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    A Book Review On Longitude

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    Ambrish Yadav
    The document summarizes a book review of the book 'Longitude' by Dava Sobel. It discusses how the book outlines John Harrison's 40-year battle to build an accurate timekeeper to solve the longitude problem and claim the reward offered by the British parliament. It also provides context on the historical longitude problem and some quotes praising the book.

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    A Book Review On Longitude

    Uploaded by

    Ambrish Yadav
    71 views3 pages
    The document summarizes a book review of the book 'Longitude' by Dava Sobel. It discusses how the book outlines John Harrison's 40-year battle to build an accurate timekeeper to solve the longitude problem and claim the reward offered by the British parliament. It also provides context on the historical longitude problem and some quotes praising the book.

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    Book review on dava sobel's book named longitude

    Original Title

    A book review on longitude

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    The document summarizes a book review of the book 'Longitude' by Dava Sobel. It discusses how the book outlines John Harrison's 40-year battle to build an accurate timekeeper to solve the longitude problem and claim the reward offered by the British parliament. It also provides context on the historical longitude problem and some quotes praising the book.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as pdf or txt
    71 views3 pages

    A Book Review On Longitude

    Uploaded by

    Ambrish Yadav
    The document summarizes a book review of the book 'Longitude' by Dava Sobel. It discusses how the book outlines John Harrison's 40-year battle to build an accurate timekeeper to solve the longitude problem and claim the reward offered by the British parliament. It also provides context on the historical longitude problem and some quotes praising the book.

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    © All Rights Reserved
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    COVER SHEET

    Webb, Robert (2001) Book Review of "Longitude". The Queensland Surveyor


    Journal (4):pp. 53-53.

    Copyright 2001 Institution of Surveyors Australia, Queensland Division

    Accessed from :
    https://eprints.qut.edu.au/secure/00003925/01/LongitudebookreviewRW2001.pdf
    Book Review of “LONGITUDE”
    A fascinating book about the solution of the “Longitude
    problem”
    for September 2001 of The Queensland Surveyors Journal
    Written by Robert Webb
    School of Design & Built Environment
    Queensland University of Technology
    July 2001

    "Longitude"
    by Dava Sobel.

    ISBN 1-84115-317-6 Paperback edition 1998.

    Published by Fourth Estate Limited, London.

    The True Story of a Lone Genius Who Solved the Greatest Scientific Problem of His
    Time. Longitude is the dramatic human story of an epic scientific quest. The
    'longitude problem' was the thorniest scientific dilemma of the eighteenth century.
    Lacking the ability to measure longitude, sailors throughout the great ages of
    exploration had been literally lost at sea.

    At the heart of Dava Sobel's fascinating brief history of astronomy, navigation and
    clockmaking stands the figure of John Harrison. John was a Yorkshire clockmaker,
    and this popular account outlines his forty-year battle to build the perfect timekeeper
    and claim the 20,000-pound (UK) reward offered by the British parliament through
    the longitude board.

    The book is useful in examining the issues associated with HOROLOGY and
    LONGITUDE determination based on the popular account format of the novel
    "Longitude". It is also is useful to explore from a non-technical perspective
    foundation concepts of navigation, timing, positional reference systems and
    introductory geodesy.

    The actual Longitude Act, issued in the reign of Queen Anne on July 8, 1714, offered
    prize money named first, second and third prize amounts. The first prize of £20,000
    for a method to determine longitude to an accuracy of half a degree of a great circle.
    Second prize of £15,000 for a method accurate to within two-thirds of a degree, and
    third prize of £10,000 for a method accurate to within one degree.

    Many attempts by various persons were made during the life of The Board of
    Longitude and by the time it finally disbanded in 1828, it had disbursed funds in
    excess of $100,000. To achieve longitude to within half a degree, the accuracy per
    day needed for a typical 40day voyage at sea needing to be achieved was less than 3
    seconds of time error per day. This novel also tracks the great clockwork inventions
    of Harrisons clocks named H1, H2, H3 and H4.

    Some comments by various book reviewers include:


    "Sobel tells this story wonderfully well, in crystal, balanced prose to match her
    theme" New Statesman

    "It can't be easy to turn a documentary about navigation and clock mechanics into a
    gripping narrative, but Sobel has done a great job. The ghosts of mariners come alive
    and walk through the pages, and she's passionate about Harrison and his clocks"
    Scotland on Sunday

    "There is nothing quite like the delicious pleasue of a good book. Dava Sobel's
    Longitude has it all: enthralling story, lovely language, and a handsome production. It
    tells the story of what was once a most important problem. It is a book that we should
    all read" Irish Times.

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