By Dava Sobel
Precis: an absolutely illustrated variation of the overseas best-seller "Longitude." "The Illustrated Longitude" recounts in phrases and pictures the epic quest to resolve the best clinical challenge of the eighteenth and 3 earlier centuries: deciding on how a captain might pinpoint his ship's situation at sea. All too usually in the course of the a while of exploration, voyages resulted in catastrophe whilst staff and load have been both misplaced at sea or destroyed upon the rocks of an unforeseen landfall. millions of lives and the fortunes of countries held on a answer to the longitude challenge. To inspire an answer, governments proven prizes for a person whose strategy or machine proved profitable. the most important gift of 20,000-- really a king's ransom-- used to be provided by means of Britain's Parliament in 1714. The medical establishment-- from Galileo to Sir Isaac Newton-- were sure celestial resolution will be discovered and invested untold attempt during this pursuit. in contrast, John Harrison imagined and equipped the incredible: a clock that advised excellent time at sea, identified this present day because the chronometer. Harrison's trials and tribulations in the course of his forty-year quest to win the prize are the fruits of this awesome tale. "The Illustrated Longitude" brings a brand new and significant size to Dava Sobel's celebrated tale. It includes the complete unique narrative of "Longitude," redesigned to accompany 183 photos selected by means of William Andrewes-- from portraints of each vital determine within the tale to maps and diagrams, scientifc tools, and John Harrison's striking sea clocks themselves. Andrewes's dependent captions and sidebars on clinical and historic occasions inform their very own tale of longitude, paralleling and illuminating Sobel's memorable story. Dava Sobel is the writer of the best-sellers "Longitude" and "Galileo's Daughter," and the editor and translator of "Letters to Father." She lives in East Hampton, long island. William J. H. Andrewes is a museum advisor focusing on the background of clinical tools and time dimension. he's the editor of "The Quest for Longitude" and lives in harmony, Massachusetts. compliment for "The Illustrated Longitude" "Two revered tellers of the longitude story have teamed up! Sobel 's compelling prose is coupled with colourful and specified illustrations supplied by way of Andrewes. This version responds to entreaties via readers who enjoyed Sobel's "Longitude" yet who sought after photographs to compliment it."-- "Mercator's international" "Enormous care has been dedicated to the illustrations and captions. Readers will end this ebook significantly extra trained approximately geography and navigation."-- "USA at the present time" "This new illustrated version of Sobel's 1995 research of Harrison's amazing tool strikingly illuminates this mostly unknown yet an important discovery."-- "Dallas Morning information" compliment for "Longitude" "As a lot a story of intrigue because it is of technological know-how .... A ebook choked with gemstones for someone attracted to heritage, geography, astronomy, navigation, clockmaking, and-- now not the least-- undeniable outdated human ambition and greed."-- "Philadelphia Inquirer" "Intricate and chic .... No novelist might enhance at the parts of Dava Sobel's "Longitude.""-- "Newsweek" "Anyone with an curiosity in heritage or issues maritime should still reflect on "Longitude." This interesting quantity brings alive the eighteenth century."-- "USA at the present time" "Nearly excellent prose and a powerful tale, a unprecedented book."-- "Washington publish booklet global"
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Extra resources for The Illustrated Longitude: The True Story of a Lone Genius Who Solved the Greatest Scientific Problem of His Time
Sample text
Such subversive navigation by an inferior was forbidden in the Royal Navy, as the unnamed seaman well knew. However, the danger appeared so enormous, by his calculations, that he risked his neck to make his concerns known to the officers. Admiral Shovell had the man hanged for mutiny on the spot. ” into Sir Clowdisley’s face as he nearly drowned. But as soon as the admiral collapsed on dry sand, a local woman combing the beach purportedly found his body and fell in love with the emerald ring on his finger.
All these threads, and more, entwine in the lines of longitude. To unravel them now—to retrace their story in an age when a network of orbiting satellites can nail down a ship’s position within a few feet in just a moment or two—is to see the globe anew. 2. The Sea Before Time They that go down to the Sea in Ships, that do business in great waters, these see the works of the Lord, and His wonders in the deep. —Psalm 107 Dirty weather,” Admiral Sir Clowdisley Shovell called the fog that had dogged him twelve days at sea.
The Mass Production of Genius 15. In the Meridian Courtyard Acknowledgments Sources For my mother, Betty Gruber Sobel, a four-star navigator who can sail by the heavens but always drives by way of Canarsie. 1. Imaginary Lines When I’m playful I use the meridians of longitude and parallels of latitude for a seine, drag the Atlantic Ocean for whales. —MARK TWAIN, Life on the Mississippi Once on a Wednesday excursion when I was a little girl, my father bought me a beaded wire ball that I loved. At a touch, I could collapse the toy into a flat coil between my palms, or pop it open to make a hollow sphere.