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April 2019: History
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Longitude:The True Story of a Lone Genius Who Solved the Greatest Scientific Problem of his Time by Dava Sobel 4*'s
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MargieD2017
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Apr 06, 2019 08:59AM
I was taken by a review for this book back in March and added it to by TBR. The mystery of discovery is often intriguing to me. The happenstance and sheer stroke of luck that often leads to enlightened invention is better than most fiction. So it was here as well. A lone and driven soul is bent on making a 'watch' that can be used by mariners around the world to know their longitudinal positioning in order to navigate their journey more precisely than any other device known to man. The severe need for such a device was recognized by England after 3 naval vessels and over 2000 sailors were lost at sea in a fog. A prize was established to anyone who could create a reliably working instrument for sea navigation. While most inventors are acclaimed for their inventions the sheer presence of a prize introduced the inevitable greed of man and the introduction of stumbling blocks to prevent the Harrison timepieces their due acceptance. The novel, though short in duration, is a most revealing tale of these times and conquests and, given the struggle, a suspenseful tale as well. I thoroughly enjoyed this walk through history.
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I thought it was a very interesting book, too.
Love this book so much - I have the illustrated version which is exceptional
I read this book a while ago and thought it was great. It is well-researched and highlights the snobbery of the time around education and scientific discovery.
Sounds fascinating. A little confused, though .... is this a novel or is it nonfiction?
Book Concierge wrote: "Sounds fascinating. A little confused, though .... is this a novel or is it nonfiction?"It's nonfiction. I read it earlier this month.
This is on my Trim the TBR list, so I'll have to wait till it comes up to read it!
I read this quite a few years ago and absolutely loved it. It was a non-fiction that read as easily as a fiction. This short book was based on Sobel's lectures from what I recall.
I have wanted to read this forever!@KateNZ thanks for tip on the illustrations. I will look for a physical copy of this one!
