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Latitude: The astonishing journey to discover the shape of the earth
The world-changing true story of the mission to discover the shape of the earth . . .
'This rollicking story of adventure and scientific exploration is as gripping as any novel . . . a book that sparkles with intelligence and wit' Alex Preston, author and journalist
'Crane has a rare knack for showing people things they really ought to see across space and time without them having to get out of their chair' Joe Smith, director of The Royal Geographic society
_______
The year is 1735.
Twelve unruly men board ships bound for South America.
Their mission? To discover the true shape of the earth.
They will be exposed to a wilderness of dangers none can imagine.
The survivors won't return for ten years.
_______
They knew the world wasn't a sphere. Either it stretched at the poles or it bulged at the equator. But which?
They needed to know because accurate maps saved lives at sea and made money on land. But measuring the earth was so difficult that most thought it impossible.
The world's first international team of scientists was sent to a continent of unmapped rainforests and ice-shrouded volcanoes where they attempted to measure the length on the ground of one degree of latitude.
Beset by egos and disease, storms and earthquakes, mutiny and murder, they struggled for ten years to reach the single figure they sought.
Latitude is an epic story of survival and science set in mountain camps and remote observatories.
A breathtaking tale of courage in adversity, it is celebrated today as the first modern exploring expedition.
_______
' Latitude is a thrilling story of courage, survival and science. It's an extraordinary, visceral and vivid read' Geographical Magazine
'This rollicking story of adventure and scientific exploration is as gripping as any novel . . . a book that sparkles with intelligence and wit' Alex Preston, author and journalist
'Crane has a rare knack for showing people things they really ought to see across space and time without them having to get out of their chair' Joe Smith, director of The Royal Geographic society
_______
The year is 1735.
Twelve unruly men board ships bound for South America.
Their mission? To discover the true shape of the earth.
They will be exposed to a wilderness of dangers none can imagine.
The survivors won't return for ten years.
_______
They knew the world wasn't a sphere. Either it stretched at the poles or it bulged at the equator. But which?
They needed to know because accurate maps saved lives at sea and made money on land. But measuring the earth was so difficult that most thought it impossible.
The world's first international team of scientists was sent to a continent of unmapped rainforests and ice-shrouded volcanoes where they attempted to measure the length on the ground of one degree of latitude.
Beset by egos and disease, storms and earthquakes, mutiny and murder, they struggled for ten years to reach the single figure they sought.
Latitude is an epic story of survival and science set in mountain camps and remote observatories.
A breathtaking tale of courage in adversity, it is celebrated today as the first modern exploring expedition.
_______
' Latitude is a thrilling story of courage, survival and science. It's an extraordinary, visceral and vivid read' Geographical Magazine
257 pages, Hardcover
Published May 27, 2021
41 people are currently reading
528 people want to read
About the author
Nicholas Crane
32 books26 followersDistilled from Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nicholas... accessed 07-Aug-2012:
Nicholas Crane (born 6 May 1954) is an English geographer, explorer, writer and broadcaster was born in Hastings, East Sussex, but grew up in Norfolk. He attended Wymondham College from 1967 until 1972, then Cambridgeshire College of Arts & Technology (CCAT), a forerunner to Anglia Ruskin University, where he studied Geography.
In his youth he went camping and hiking with his father and explored Norfolk by bicycle which gave him his enthusiasm for exploration. In 1986 he located the pole of inaccessibility for the Eurasia landmass travelling with his cousin Richard; their journey being the subject of the book “Journey to the Centre of the Earth.”
He married Annabel Huxley in 1991. They live in Chalk Farm in north-west London and have three children.
In 1992/3 he embarked on an 18-month solo journey, walking 10,000 kilometres from Cape Finisterre to Istanbul. He recounted that expedition in his book “Clear Waters Rising: A Mountain Walk Across Europe” which won the Thomas Cook Travel Book Award in 1997. He made a television self-documentary of the journey in “High Trails to Istanbul” (1994).
