Longitude
This book was a gift from a fellow member of this forum that I finally, after having misplaced it twice, got around to reading.
Excellent in depth book about the search for a reliable method of figuring longitude, an issue that was so important the Brit. government offered a reward of 20,000 pounds (about $5,770,000.00 today) to a person who could come up with a solution. It details the battle between two factions, the clockmakers, especially John Harrison, (1693-1776) and the astronomers headed up by Nevil Maskelyne (1732-1811.) The clockmakers, won out in the end with Harrison inventing the naval chronometer, a watch capable of keeping time on a moving ship to less than 4 seconds a day. The battle between the two groups, especially Harrison and Maskelyne was long and bitter.
The book is an excellent account of a critical but overlooked period in history and technology. It is said that the conquest and maintenance of the British Empire, while not absolutely dependent on the chronometer was greatly aided by it.
A very worthwhile read to anyone interested in maritime/naval history.
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