Marykaye M. (pawprints) reviewed on 9/5/2006 + 92 more book reviews

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.

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