Together with Richard Crane he was awarded the 1992 Mungo Park Medal by the Royal Scottish Geographical Society for his journeys in Tibet, China, Afghanistan and Africa.
His 2000 book “Two Degrees West” described his walk across Great Britain in which he followed the eponymous meridian as closely as possible. More recently he published a biography of Gerard Mercator, the great Flemish cartographer.
In November 2007 he debated the future of the English countryside with Richard Girling, Sue Clifford, Richard Mabey and Bill Bryson as part of CPRE's annual Volunteers Conference
Since 2004 he has written and presented four notable television series for BBC Two: Coast, Great British Journeys, Map Man and Town.
Nicholas Crane (born 6 May 1954) is an English geographer, explorer, writer and broadcaster was born in Hastings, East Sussex, but grew up in Norfolk. He attended Wymondham College from 1967 until 1972, then Cambridgeshire College of Arts & Technology (CCAT), a forerunner to Anglia Ruskin University, where he studied Geography.
In his youth he went camping and hiking with his father and explored Norfolk by bicycle which gave him his enthusiasm for exploration. In 1986 he located the pole of inaccessibility for the Eurasia landmass travelling with his cousin Richard; their journey being the subject of the book “Journey to the Centre of the Earth.”
He married Annabel Huxley in 1991. They live in Chalk Farm in north-west London and have three children.
In 1992/3 he embarked on an 18-month solo journey, walking 10,000 kilometres from Cape Finisterre to Istanbul. He recounted that expedition in his book “Clear Waters Rising: A Mountain Walk Across Europe” which won the Thomas Cook Travel Book Award in 1997. He made a television self-documentary of the journey in “High Trails to Istanbul” (1994).
Together with Richard Crane he was awarded the 1992 Mungo Park Medal by the Royal Scottish Geographical Society for his journeys in Tibet, China, Afghanistan and Africa.
His 2000 book “Two Degrees West” described his walk across Great Britain in which he followed the eponymous meridian as closely as possible. More recently he published a biography of Gerard Mercator, the great Flemish cartographer.
In November 2007 he debated the future of the English countryside with Richard Girling, Sue Clifford, Richard Mabey and Bill Bryson as part of CPRE's annual Volunteers Conference
Since 2004 he has written and presented four notable television series for BBC Two: Coast, Great British Journeys, Map Man and Town.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 53 reviews
May 27, 2021
Latitude: The Astonishing Adventure That Shaped the World is the true story of the world's first scientific expedition and a gloriously exciting tale of adventure and scientific discovery that has never been told before. Crane, the former president of the Royal Geographic Society, documents the remarkable expedition undertaken by a group of twelve European adventurer-scientists in the mid-eighteenth century. The team spent years in South America, scaling volcanoes and traversing jungles before they achieved their goal of establishing the exact shape of the Earth by measuring the length of 1 degree latitude at the equator. Their endeavors were not limited to this one achievement. Not only did their discovery open up the possibility for safe, accurate navigation across the seas, they also discovered rubber and quinine. With a narrative that reads like it was taken from the script of an adventure movie, Nicholas Crane brings to life a narrative that is a timely reminder of how scientific discovery can change the world and our future. It's all the more captivating due to Crane's passion emanating from the pages; he really brings history wonderfully to life.
By knowing the shape of the earth we can create maps, survive the oceans, navigate the skies, and travel across the globe. Without latitude, maps and navigation wouldn’t be accurate, lives would have been lost, and exact locations of cities and rivers would never be known. After ten grueling years in search of a magic number, the survivors returned to Europe with their historical discovery that fueled the public’s interest in science. Twenty-five years ago, Dava Sobel’s bestselling Longitude was a global publishing phenomenon, yet it told only one half of the story. With Latitude, this cornerstone piece of our shared history is now complete with this tale of a trip that changed the course of human civilization. Filled with raw excitement and danger, Latitude brings the challenges that faced these explorer-scientists to vivid life. It's a fascinating, eminently readable piece of geographical history and you can tell it has been extensively researched. It's visceral and vivid and perfect for armchair travelling given our situation currently. Absolutely every bit as compelling and exhilarating as any fictional novel. Highly recommended.
