Compass: A Story of Exploration and Innovation

Nonfiction, Science & Nature, Science, Physics, Electromagnetism, History, Military, Naval
Cover of the book Compass: A Story of Exploration and Innovation by Alan Gurney, W. W. Norton & Company
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Author: Alan Gurney ISBN: 9780393608830
Publisher: W. W. Norton & Company Publication: August 17, 2005
Imprint: W. W. Norton & Company Language: English
Author: Alan Gurney
ISBN: 9780393608830
Publisher: W. W. Norton & Company
Publication: August 17, 2005
Imprint: W. W. Norton & Company
Language: English

"The compass's rocky evolution is charted with an enthusiast's passion…A fascinating adventure." —Bernadette Murphy, Los Angeles Times

This is the rich history of the most important navigational device of all time, the magnetic compass, born of the need for a reliable means of negotiating treacherous sea routes around the globe. Compass chronicles the misadventures of those who attempted to perfect the instrument—so precious to sixteenth-century seamen that, by law, any man found tampering with one had his hand pinned to the mast with a dagger. Part history, part adventure, this book is a compelling tribute to human ingenuity—and the mysteries of the sea.

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"The compass's rocky evolution is charted with an enthusiast's passion…A fascinating adventure." —Bernadette Murphy, Los Angeles Times

This is the rich history of the most important navigational device of all time, the magnetic compass, born of the need for a reliable means of negotiating treacherous sea routes around the globe. Compass chronicles the misadventures of those who attempted to perfect the instrument—so precious to sixteenth-century seamen that, by law, any man found tampering with one had his hand pinned to the mast with a dagger. Part history, part adventure, this book is a compelling tribute to human ingenuity—and the mysteries of the sea.

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