Book description
A vivid description of one of the most ambitious scientific projects
undertaken in the 19th century, and the men who undertook the
measurement of the Himalayas and the mapping of the Indian subcontinent:
William Lambton and George Everest.
The graphic story of the measurement of a meridian, or longitudinal,
arc extending from the tip of the Indian subcontinent to the mountains
of the Himalayas.
Much the longest such measurement hitherto made, it posed horrendous
technical difficulties, made impossible physical demands on the survey
parties (jungle, tigers, mountains etc.), and took over 50 years. But
the scientific results were commensurate, including the discovery of the
world's highest peaks and a new calculation of the curvature of the
earth's surface.
The Indian Mutiny of 1857 triggered a massive construction of roads,
railways, telegraph lines and canals throughout India: all depended
heavily on the accuracy of the maps which the Great Arc had made
possible. John Keay is an author and broadcaster specialising in Asian
history and current affairs. His other books include (in addition to his
HarperCollins backlist above): Into India, When Men and Mountains Meet,
Eccentric Travellers and Explorers Extraordinary. He lives with his wife
Julia in Argyll, Scotland.