By knowing the shape of the earth we can create maps, survive the oceans, navigate the skies, and travel across the globe. Without latitude, maps and navigation wouldn’t be accurate, lives would have been lost, and exact locations of cities and rivers would never be known. After ten grueling years in search of a magic number, the survivors returned to Europe with their historical discovery that fueled the public’s interest in science. Twenty-five years ago, Dava Sobel’s bestselling Longitude was a global publishing phenomenon, yet it told only one half of the story. With Latitude, this cornerstone piece of our shared history is now complete with this tale of a trip that changed the course of human civilization. Filled with raw excitement and danger, Latitude brings the challenges that faced these explorer-scientists to vivid life. It's a fascinating, eminently readable piece of geographical history and you can tell it has been extensively researched. It's visceral and vivid and perfect for armchair travelling given our situation currently. Absolutely every bit as compelling and exhilarating as any fictional novel. Highly recommended.
September 2, 2022
Another book difficult to rate. I listened to the Audible version and found it difficult to follow the large cast of players and locations with their French and Spanish Names.
That said, the story is fascinating and I think the Author has done a good job of telling a complex and lengthy story. At the end of the recording the Author discusses his writing process ( done during COVID) and I must say, he really managed to research the topic well. He mentions his own familiarity with the regions being surveyed and I think that both helped him and gave him courage to undertake the telling.
I may go back and read this on paper if I can get a copy from the library loan. It would really help to have maps and a list of the players from the beginning.
The story certainly tells a lot about exploration and the birth of scientific exploration. The process of this cross cultural and multi-continent experiment costing many years of teamwork ( and severe lack of it) to accomplish a complex task never undertaken before is truly amazing.
The author also points the reader to some of the most interesting associated reads. The one about the cartographer's wife is on my list of "To-Reads".
That said, the story is fascinating and I think the Author has done a good job of telling a complex and lengthy story. At the end of the recording the Author discusses his writing process ( done during COVID) and I must say, he really managed to research the topic well. He mentions his own familiarity with the regions being surveyed and I think that both helped him and gave him courage to undertake the telling.
I may go back and read this on paper if I can get a copy from the library loan. It would really help to have maps and a list of the players from the beginning.
The story certainly tells a lot about exploration and the birth of scientific exploration. The process of this cross cultural and multi-continent experiment costing many years of teamwork ( and severe lack of it) to accomplish a complex task never undertaken before is truly amazing.
The author also points the reader to some of the most interesting associated reads. The one about the cartographer's wife is on my list of "To-Reads".
April 10, 2025
Libro interessante,ma poco calibrato. Le spiegazioni scientifiche per i non addetti praticamente non ci sono. La Benedetta triangolazione è spiegata proprio in modo sommario. Si può rimediare approfondendo su Wikipedia. Non sono sufficientemente approfonditi i personaggi e le condizioni generali in cui si svolge la spedizione scientifica. In ogni caso nel libro spiccano le qualità dei singoli ricercatori che appaiono quasi come dei superuomini.
September 18, 2022
An interesting book that is not the fastest read. At least for me. But worth the time and money if you like knowing about science, expeditions and adventures.
February 12, 2023
Loved the subject and the first third of the book. I then found it dragged as Nicholas felt the need to include every single detail of every thing which he’d ever read about it. And shame it ended in South America. Would have liked to see them return to France.
