Longitude - The True Story of a Lone Genius Who Solved the Greatest Scientific Problem of His Time (Paperback)

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.

General

Imprint:	Walker Books
Country of origin:	United States
Release date:	November 2007
First published:	November 2007
Authors:	Dava Sobel
Dimensions:	188 x 116 x 14mm (L x W x T)
Format:	Paperback - Trade
Pages:	184
ISBN-13:	978-0-8027-1529-6
Categories:	Books > Language & Literature > Biography & autobiography > Science, technology & engineering Books > Biography > Science, technology & engineering Promotions
LSN:	0-8027-1529-X
Barcode:	9780802715296

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