You are here

Back to top

Longitude: The True Story of a Lone Genirus Who Solved the Greatest Scientific Problem of His Time (Prebound)

Longitude: The True Story of a Lone Genirus Who Solved the Greatest Scientific Problem of His Time Cover Image
List Price: $31.30
Our Price: $25.04
(Save: $6.26 20%)

Description


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.

About the Author


Dava Sobel is the bestselling author of "Longitude," "Galileo's Daughter," and "The Planets," coauthor of "The Illustrated Longitude," and editor of "Letters to Father." She lives in East Hampton, New York.

Product Details
ISBN: 9781613835944
ISBN-10: 1613835949
Publisher: Turtleback Books
Publication Date: November 1st, 2007
Pages: 184
Language: English