To Know A Starry Night is a coffee table book. If you have not head of this, then they are aimed to be books that you pick up occasionally to read but they are a very good feature for you coffee table. To Know A Starry Night is probably a very good example of this.
  
  Let’s start with the photographs. They are absolutely stunning. Each image selected for this book was just beautiful. As someone who is interested in astrophotography, I am always very happy to see a book that has stunning photos of the night sky.
  
  What makes To Know A Starry Night a coffee table book to me is the accompanying writing. I personally did not enjoy the anecdotal writing style very fitting to how vast the photographs were. While I understand and appreciate how the night sky affects everyone of us differently, I struggled to convince myself to read the words written on the page (unless the words were the location of the photograph). I ended up having to just stop reading the accompanying text since I was finding it such a drag compared to the beauty of the photographs.
  
  Not exactly sure what I was wanting from To Know A Starry Night, but at least I enjoyed the pictures.
• 
  Lady

  This book was amazing it was so beautifully wrote which adds so much emotion to the reading of this book. The photographs are absolutely stunning. I loves these types of books as they are so breathtaking. They evoke so many emotions that leave you in awe. This is becoming my favourite type on non fiction. There is so much peace and serenity held with the night sky shown in all the pictures of this book. The writer expresses that just looking up at the sky helps take away fears and worries making life so much more manageable. If like me you live in a built up area this book becomes so much more important. This book is worth every penny. Just 5 minutes a night just looking at one picture and your instantly relaxed.
  If you can't experience the real thing then get this book that has been my mantra in life.
  I became enchanted in this wonderful masterpiece of a book. I learnt so much from read and experiencing this book, including how light pollution usingthe bortle scale affects our skies.
  This book is just perfect for any age and would look amazing on any coffee table and would lead into some very interesting conversation starters.
  I would like to thank the authors and publishers for putting together this spectacular masterpiece. This will warm the hearts of so many and help bring inner peace. I look forward to reading further books to come.
• 
  J Earl

  To Know a Starry Night by Paul Bogard is a beautiful book with very approachable writing that relates the darkness, and our loss of it, with life in general as well as specific lives. The review copy I received included the Preface, Foreward, Introduction, and first chapter. This didn't surprise me because, well, I read the description and the first line, in bold, with asterisks before and after it, states this is a preview of the first chapter. Not sure how well one reads when they miss the very first line, but, well, whatever.
  
  I mention how much of the book I have read because while I am usually reluctant to recommend a book without more, I am familiar with both Bogard's writing and the University of Nevada Press quality to comfortably recommend with this disclaimer. When I can actually see a complete copy I may well bump my rating up and will definitely add some details to my review.
  
  The photography is beautiful and the text serves as both educational and reflective musing. The problem of light pollution is a major part of what most readers will take away. It is more than just not being able to see more stars or rarely (for many never) experiencing anything approaching real darkness. It affects nature in a myriad of ways.
  
  The one thing I can't speak to even with my qualified recommendation is the evenness of the writing throughout. The first chapter reads like a self-contained essay, so if each chapter is essentially separate, though connected, essays, there will likely be one or two that won't speak to a reader like some of the others may. This is true of any collection of essays or short stories, some appeal more and some appeal less. That said, I believe, based on Bogard's previous writing, that it will be a case of a reader connecting or not with an essay rather than any of the essays being weak or poorly written.
  
  EDIT: I saw a copy of the entire book and as expected the chapters were very much like separate, though connected, essays. In essence, he shares a personal experience about the night sky and the darkness, or lack thereof, then connects that to what people miss by not only never seeing anything approaching very dark but never being, for lack of a better term, out of the light. Which brings us back to the importance of addressing light pollution. As a result of seeing the rest of the stunning photographs and reading the rest of his heartfelt essays/chapters, I bumped my rating up.
  
  Reviewed from a copy made available by the publisher via NetGalley.
• 
  WorldconReader

  I would like to thank the authors and publisher for kindly sharing an electronic review copy of this book.
  
  "To Know a Starry Night" by Paul Bogard and Beau Rogers is a thoughtful literary and artistic tribute to humanity, nature, and, of course, the night sky. This book contains a series of essays by Bogard on the night sky, darkness, light pollution, nature, and relationships. The essays are both philosophical and appreciative of nature. The book is easy to read and identify with since it discusses the environment that surrounds us all. It also evoked a sense of nostalgia in me as I thought back on time I have spend camping and appreciating similar locations described and photographed.. Nearly half of the book is stunningly beautiful night photographs by Rogers. Many of the pictures are from national parks in the Western United States in which the Milky Way is adroitly featured. Each time I turned a page and saw another photograph, I kept hoping that the authors would share their photography tips. I was delighted with the Afterword in which Rogers fulfilled my wish by providing his advise on night photography.
  