November 18, 2021
I thought the book was generally very well done and kept up a good pace. This book was all about a big scientific expedition that first crossed the oceans, then meandered all over South America to get their latitude mapping job done. All great stuff but I was just dying to see more maps! Why give only a couple of maps at the beginning? Why not provide a number of maps throughout the book so the reader could experience the expedition's trials and tribulations in greater detail? If there's another edition of this book, I would highly recommend the use of more maps. All of these comments also pertain to the triangulation efforts of the expedition's leaders. It would be so much more powerful for the reader to experience the triangulation efforts of the teams (the team used triangulation as a means to determine latitude) by following along with maps of the area. One final nit pick: in the "Dear Reader" section at the end where the author mentions other sources and related material, he never mentions "Longitude" by Dava Sobel! What a great pair of books to read at the same time: Longitude & Latitude. Seems too obvious to even mention but the author didn't mention this so I figured I would.
March 6, 2023
Latitude by Nicholas Crane is not a book for most readers but still merits a five-star rating.
Crane takes the reader on the world’s first scientific expedition. The expedition sought to prove, as Newton predicted, that the earth bulges in the middle. Testing Newton’s prediction required measuring the width of a degree of latitude at the equator and comparing that width to the known width at other latitudes.
A quest to measure the width of latitude is an esoteric endeavor. Because of the esoteric nature of the book, Latitude is a book with a very narrow audience. Crane deserves special recognition for producing a work that, however well-written, would not make the best sellers list and would likely garner minimal royalties.
The expedition consisted of three French scientists, two low-ranking Spanish officers, and a small contingent of support personnel. In separate teams, and sometimes individually, the quest took them north and south of the equator in modern-day Ecuador. Much science, beyond determining that the earth indeed bulges in the middle, was accomplished.
The work was tedious on the best of days and frequently arduous and full of risk. In telling this true tale, Crane made expert use of contemporary accounts and numerous other sources.
If reading about a scientific expedition to the jungles and mountains of Ecuador sounds appealing, then Latitude is a must-read.
Crane takes the reader on the world’s first scientific expedition. The expedition sought to prove, as Newton predicted, that the earth bulges in the middle. Testing Newton’s prediction required measuring the width of a degree of latitude at the equator and comparing that width to the known width at other latitudes.
A quest to measure the width of latitude is an esoteric endeavor. Because of the esoteric nature of the book, Latitude is a book with a very narrow audience. Crane deserves special recognition for producing a work that, however well-written, would not make the best sellers list and would likely garner minimal royalties.
The expedition consisted of three French scientists, two low-ranking Spanish officers, and a small contingent of support personnel. In separate teams, and sometimes individually, the quest took them north and south of the equator in modern-day Ecuador. Much science, beyond determining that the earth indeed bulges in the middle, was accomplished.
The work was tedious on the best of days and frequently arduous and full of risk. In telling this true tale, Crane made expert use of contemporary accounts and numerous other sources.
If reading about a scientific expedition to the jungles and mountains of Ecuador sounds appealing, then Latitude is a must-read.
April 20, 2022
Crane has done a magnificent job of pulling many strands together into a very readable, enjoyable AND informative book.
You have to bring a little imagination to the table. He speaks of some aristocrats going to what is today Ecuador... in 1735. Just getting there was a challenge. They were on a mission to do some scientific work. They made important discoveries connected with rubber. They hoped they might discover ways to make quinine- the best preventative and treatment for malaria- more available. (Malaria still a scourge today: the WHO estimate for 2019 was that there were 229 million new cases, 409,000 deaths... most of them children under 5.)
But the main objective was a map-making venture. It meant incredible hardship. It wouldn't be fun today, if you tried to repeat what they did without modern transport. It meant repeatedly going to high-points... preferably the top... of mountains. Remember I asked you to use your imagination? Imagine the Andes. Without Gortex.
Crane does a fabulous job of helping us grasp how different everything was then. I believe that a wide audience will find that he has made the scientific objectives and methods clear to non-scientists.
You have to bring a little imagination to the table. He speaks of some aristocrats going to what is today Ecuador... in 1735. Just getting there was a challenge. They were on a mission to do some scientific work. They made important discoveries connected with rubber. They hoped they might discover ways to make quinine- the best preventative and treatment for malaria- more available. (Malaria still a scourge today: the WHO estimate for 2019 was that there were 229 million new cases, 409,000 deaths... most of them children under 5.)
