About this title: To meet reader demand, here is an illustrated version of a universally acclaimed work published in 1995. 110 color and 73 b&w illustrations. Ties in to a PBS NOVA documentary airing in October.
Note: This is a general synopsis. Each listing is described below.
Your search:Books»The Illustrated Longitude: The True Story of a Lone Genius Who Solved the Greatest Scientific Problem of His Time(37 available copies)
Binding: Paperback
Publisher: Walker & Company
Date Published: 2003-01-01
ISBN-13:9780802775931ISBN:0802775934
Description: Like New. New, unread, unused & in perfect condition with no damaged or missing pages. Paperback with same cover & publisher stickers. Black & White facsimile photos in lieu of color. The photos are not very clear, but the content is the same-budget reader in new condition. Great Copy. Ships Lightning Fast. read more
Binding: Paperback
Publisher: Walker & Company
Date Published: 2003-01-01
ISBN-13:9780802775931ISBN:0802775934
Description: New. Book is Brand New, Gift condition. Free tracking # included! International buyers are welcome. We ship every business day. 100% Satisfaction Guaranteed! read more
Binding: Softcover
Publisher: Walker & Co
Date Published: 2003-01-01
ISBN-13:9780802775931ISBN:0802775934
Description: NEW. Softcover. From an inventory that is 100% brand-new, 100% direct from the publishers' distribution channel. We carry NO pre-owned, NO remaindered. We pack in CARDBOARD to ensure the pristine quality is maintained. (Bubble-wrap alone is NOT sufficient to protect from USPS equipment. ) Guaranteed brand-NEW, protected with CARDBOARD, your satisfaction is guaranteed. BKLUVID: 9780802775931. read more
Binding: Paperback
Publisher: Walker & Company
Date Published: 2003
ISBN-13:9780802775931ISBN:0802775934
Description: New. Brand New! Buy with confidence-your satisfaction is guaranteed at B-Logistics! Due to the large scale of our operation, we do not have access to the specific contents/condition of our items. Please note that Expedited shipping is not available at this time. read more
Binding: Hardcover
Publisher: Walker & Company
Date Published: 1998-10-01
ISBN-13:9780802713445ISBN:0802713440
Description: Good. Light edge and corner wear to dust jacket. Light creases to dust jacket. Dust jacket is in good condition. Light edge and corner wear to book. Pages still clean and tight. Book is in good condition. All U.S. orders shipped with tracking number and e-mail confirmation. read more
Edition: First Edition; First Printing
Binding: Softcover
Publisher: Walker & Company, New York
Date Published: 2003
ISBN-13:9780802775931ISBN:0802775934
Description: Very Good+ 0802775934. Bright unmarked book in lightly rubbed card covers and slight rippling to top edge of last twenty pages.; 0.52 x 9.92 x 8.96 Inches; 216 pages. read more
Edition: Reprint
Binding: Paperback
Publisher: FRANK R WALKER CO (IL)
Date Published: 2003
ISBN-13:9780802775931ISBN:0802775934
Description: New. The Illustrated Longitude recounts in words and images the epic quest to solve the thorniest scientific problem of the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. Throughout the great age of exploration, sailors attempted to navigate the oceans without any... read more
"I picked this book up at work and my boss thought I was desperate to read something. But, the story on the back of the book intrigued me and so I fell to reading it. I was fascinated by the story and the scientists. It is a wonderful story about the chronometer or timekeeper and how it came to be. John Harrison gave forty years of his life to make it a possibility of a clock to show time on a ship. He persevered when all around him were scientists and astronomers trying to find the longitude by the stars, moon and the sun. He was persecuted, lied to and told that he was using witch craft. His way was different than anyone else. But, today the chronometer is basically taken for granted, after all that it had to go through. I really enjoyed reading this book and learning something new and wonderful."
"Why would anyone refuse to acknowledge the solution to a persistent and often deadly problem? Dava Sobel's recounting of the solving of the longitude question which had vexed sailors and mapmakers for centuries shows that politics and self-interest are nothing new in serving as obstacles to progress and reform.
Recounting the scientific issues in the context of the human ones, she creates an absorbing and revealing parallel to many issues that demand the world's attention now.
Those who claim to know the answers and who dismiss anything that does not conform to their own view even in the face of mounting evidence, those who refuse to step outside a well-worn narrow pathway--they still block action that could save lives and life now, and, especially, in the long run. John Harrison's battle still resonates."
"A terrific biography of John Harrison, the eighteenth century horological genius who invented the chronometer (an accurate timepiece which allowed navigators to reliably fix their longitude anywhere in the world). Sailors had been determining their latitude (north-south position) by observing the heavens since ancient times, but longitude (east-west position) was always a different story (since the earth is in constant motion toward the east and there is no fixed reference point in the sky). Harrison devoted practically his entire life to the invention of his device. In addition to the engineering difficulties involved, he had to work against the very strong bias which existed at the time against some sort of mechanical solution and in favor of a solution based purely on astronomical observation. The story of how Harrison eventually proved them wrong-but almost lost anyway-is told here with delightful and engaging skill."
"Rivetting, fast read of the global pursuit of the solution to a navigation problem that improved our knowledge of astronomy, the speed of light and quite possibly created the British colonial empire. My one quibble: it needs illustrations. The somewhat arcane discussion of how to figure longitude by the celestial clock, in particular, and the tools developed for this approach would benefit from some pictures and diagrams: There are none. This isn't necessarily the author's fault, but it's the book that's being reviewed."
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