Use(s) of Past Perfect? Pg. 110 in SC Guide

[winstonhu]

Hi,

The recent Sentence Correction Guide has an example on page 10:

Right: "The band U2 WAS just one of many new groups on the rock music scene in the early 1980's, but less than ten years later, U2 HAD fully ECLIPSED its early rivals in the pantheon of popular music."

As I read this sentence, U2 was just one of the new groups in the 80's, but the LATER, they eclipsed rivals. I don't understand why you would use the past perfect if the action was happening LATER. Shouldn't the verb tenses be switched?

Also, at the top of page 110, it says that clauses joined by 'and' or 'but' do not need to have past perfect tenses. So why is it used here?

Thanks!

[ranjeet1975]

I too could not understand the use of Past Perfect here.

[esledge]

Short answer: U2 eclipsed other bands before the point in time "ten years later" than the early 80's, which is in the past now.

A little more detailed explanation here:
post32274.html?hilit=had%20eclipsed#p32274