But the main objective was a map-making venture. It meant incredible hardship. It wouldn't be fun today, if you tried to repeat what they did without modern transport. It meant repeatedly going to high-points... preferably the top... of mountains. Remember I asked you to use your imagination? Imagine the Andes. Without Gortex.
Crane does a fabulous job of helping us grasp how different everything was then. I believe that a wide audience will find that he has made the scientific objectives and methods clear to non-scientists.
May 6, 2024
This book is told in a rollicking narrative style, and the different characters are well-differentiated. What I couldn't understand though, is why a book about geography, written by a geographer, had only two maps with minuscule writing located at the front of the book. I was flipping back and forth constantly, squinting trying to read the writing on the map. If only there had been legible maps tracing their journey placed appropriately within the text, I am sure that I would have followed their voyage more easily. Nonetheless, it was an enjoyable read which demonstrates both men's (because they were all men) endurance and determination, and their selfishness, self-aggrandizement and inability to work together for ten whole years.
For my complete review, please visit
https://residentjudge.com/2024/05/06/...
For my complete review, please visit
https://residentjudge.com/2024/05/06/...
May 14, 2025
Ingenieure und Wissenschaftler aus Frankreich und Spanien machen sich auf eine abenteuerliche Reise zum Äquator. Dies spielt sich in den Jahren 1735-1745 ab und sie werden 9-10 Jahre abwesend sein und einige werden sterben. Die Welt möchte wissen, ob die Erdkugel an den Polen abgeflacht und am Äquator 'ausgebeult' ist Dies behauptet jedenfalls I. Newton. Es dauert ganze zwei Jahre bis sie am Ziel (Quito) ankommen und die ersten Messungen machen können. Erdbeben, Vulkanausbrüche, schlechtes Wetter, Geldnot und Streit führen immer wieder zu Problemen. Erst gegen Ende der Reise können die Messungen abgeschlossen werden und wie wir heute wissen hatte Newton recht. Auch die Heimreise wird zu einem neuen Abenteuer. Teilweise sehr langatmig geschrieben und schwer zu verfolgen wer jetzt wo gerade welche Messung macht. Für mich hätte es mehr Struktur gebraucht...
August 27, 2021
In fairness someone more interested in the science or geography would rate this higher. And if that’s your bag I would recommend it.
One day a novelist will take inspiration from this and write a phenomenal adventure story that some young literary agent with no idea would tell him has “believability issues”.
The tale is phenomenal and the people and their rows and fights and adventures were the highlight for me. I ached for more of that. And if lack of detail is the reason it’s missing I’d be happy for a novelist to create some more.
The book is exceptionally well researched and well written. I feel quite bad giving it 3. But at the end of the day as a reader one can only offer a personal perspective
One day a novelist will take inspiration from this and write a phenomenal adventure story that some young literary agent with no idea would tell him has “believability issues”.
The tale is phenomenal and the people and their rows and fights and adventures were the highlight for me. I ached for more of that. And if lack of detail is the reason it’s missing I’d be happy for a novelist to create some more.
The book is exceptionally well researched and well written. I feel quite bad giving it 3. But at the end of the day as a reader one can only offer a personal perspective
October 16, 2024
🎧 Audiobook Review 🎧
A truly picturesque cover - I need another holiday!
This book, however, is about an international team of scientists as they set on an expedition to South America to 'measure the earth'.
It just amazes me that anyone would risk all and brave all for a matter of scientific curiosity. In saying that, it's thanks to those kinds of scientists that we have all sorts of comforts and medicines today. And yet, despite of all the risks they are facing, there were still disagreements and egos in the way of full cooperation. I just shook my head and tut-tut-ing at all that these people experienced. A very interesting adventure... but only for me to listen to lol
A truly picturesque cover - I need another holiday!
