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1: A Wonderful Book
This is a book that I have enjoyed reading and viewing the great illustrations. I have learned so much about a topic of which I knew next to nothing.
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2: Longitude; long on interest
Longitude tells a fascinating, little-recalled history of the invention of navigational methods necessary to sail the globe accurately. Inventor John Harrison solves the dilemma of adjusting for the difference between longitudinal distances at the equator, and north or south to the poles. Ancillary details include how scurvey was conquered, economic imact of wayward sailing voyages, and social aspects of world-wide trade on the high seas. The illustrated version is a pleasure to the eye.
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3: Much better with Andrewes illustrations
I met William Andrewes at a talk about his longitude dial. Never read Dava Sobel before and found the text week or at least week without the illustrations. The history in these documents and images of paintings made this book a don't put it down event. I've even used some of the history noted in public talks on astronomy. Highly recommended. I've shared it with several colleagues.
John S.
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4: Entertaining insight in longitude problemsolving
An easy to read and enjoyable (hi)story about the efforts that have been made in the past centuries to find an way of navigating at sea. Every aspect finding the longitude has been covered. The book contains a lot of pictures and graphics that deepens out some (technical) background issues. It provides just enough details so that the subject is well understood, but no too much, making is suitable for every interested reader.
So, if you are interested in navigating, reading this book gives you an good insight in the amount of work people have done in the past to make that possible.
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5: One way to describe persistence: William Harrison
As an "electronic geographer" (geographic information systems... computerized mapping... operator and manager), I was immediately attracted to Sobel's story upon it's original publication in 1995. Technically, navigationally, and economically speaking this is, as others have stated, a truly epic and civilization-changing story that is well and readably told by Sobel. On the first read I was awestruck to learn that craftsmen of the 18th century could make timepieces of the accuracy that Harrison achieved. Then further amazed to learn they were made portable and durable enough to withstand the rigors of years of service at sea. As I read Sobel's original book my curosity about what these amazing pieces of incredible craftsmenship (art?) LOOKED LIKE was a continual distraction. The "Illustrated Longitude" delightfully sates the curosity that Sobel's text so pleasantly gives rise to.
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