  The essays and photographs were both lovely. I recommend this book to people who enjoy nighttime outdoors.
• 
  Allison

  This is a book filled with superb photographs and for that reason, it really ought to be read in the print format. The marriage of awe-inspiring photography and lyrical meditations should be studied as designed by the authors and editors, not chopped up as it is in the ebook. The point made in both words and pictures is that, due to an over reliance on man made lighting, the world is losing not only the beauty of the night sky but all those parts of Nature that depend on darkness for survival. As someone who grew up in the country, I can still remember lying on my back as a kid and watching meteor showers. Now living in the suburbs, I can barely see Venus in the night sky.
  I felt the urgency of the author sending out a warning to preserve the world for his young daughter. I also loved reading the photographer’s comments describing how he came to concentrate on night photography. We are lucky to have people like this pair preserving the majesty of the starry night. I just hope it can be a wake up call rather than a eulogy.
• 
  Jennifer

  To Know a Starry Night is a collection of night sky photographs presented in the way that they should be: unobstructed by light pollution. The photography is presented alongside commentary about the night sky, with the introduction and first chapter included in this book preview.
  
  As a night sky enthusiast, I found To Know a Starry Night to be a stunning book. There are few things that stack up to the beauty of the night sky that is not drowning in city lights. I enjoyed the writing style as well, with the author's passion for the topic clearly shining through each paragraph of this book preview. I am so thrilled about this book, and I cannot wait to pick up a copy of the full book when it is published.
  
  Thanks to Netgalley and University of Nevada Press for this ARC; this is my honest and voluntary review.
• 
  Maxine

  To Know a Starry Night is an absolutely stunning book with lyrical writing by Paul Bogard accompanied by dazzling photographs of the night sky by photograoher Beau Rogers. It is fairly short with interconnecting chapters that at times feel like a meditation on the beauty of the night and, at others, an explanation of the science of light pollution, its effects on how we see and relate to night, and how much we have lost because of it. Bogard also speaks of his childhood viewing stars with his father, his travels to the very few places left where it is still possible to view a sky full of stars and his efforts to ensure his daughter knows that beauty that is so rarely see by most of us. This is a quietly lovely book and I recommend it highly.
  
  Thanks to Negalley and the publishers for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review
• 
  Stephanie

  Such an exquisite book! Aside from offering stunning photos of night skies from all around the country, the sentiments that Paul Bogard expresses throughout the book are just so touching, thought-provoking, and enjoyable. I have seen two truly dark skies in the Australian Outback and in Namibia and am fortunate enough to live in an area where I see the Milky Way most nights, and as Paul expresses, there really is just something awe inspiring about seeing the Milk Way and the primal night sky. The photos are great in and of themselves, but I truly hope readers take Paul's missives about truly experiencing the night sky as inspiration to seek out the night sky themselves. I've just finished the book and have already texted three friends about this book and would absolutely recommend it to everyone.
• 
  Jen

  This is a beautiful book full of breathtaking photos of the night sky. But that’s not all. The text conveys what it’s like to experience the night through the author’s personal experiences. It also highlights light pollution and the importance of preserving places where we can get in touch with the night sky and see the amazing beauty it holds.
  
  The astrophotography is outstanding. The book contains many photos of the Milky Way taken in national parks in the western part of the United States. It also has night photos of cities, beautiful in their own way, to contrast with the peace of nature.
  
  It would be a great book to keep on your coffee table and look at again and again. Thank you to University of Nevada Press and NetGalley for my digital copy.
• 
  Brandi

  Imparts knowledge without the bonus of experience. However, there are lots of tips for how to truly experience a starry night. I honestly had no idea there was a scale to measure the nine classes of darkness. This book includes beautiful night sky colors and descriptions. I appreciate the essays on the lost beauty of true darkness and the plentiful sprinkling of quotes from great classics.
  I received a complimentary copy from the publisher via NetGalley and all opinions expressed are solely my own, freely given.
• 
  Emily

  "To Know a Starry Night" is an interesting mix of gorgeous photography and heartfelt essays of personal experiences of life under the night sky. The images were engaging throughout. I did find the essays a little repetitive and, at times, morose.
  
  This line from the preface presents the book especially well: "a book about experiencing the night sky." This would be a good read for fans of stargazing and those interested in the impact of modern life on our relationship with the stars.
  
  Thank you to NetGalley & the publisher for providing an eARC for review.
• 
  Ann

  "When I think of the world my daughter will know, I often feel distress. She will never know the natural world that I have known."
  Paul Bogard writes poignantly about the diminishing possibilities of and the increasing need for experiencing the night sky. Along with Beau Rogers' gorgeous night sky photography, the nine chapters of this book make a compelling case for getting out under a dark, starry sky whenever possible. I'm sorry I slept on this book for so long. It's lovely and necessary.
• 
  Rebecca Hill

  Oh, I could sit and stare at these photos for HOURS! I loved the layout and the entire feel of the book! There are some great stories that are included throughout, which just draw into the photos that are included even more.
  
  Very well done, and amazing!
• 
  Shannon

  A thoughtful collection of essays that read more like a memior on the night sky and the diminishing physical darkness we have in our lives. The photography is breathtaking and the writing is spellbinding.
• 
  Kim

  This is a beautiful book. I love the stories that go along with the beautiful photographs. I feel the need to explore more with my own camera! This book speaks to me on many different levels.