Longitude

Short but sweet overview over an incredible scientific mystery we take for granted

A short popular science book that examines the invention of the chronometer, or ships clock. Not just a clock, but one that remains uneffected by the humidity, heat and cold, atmospheric pressure and of course the passage in a ship on the high seas, being thrown about. Of course, it must keep time accurately enough to be relied on for navigation, as a clock that accurately keeps time in all conditions is the key to determining longitude. The actual key was knowing the time at a known location (home port or the like) and the current location simultaneously, allowing longitude to be calculated accurately.

And so, it is more than the story of a chronometer. This book describes the circumstances in which the clock finally won out as the recognised way to accurately determine longitude. It was a close thing, with astronomers seemingly unable to allow a mechanic to be recognised where astronomy and mathematics should (in their eyes) have been the way of navigation. The lunar distance method - with sextant, tables of figures and hours of calculations and then adjustments to be made was being put forward by the astronomers as the only reliable way. There were others of course, the mystical powder of sympathy being the most quacky of them (in essence, a powder of secret origin that can heal a wound at a distance, but causes some pain in doing so - the theory proposed an injured dog would be taken aboard a ship and at predetermined times the powder would be administered to the bandages in the home port; on the ship the dog would howl, and the local time could be compared to the home port time, and calculations made to measure the longitude. (This method didn't proceed to testing)).

Overseeing the longitude problem, and able to payout the prize money of twenty thousand pounds, was the (British) Board of Longitude, made up of scientists (astronomers and mathematicians featuring heavily), naval officers and government officials. They continued to adjust the rules and the burden of proof to make it ever harder to claim the prize.

So this is the story of John Harrison, self taught clock maker and his life long development of his chronometers, that became known as the Harrison 1 (H-1 for short) in 1737, the H-2 in 1741, the H-3 in 1759, the H-4 in 1760 and the H-5 in 1770.

A good short book, sadly lacking any photographs other than the one inside the cover. I see from other reviews that a newer edition does provide the photographs, which would be a great addition. Great effort to make the very complex relatively simple.

4 stars

An enjoyable little popular retelling of the search for longitude. Interesting and compellingly told. Some of the prose is a bit novel and I had to re-read a few sentences to get the meaning. Overall, quite nice.

A decidedly subjective narrativization that turns history into an allegory for how established power structures might hinder progress, that’s open enough about the fact that it’s a story about history more than anything else to make it into an entertaining read full of anecdotes for the next party smalltalk and/or business pitch meeting.

Ultimately, not the most riveting of topics, however, I couldn't help but be amazed by the world we live in today. Things that we take for granted (GPS, satellite imaging, longitudinal information, etc.) today regularly take on issues that were argued about and were huge concerns for the nations of old.

Additionally, the author mentioned something about money and it just got me thinking how much scientific advancement and even just scientific exploration was done in the name of money and how many projects and ideas were never explored because it wasn't profitable to someone.

Enjoyed this a lot, opened a window into an interesting bit of British scientific history, and as someone who's rather accidentally into watches it had a particular interest. A bit meandering, a bit partisan, but engaging and easy to read. Would recommend!

Less biography and more of just a general history of solving the problem of longitude on ships. The author focuses on John Harrison, but heavily diverts the narrative to explain the state of the longitudinal science and chronometers. Over all, this was a quick and informative read on the subject and gives the reader awesome descriptions and insight into John Harrisons time period. One of my few criticism was the harsh lack of images or diagrams. The author describes clockwork components vividly, but a few images would have been helpful.

A great read. I'd say more like 3.5 stars only because the first section of the book felt like it was going to take a long view into longitude in genera, but the book winds up just telling the story of the Longitude prize. Still fascinating, I just wanted more.

This is a quick, informative read. Sobel deftly conveys the complexity and difficulty of the longitude problem in layman's terms, and describes several of the solutions proposed, some of which are quite humorous. The prose is for the most part clear and concise, though it is sometimes accented by superfluous poetic flourishes. I wish that the end of the book offered more specifics about Harrison's impact on horology, and I think it could also have benefited greatly from annotated pictures of the movements of his machines.

A popular and intriguing account about the solution to longitude and the development of the maritime watch.

Dava Sobel makes interesting reading of the story of Harrison and his clock. The book outlines the technical challenges ships had to overcome in order to safely sail the oceans, the different solutions proposed and how the clock won.

A watch is a commonplace item in the modern life, but in the 18th century it played a great role in preventing ships from getting lost in high seas. Known as The Longitude Problem, there was no practical means to ascertain longitude at sea which prompted the British parliament to set up the Board of Longitude to administer a prize for anyone who could determine longitude at sea.

The solution came from an unexpected quarter - a carpenter named John Harrison took it up on himself to build a watch so accurate that it could withstand the vagaries of the sea's conduct. His watch names H4 became a masterpiece of keeping time and helped the British Empire conquer the sea. Despite it's success there was a fierce competitor - The Sextant. This device was able to tell longitude by measuring the distance between celestial bodies and the sea's horizon. While dependable, it required training and took many hours to make a reading.

This book is about the huddle that John Harrison had to jump in order to win the Longitude prize money of 20,000 pounds and ensure his innovation becomes the de-facto instrument for measuring longitude at the sea.

Probably a 3.5. It is a short book. I enjoyed it, though I already knew the tale. Something in the telling held me back from really loving the book. Certainly, I have read more engrossing telling of historical events.

Clever tinkerer
devoted his life to time
promptly forgotten.

Great book. Just long enough to tell this great story

I think that this book really picked up in the end - for quite a while it seemed to be floating in details and personal conflict without enough personal description to make you care deeply.

The points about how the Longitude Act would transfer ownership of the design could have had a really interesting segue into how governments in general fund and use R&D - stuff like how France bought early photography technology and freely licensed it to its citizens - could have been fascinating.