Book description
The dramatic human story of an epic scientific quest: the search for
the solution of how to calculate longitude and the unlikely triumph of
an English genius. With a Foreword by Neil Armstrong.
'Sobel has done the impossible and made horology sexy - no mean feat'
New Scientist
Anyone alive in the 18th 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 quest for a solution had occupied scientists and their patrons for
the better part of two centuries when, in 1714, Parliament upped the
ante by offering a king's ransom (£20,000) to anyone whose method or
device proved successful. Countless quacks weighed in with preposterous
suggestions. The scientific establishment throughout Europe - from
Galileo to Sir Isaac 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.
Full of heroism and chicanery, brilliance and the absurd, LONGITUDE is
also a fascinating brief history of astronomy, navigation and clockmaking.
Note that it has not been possible to include the same picture content
that appeared in the original print version. Dava Sobel has written a
gem of a book…one of the best reads for the non-scientific writing to
come along for many a moon." Financial Times
"A true life thriller, jam-packed with political intrigue,
international warfare, personal feuds and financial skullduggery."
Daily Mail
"Rarely have I enjoyed a book as much as Dava Sobel's Longitude.
She has an extraordinary gift of making difficult ideas clear."
Daily Telegraph Dava Sobel is an award-winning former science reporter
for the New York Times and writes frequently about science for several
magazines, including Audubon, Discover, Life and Omni.
