Summary of Longitude
In her non-fiction book “Longitude”, Dava Sobel recounts how the 18th-century, self-taught clockmaker John Harrison solved the problem of determining longitude (the east–west position) at sea by inventing the first successful marine chronometers. His achievement cracked a navigational problem that had defeated scientists for centuries and dramatically improved the safety of sea travel.
Reasons to read Longitude
“Longitude” is an engaging blend of scientific history and human drama. It won the British Book Award for Book of the Year in 1997 and became an international bestseller. The book was adapted into a television miniseries in 2000, starring Michael Gambon and Jeremy Irons. American author Dava Sobel is known for her accessible non-fiction books that interweave science and history. Her best-known books include “Longitude”; “Galileo’s Daughter” (about Galileo Galilei and his eldest daughter, based on her surviving letters); and “The Elements of Marie Curie” (a biography of the scientist Marie Curie).
Setting: Lincolnshire & London (England, UK)
“Longitude” is set at various locations in England, chiefly Barrow-upon-Humber (Lincolnshire), where John Harrison lived and constructed his clocks, and Greenwich (London), where he presented his inventions to the Royal Observatory and the Board of Longitude.
Original title: Longitude
Year of publication: 1995
Nr of pages: 208
