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Longitude:
The True Story of a Lone Genius Who Solved the Greatest Scientific Problem of
His Time by Dava Sobel. The active quest for a solution to the problem
of longitude persisted over four centuries and across all of Europe. Lacking the
ability to determine their longitude, sailors were literally lost at sea as soon
as they lost sight of land. Ships ran aground on rocky shores; those traveling
well-known routes were pray for pirates. In 1714 England’s Parliament offered a
huge reward to anyone whose method of measuring longitude could be proven
successful. The scientific establishment had spent centuries confidently mapping
the heavens for a celestial answer. John Harrison, a self-taught Yorkshire
clockmaker, dared to imagine a mechanical solution - a clock that would keep
precise time at sea, something no clock had been able to do on land.
This is a beautifully told true story of astronomy, navigation, clockmaking, history,
and geography, mixed with intrigue, greed, and ambition.
For experienced
readers. By the author of Galileo’s Daughter.
Paper, 184 pages. Size: 7.5"x4.5".
#8795 $11.95
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