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Longitude
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.
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Reviews
I picked this book just out of curiosity, but I ended up with a feeling of amazement. One of the most trivial things in our modern era was actually come from long, hard, bloody roads of our brave ancestors. I am truly blessed to have known this history of our journey to grasp how our universe works.
By hhayurani
Beautifully written
By crshermanjunior
Great short read about the problem of determining Longitude and about the invention and use of chronometers to solve the problem.
By chrislundkvist
This book is exceptionally well written. It presents the facts and events entertainingly while explaining an overlooked part of modern history.
By olddue1
This was a quick, enjoyable read but I’m disappointed that there are no pictures of the people involved or Harrison’s now-famous works.
By 6472749