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Title details for Longitude by Dava Sobel - Available

Longitude

The True Story of a Lone Genius Who Solved the Greatest Scientific Problem of His Time

by Dava Sobel
Kate Reading
Audiobook
1 of 1 copy available
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1 of 1 copy available
An exciting scientific adventure from the days of wooden ships and iron men, LONGITUDE is full of heroism and chicanery, brilliance and the absurd. It is also a captivating brief history of astronomy, navigation and clockmaking.
During the great ages of exploration, "the longitude problem" was the gravest of all scientific challenges. Lacking the ability to determine their longitude, sailors were literally lost at sea as soon as they lost sight of land. Ships ran aground on rocky shores; those traveling well-known routes were easy prey to pirates.
In 1714, England's Parliament offered a huge reward to anyone whose method of measuring longitude could be proven successful. The scientific establishment—from Galileo to Sir Isaac Newton—had mapped the heavens in its certainty of a celestial answer. In stark contrast, one man, John Harrison, dared to imagine a mechanical solution—a clock that would keep precise time at sea, something no clock had been able to do on land. And the race was on....

  • Creators

  • Publisher

  • Release date

    October 11, 2005

  • Formats

    • OverDrive Listen audiobook

      • ISBN: 9781415953419
      • File size: 124956 KB
      • Duration: 04:20:19

  • Languages

    • English

  • Levels

    • Lexile® Measure: 1320
    • Text Difficulty: 10-12

  • Reviews

    • AudioFile Magazine
      In the eighteenth century, navigation was a "hit-or-miss" proposition. Sobel's fascinating story recounts how an unknown man, James Harrison, solved the problem and his many struggles in doing so. Reading's performance is exquisite. Her voice is crisp and precise and makes this fascinating account all the more so. This being a comparatively short work, it can be enjoyed in an afternoon or evening. M.T.F. (c)AudioFile, Portland, Maine
    • Publisher's Weekly

      Starred review from October 30, 1995
      While sailors can readily gauge latitude by the height of the sun or guiding stars above the horizon, the measurement of longitude bedeviled navigators for centuries, resulting in untold shipwrecks. Galileo, Isaac Newton and Edmund Halley entreated the moon and stars for help, but their astronomical methods failed. In 1714, England's Parliament offered 20,000 (equivalent to millions of dollars today) to anyone who could solve the problem. Self-educated English clockmaker John Harrison (1693-1776) found the answer by inventing a chronometer--a friction-free timepiece, impervious to pitch and roll, temperature and humidity--that would carry the true time from the home port to any destination. But Britain's Board of Longitude, a panel of scientists, naval officers and government officials, favored the astronomers over humble ``mechanics'' like Harrison, who received only a portion of the prize after decades of struggle. Yet his approach ultimately triumphed, enabling Britannia to rule the waves. In an enthralling gem of a book, former New York Times science reporter Sobel spins an amazing tale of political intrigue, foul play, scientific discovery and personal ambition. BOMC and History Book Club selections.

    • AudioFile Magazine
      Sobel launches us through the tumult of history and science as merchants, monarchs and mariners wrestle with measuring longitude. Hair-raising tales of miscalculations causing ships to be lost at sea spurred the efforts of astronomers trying to solve the problem. A clock-maker found the answer, but John Harrison endured a lifelong struggle for acknowledgment. The writing is wonderful. Moreover, Sobel's wit, coupled with Jane Jacobs's lovely, liquid tones and dramatic abilities, takes this fascinating topic and makes it an entertaining and erudite production. Even occasionally erratic levels of audio cannot diminish the joy of such fine listening. S.B.S. Winner of AUDIOFILE Earphones Award (c)AudioFile, Portland, Maine
    • Publisher's Weekly

      October 2, 1996
      This look at the scientific quest to find a way for ships at sea to determine their longitude was a PW bestseller for eight weeks.

Formats

  • OverDrive Listen audiobook

subjects

Languages

  • English

Levels

  • Lexile® Measure:1320
  • Text Difficulty:10-12

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