Longitude

The True Story of a Lone Genius Who Solved the Greatest Scientific Problem of His Time

Nonfiction, Science & Nature, Science, Earth Sciences, Geography, Other Sciences, History, Biography & Memoir, Reference
Cover of the book Longitude by Dava Sobel, Bloomsbury Publishing
View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart
Author: Dava Sobel ISBN: 9780802779434
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing Publication: July 5, 2010
Imprint: Bloomsbury USA Language: English
Author: Dava Sobel
ISBN: 9780802779434
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
Publication: July 5, 2010
Imprint: Bloomsbury USA
Language: English

The dramatic human story of an epic scientific quest and of one man's forty-year obsession to find a solution to the thorniest scientific dilemma of the day--"the longitude problem."

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. One man, John Harrison, in complete opposition to the scientific community, 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 the dramatic human story of an epic scientific quest and of 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 clockmaking, and opens a new window on our world.

View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart

The dramatic human story of an epic scientific quest and of one man's forty-year obsession to find a solution to the thorniest scientific dilemma of the day--"the longitude problem."

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. One man, John Harrison, in complete opposition to the scientific community, 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 the dramatic human story of an epic scientific quest and of 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 clockmaking, and opens a new window on our world.

More books from Bloomsbury Publishing

Cover of the book Traditional Buildings by Dava Sobel
Cover of the book What Casanova Told Me by Dava Sobel
Cover of the book Chasing the Chinese Dream by Dava Sobel
Cover of the book The Constitutional Systems of the Commonwealth Caribbean by Dava Sobel
Cover of the book John Cage and Buddhist Ecopoetics by Dava Sobel
Cover of the book The Vauban Fortifications of France by Dava Sobel
Cover of the book Why Stand-up Matters by Dava Sobel
Cover of the book A Lady Cyclist's Guide to Kashgar by Dava Sobel
Cover of the book British Campaign Medals of the First World War by Dava Sobel
Cover of the book Medusa by Dava Sobel
Cover of the book Discourse Analysis by Dava Sobel
Cover of the book Knights V Dinosaurs: A Bloomsbury Young Reader by Dava Sobel
Cover of the book Sunk Without Trace: 30 dramatic accounts of yachts lost at sea by Dava Sobel
Cover of the book Dogtag Summer by Dava Sobel
Cover of the book The Act of Documenting by Dava Sobel
We use our own "cookies" and third party cookies to improve services and to see statistical information. By using this website, you agree to our Privacy Policy