This book, however, is about an international team of scientists as they set on an expedition to South America to 'measure the earth'.
It just amazes me that anyone would risk all and brave all for a matter of scientific curiosity. In saying that, it's thanks to those kinds of scientists that we have all sorts of comforts and medicines today. And yet, despite of all the risks they are facing, there were still disagreements and egos in the way of full cooperation. I just shook my head and tut-tut-ing at all that these people experienced. A very interesting adventure... but only for me to listen to lol
August 19, 2021
Certainly an amazing story. However, the action , and there is plenty of that, I found difficult to follow as it jumped all over the continent. The text was in desperate need of an accessible map! I would also have found useful a bit more explanation of geodesy and triangulation (I am neither scientist nor mathematician). I didn't know what they were doing for most of the book!, And a bit more background on why they needed to be doing in the what must be the most difficult terrain on the planet would have been interesting.
November 23, 2021
Difficile che io scriva una recensione, ma questa prima opera di Crane tradotta in italiano, trovo sia una lettura fondamentale, insieme a Longitudine di Dava Sobel, per comprendere, o almeno per chi non è avvezzo alla cartografia, una piccola base per comprendere, almeno di incuriosire, la ricerca sulle basi della cartografia e farci comprendere quanto lavoro e vita c’è in fondo in uno strumento che ci appare semplicissimo e che fa ormai parte del quotidiano, il GPS (sul suo funzionamento ci sono manuali universitari, ma almeno qui si prende un po’ di dimestichezza con i termini geodetici).
February 11, 2022
This could have been so much better. The story is certainly compelling, but the writing falls just short. There seemed to be too much jumping around and not enough description of settings and circumstances. Ten years of adventure needs more than 200 pages. I was left wanting more. It needed another hundred pages to fill in those precious details. Also, there were three distinct sentences where the author used crass language akin to that of a sixteen-year old boy. It just didn’t fit with the rest of the writing.
April 29, 2022
What a messy expedition to South America in the 1700s! The writing was a little dense/difficult, but the story was pretty wild. Interesting to learn how the scientists of their era managed to do what they did. Lots of presumed superiority over the local people (not surprising in that era). If maps and geography interests you, this is worth slogging through, but it isn't the most lively writing I've ever encountered.
March 13, 2023
A fascinating journey whose stated purpose was to determine the shape of the earth. Without this information, maps and navigation would not be accurate. The journey became much more than planned…nothing goes as planned; led to many discoveries and innovations (quinine, standard unit of measurement); and was the basis for many other scientific expeditions (such as Von Humboldt’s). Loved it! Reads like an adventure novel full of drama.
August 12, 2023
Ein wirklich schönes Buch, das als interessante Geschichte die Vermessung der Erde wiedergibt.
Es lässt sich keinesfalls einfach nebenbei lesen, und zeitweise grenzte das Lesen für mich schon an anstrengend (besonders am Anfang, als so unglaublich viele Personen vorgestellt wurden), aber dennoch unglaublich interessant.
Vermutlich etwas für jeden, der Interesse an den wahren Begebenheiten der Vermessung der Erde hat, ohne direkt ein akademisches Nachschlagewerk lesen zu wollen.
Es lässt sich keinesfalls einfach nebenbei lesen, und zeitweise grenzte das Lesen für mich schon an anstrengend (besonders am Anfang, als so unglaublich viele Personen vorgestellt wurden), aber dennoch unglaublich interessant.
Vermutlich etwas für jeden, der Interesse an den wahren Begebenheiten der Vermessung der Erde hat, ohne direkt ein akademisches Nachschlagewerk lesen zu wollen.
March 2, 2025
It is very interesting to know how they measured the earth the first time but the book was hard to follow with so many French and Spanish so they would be easier to follow. I don't understand why they didn't find an easier location on the equator to measure. They did the job though it took much longer than planned.
Accurate mapping was not possible without this information combined with North Pole measurements.
