Illustrated Longitude: The True Story of a Lone Genius Who Solved the Greatest Scientific Problem of His Time
A fully illustrated edition of the international best-seller Longitude.\ The Illustrated Longitude recounts in words and images the epic quest to solve the greatest scientific problem of the eighteenth and three prior centuries: determining how a captain could pinpoint his ship's location at sea. All too often throughout the ages of exploration, voyages ended in disaster when crew and cargo were either lost at sea or destroyed upon the rocks of an unexpected landfall. Thousands of lives and...
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A fully illustrated edition of the international best-seller Longitude.The Illustrated Longitude recounts in words and images the epic quest to solve the greatest scientific problem of the eighteenth and three prior centuries: determining how a captain could pinpoint his ship's location at sea. All too often throughout the ages of exploration, voyages ended in disaster when crew and cargo were either lost at sea or destroyed upon the rocks of an unexpected landfall. Thousands of lives and the fortunes of nations hung on a resolution to the longitude problem.To encourage a solution, governments established prizes for anyone whose method or device proved successful. The largest reward of £20,000— truly a king's ransom— was offered by Britain's Parliament in 1714. The scientific establishment— from Galileo to Sir Isaac Newton— had been certain that a celestial answer would be found and invested untold effort in this pursuit. By contrast, John Harrison imagined and built the unimaginable: a clock that told perfect time at sea, known today as the chronometer. Harrison's trials and tribulations during his forty-year quest to win the prize are the culmination of this remarkable story.The Illustrated Longitude brings a new and important dimension to Dava Sobel's celebrated story. It contains the entire original narrative of Longitude, redesigned to accompany 183 images chosen by William Andrewes— from portraints of every important figure in the story to maps and diagrams, scientifc instruments, and John Harrison's remarkable sea clocks themselves. Andrewes's elegant captions and sidebars on scientific and historical events tell their own story of longitude, paralleling and illuminating Sobel's memorable tale.Dava Sobel is the author of the best-sellers Longitude and Galileo's Daughter, and the editor and translator of Letters to Father. She lives in East Hampton, New York. William J. H. Andrewes is a museum consultant specializing in the history of scientific instruments and time measurement. He is the editor of The Quest for Longitude and lives in Concord, Massachusetts.Praise for The Illustrated Longitude"Two respected tellers of the longitude tale have teamed up! Sobel 's compelling prose is coupled with colorful and detailed illustrations provided by Andrewes. This edition responds to entreaties by readers who loved Sobel's Longitude but who wanted pictures to go with it."— Mercator's World"Enormous care has been devoted to the illustrations and captions. Readers will finish this book considerably more educated about geography and navigation."— USA Today"This new illustrated edition of Sobel's 1995 study of Harrison's remarkable instrument strikingly illuminates this largely unknown but crucial discovery."— Dallas Morning NewsPraise for Longitude"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"Intricate and elegant .... No novelist could improve on the elements of Dava Sobel's Longitude."— Newsweek"Anyone with an interest in history or things maritime should consider Longitude. This fascinating volume brings alive the eighteenth century."— USA Today"Nearly perfect prose and a magnificent story, an extraordinary book."— Washington Post Book World Entertainment Weekly Beautifully written.
\ From the Publisher\ "Two respected tellers of the longitude tale have teamed up! Sobel 's compelling prose is coupled with colorful and detailed illustrations provided by Andrewes. This edition responds to entreaties by readers who loved Sobel's Longitude but who wanted pictures to go with it."-- Mercator's World\ "Enormous care has been devoted to the illustrations and captions. Readers will finish this book considerably more educated about geography and navigation."-- USA Today\ "This new illustrated edition of Sobel's 1995 study of Harrison's remarkable instrument strikingly illuminates this largely unknown but crucial discovery."-- Dallas Morning News\ \ \ \ \ \ \ Library Journal - Booksmack!\ After her runaway hit Longitude, Sobel republished her addictive tale of invention and discovery as a grown-up picture book-the kind, like Bryson's, that you just want to steal away with and dive into for a quiet afternoon. It is not just the attention to the visual that the two share, however. Fans who appreciate Bryson's smart style and the way his contributors create an open invitation to both learn and become obsessively fascinated will appreciate Sobel's detailed exploration of how John Harrison solved he problem of measuring time at sea, enabling the calculation of longitude. Longitude was adapted for an A&E series starring Jeremy Irons and Michael Gambon. It makes a nice extension to the book. Neal Wyatt, "RA Crossroads", Booksmack!, 12/2/10\ \ \ Entertainment WeeklyBeautifully written.\ \ \ \ \ Library JournalSobel's 1995 volume attracted a large audience, an unusual feat for a historical science title. Her text describes John Harrison's development of the chronometer, an instrument that measured time exactly while at sea and allowed mariners to calculate longitude for the first time and accurately navigate. This handsome edition is profusely illustrated with numerous annotated photos and paintings of the players and the machinery that led to the chronometer's creation.\ \ \ \ \ Cheri BrooksSobel's wonderful storytelling coupled with Andrewes' images and captions provide a rich opportunity for informed and enjoyable reading.\ — Mercator's World\ \ \ \ \ Entertainment WeeklyBeautifully written.\ \ \ \ \ Chicago Sun-TimesA perfect marriage of art and words.\ \ \ \ \ The New York TimesThis is a gem of a book.\ \ \ \ \ NewsweekIntricate and elegant...No novelist could improve on the elements of Dava Sobel's Longtitude.\ \ \ \ \ Washington Post Book WorldA simple tale, brilliantly told.\ \
