Excellent story about John Harrison's mechanical solution on how to measure longitude so the ships would not get lost at sea. Reads like a novel but has all the facts about the scientific challenge. The book really held my interest.

An amazing story of the rivalries, politics and stubborness of so called educated men vs. those of talent and great skill. Clearly told, captivating.

I couldn't get into this...it reads too much like a college textbook for my style.

Given such interesting circumstances and people, this book disappointed me. There was a lack of conflict and tension in the description of the people, politics, and activities around this fascinating subject. It would have been a much stronger book with more discussions of the science and engineering behind clock-making, astronomical navigation, and how scientists of the 16th, 17th, and 18th centuries measured distances and made other calculations affecting navigation.

Fascinating story about how an uneducated clockmaker tackled the top scientists of his day to solve the problem of determining the longitude of ships at sea.

fascinating, factual

very interesting and thought provoking book

Glad I read this before the reviews or I might not have picked it up! I found this to be a facinating book about a subject I never gave any thought to. The copy I read I got thru Bookcrossing.com, and most likely if it had not been a free book to me I might have passed thinking it would be dry and boring. This was not the case for me...I was intrigued by the history and people mentioned within. The idea of how long people devoted to the study of this was amazing and interesting. I felt it was well written, not too dry and not too much personal slant on it.

Man has sailed the seas for centuries without really knowing where they were. It was only in the late eighteenth century that the invention of the chronometer allowed sailors to pin point their location. This factual story of the development and refinement of this important instrument makes for an interesting read. If you like to sail, are interested in technical things or are just plain curious about the things around us you will find this and both interesting and informative.

History. * * ½*. 1700s Europe. The constant loss of sailors and ships prompts the European government to offer prize money to the person who can invent a system for measuring LONGITUDE. Now the race is on as scientists and laymen concoct measuring systems and tools in search of the big prize.

Although not a page turner, it is an interesting book for the math and science geek in us because it also relates how this rush led to other inventions, measurements and traditions that continue today.

Read All Book Reviews of "Longitude The True Story of a Lone Genius Who Solved the Greatest Scientific Problem of His Time"

This is a great story about a very important invention. The struggle that this man, John Harrison, experienced most of his life to achieve his goal is daunting and most of us would have given up.

Dava Sobel writes with a passion for the subject that makes this book a fascinating read. She explains the technical subject matter in layman's terms, without over simplifying, and breathes life into the characters involved. I loved this little book!

John Harrison dared to imagine a clock that would keep precise time at sea.

Very interesting discussion of a problem whose solution determined the future of the British Empire.

Lacking the aility 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 brilliant scientific minds of the time, from Galileo to Sir Isaac Newton, were certain the answer lay in the heavens. But one man, John Harrison, dared to imagine a mechanical solution: a clock that would keep precise time at sea, something unheard of at that time. The race to win the prize was on!

This "scientific" book is highly readable, not to mention enlightening, for the layperson. Recommended to all.

Facsinating story

Interesting, well presented.

The author takes a complicated subject and delivers it in a highly readable, understandable way. Very nice book.

"Beautiful writing, surprising history all done with brevity and accuracy. How sailors were able to find their way at sea, and what would happen when they didn't.
How ego blocked recognition of the genius who did it. Here is a wonderful little book for your next 3-4 hour airplane travel. We can anticipate more fine writing by Dava Sobel." amazon review

Read All Book Reviews of "Longitude The True Story of a Lone Genius Who Solved the Greatest Scientific Problem of His Time"