Accurate mapping was not possible without this information combined with North Pole measurements.
July 7, 2021
This was a delightful and informative read! Crane has done a terrific job of sewing together what is undoubtedly an overwhelming number of histories, accounts, stories, and contradictions of fact. I thoroughly enjoyed it and recommend to anyone who loves to read any/a combination of the following: history, physics, human behaviour, geography, weather, adventure.
November 30, 2021
Titolo curioso che racconta uno dei tanti avvenimenti storici un po' snobbati dagli studiosi, la spedizione (o meglio una delle spedizioni) che ha permesso la scoperta della forma esatta della Terra, e indirettamente ha portato a casa molti altri tipi di analisi. Interessante, anche se non chissà quanto appassionante, non tanto per la scrittura che è piacevole quanto per gli avvenimenti in sé.
September 12, 2023
كتاب متوسط الحجم يحكي قصة مجموعة علماء فرنسيين انطلقوا إلى البيرو لقياس الفرق بين درجتي العرض عند خط الاستواء ويقارنوها مع مثيلتها عند القطب. ماكانوا يعتقدون أنها رحلة علمية مختصرة في البداية استغرقت عشر سنوات تخللها كم كبير من المشاكل التقنية والسياسية والمالية. مشكلتي مع الكتاب هو صعوبة تتبع الاسماء للشخصيات الفرنسية والاسبانية الفاعلة بالقصة التي جعلتني اتعب بالربط بينهم على طول الرواية.
February 2, 2024
A very complicated book. A lot of different scientists operating heroically in the South America of the 18th Century. I found it difficult to follow the different characters in different locations. The writer lightened the mood with the occasional hilarious 21st Century expression that did much to lighten the seriousness of the book.
September 19, 2021
Really well written
Pitty I only touched the surface of this book, but that is no fault but my own: most of the scientific stuff, although quite clearly explained, was still lost on me.
What a time it must have been to be alive (in a specific setting obviously)
Pitty I only touched the surface of this book, but that is no fault but my own: most of the scientific stuff, although quite clearly explained, was still lost on me.
What a time it must have been to be alive (in a specific setting obviously)
September 1, 2022
L'autore , esploratore e geografo , ha ricostruito la vera storia della prima spedizione scientifica mondiale , attraverso i suoi studi e documenti storici ,tra cui alcune foto che sono presenti nel libro .
È una storia straordinaria , avvincente , scritta molto dettagliatamente .
È una storia straordinaria , avvincente , scritta molto dettagliatamente .
October 31, 2022
Remarkable, to my eyes, there was such ambitious expedition in the 1700s to measure latitude at the equator. Much adventuring up and down mountains, lugging donkey loads of equipment.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frenc...
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frenc...
March 16, 2023
On a cruise in Chile, found this in the ship's wonderful library. A fascinating recounting of a small group of scientists in the 1730's who set out to measure on the ground one degree of latitude in remote areas of Chile.
Read
October 11, 2023A fascinating story of a team of all too human scientists endeavoring to determine fundamental properties of the earth. It’s amazing the challenges they faced and the astonishing endurance they needed.
August 11, 2024
As a surveyor, I really enjoyed this book, but it took me longer to read than I would normally take to read a book of this length.
A glossary might have been helpful as would more maps. The large cast of characters and place names, all in Spanish or French, became a bit confusing.
But I will definitely read it again at some point. Anyone interested in surveying ,mapmaking or exploring should really give it a read.
A glossary might have been helpful as would more maps. The large cast of characters and place names, all in Spanish or French, became a bit confusing.
But I will definitely read it again at some point. Anyone interested in surveying ,mapmaking or exploring should really give it a read.
July 1, 2025
a geographical adventure story? yes please! the characters brought to life, drama, pure adventure told as a cohesive story make for one hell of a read. I found it to be an exciting unknown to me adventure with great real characters that were better than most fictional characters.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 53 reviews