Longitude: The True Story of a Lone Genius Who Solved the Greatest Scientific Problem of His Time [Paperback]

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.

Longitudeis 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.

Dava Sobelis the bestselling author ofLongitude,Galileo's Daughter, andThe Planets, coauthor ofThe Illustrated Longitude, and editor ofLetters to Father. She lives in East Hampton, New York.

This is a gem of a book. Christopher Lehmann-Haupt, New York Times

A simple tale, brilliantly told. Washington Post Book World

As much a tale of intrigue as it is of science&A book full of gems for anyone interested in history, geography, astronomy, navigation, clockmaking, and--not the least--plain old human ambition and greed. Philadelphia Inquirer

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