Dava Sobel
Hardcover | Pages: 192 pages Rating: 3.96 | 55158 Users | 2598 Reviews
List Books Toward Longitude: The True Story of a Lone Genius Who Solved the Greatest Scientific Problem of His Time
| Original Title: | Longitude: The True Story of a Lone Genius Who Solved the Greatest Scientific Problem of His Time |
| ISBN: | 0802714625 (ISBN13: 9780802714626) |
| Edition Language: | English |
| Literary Awards: | Royal Society Science Book Prize Nominee for General Prize (1997) |
Narrative Conducive To Books Longitude: The True Story of a Lone Genius Who Solved the Greatest Scientific Problem of His Time
Anyone alive in the eighteenth century would have known that "the longitude problem" was the thorniest scientific dilemma of the day—and had been for centuries. Lacking the ability to measure their longitude, sailors throughout the great ages of exploration had been literally lost at sea as soon as they lost sight of land. Thousands of lives, and the increasing fortunes of nations, hung on a resolution.The scientific establishment of Europe—from Galileo to Sir Issac Newton—had mapped the heavens in both hemispheres in its certain pursuit of a celestial answer. In stark contrast, one man, John Harrison, dared to imagine a mechanical solution—a clock that would keep precise time at sea, something no clock had ever been able to do on land. Longitude is a dramatic human story of an epic scientific quest and Harrison's forty-year obsession with building his perfect timekeeper, known today as the chronometer. Full of heroism and chicanery, it is also a fascinating brief history of astronomy, navigation, and clock-making, and opens a new window on our world.
On its 10th anniversary, a gift edition of this classic book, with a forward by one of history's greatest explorers, and eight pages of color illustrations.
Define Regarding Books Longitude: The True Story of a Lone Genius Who Solved the Greatest Scientific Problem of His Time
| Title | : | Longitude: The True Story of a Lone Genius Who Solved the Greatest Scientific Problem of His Time |
| Author | : | Dava Sobel |
| Book Format | : | Hardcover |
| Book Edition | : | Anniversary Edition |
| Pages | : | Pages: 192 pages |
| Published | : | October 1st 2005 by Walker Books (first published October 19th 1995) |
| Categories | : | History. Nonfiction. Science. Biography. Historical. Geography. History Of Science |
Rating Regarding Books Longitude: The True Story of a Lone Genius Who Solved the Greatest Scientific Problem of His Time
Ratings: 3.96 From 55158 Users | 2598 ReviewsPiece Regarding Books Longitude: The True Story of a Lone Genius Who Solved the Greatest Scientific Problem of His Time
I'm not quite sure how to classify this book - history, biography, scientific treatise. But I found it intriguing and educational. It had never occurred to me how different latitude and longitude are. Since ancient times, seafarers had understood how to measure latitude (concentric circles parallel to the equator) based on the angle of the sun and the time of year. But longitude (circles which intersect at each pole - used to measure east/west distance) is much more of a challenge. Determining aThis little book tells the story of how inventors attempted to solve the vexing problem of obtaining a critical part in calculating longitude -- having a reliable timepiece providing accurate, standardized time on the sea. It's a surprisingly exciting tale: there was a contest, a rich reward and a deadline for entries. Before this problem was solved, sailors could calculate latitude by the stars but longitude required consistent, reliable timekeeping in all ocean conditions from one fixed point.
He was one of just two survivors who washed ashore, after their fleet hit the rocks of Scilly and more than two thousand men went to their watery graves in just minutes. He was barely conscious but alive. He was Sir Clowdisley, the admiral of the tragic fleet, and he had mistakenly steered his ships to disaster. One of his sailors tried to call attention to the upcoming catastrophe...but was immediately hanged. Inferior seamen were not allowed to keep their own calculations of maritime
I'm not quite sure how to classify this book - history, biography, scientific treatise. But I found it intriguing and educational. It had never occurred to me how different latitude and longitude are. Since ancient times, seafarers had understood how to measure latitude (concentric circles parallel to the equator) based on the angle of the sun and the time of year. But longitude (circles which intersect at each pole - used to measure east/west distance) is much more of a challenge. Determining a
Longitude is a remarkable achievement. The recipe for sales success in international book sales rarely contains such unpromising ingredients as these an obsessive carpenters son from Yorkshire, an intractable navigational problem and a lot of clocks. Yet Longitude succeeds in weaving a narrative full of clashing of ideas, intriguing personalities, bizarre anecdotes and at its heart a tale of the little guy challenging the Establishment.The story is one that has long been familiar to both naval
I first read Longitude, by Dava Sobel, just after I finished high school, and I devoured it in a sitting or two. It was the first non-fiction book, I think, that I really couldn't put down. The (true) story is great: legendary historical figures like Isaac Newton, Galileo, James Cook, King George III; scientific conundrums; innovative engineering; a ransom of millions at stake; and a humble, lone man competing against oppressive and manipulative big-wigs.Background: Latitude lines are the
To quote an esteemed LC history professor on the technical difficulties of pre-modern navigational technology: "Nowadays, you'd refer to that as being lost. But they actually thought they could get somewhere." Shortly after people discovered that the world was round and wanted to sail around it, they realized that they had no way of telling how far they'd gone and how close they were to where they wanted to be, as opposed to how close they were to the Bermuda Triangle, for example, or the giant
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