The Quest for Longitude: The Proceedings of the Longitude Symposium Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts November 4-6, 1993 [Illustrated] [Hardcover]

Longitude Symposium (1993 Harvard University) (Author), William J. H. Andrewes (Author, Editor), Harvard University Collection of Historical Scientific Instruments (Corporate Author), National Association of Watch and Clock Collectors Seminar 1993 cambr (Corporate Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 1996

The Quest for Longitude is a book for students and for teachers, for collectors and for scholars, and for the thousands of people who, having enjoyed Sobel's Longitude, desire a well-illustrated reference that describes in detail the many fascinating devices and the intriguing characters who, by solving the ancient problem of finding longitude at sea, changed the world forever. 250 illustrations, 120 in color.

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

After 1492, a key component of global dominance by the major seafaring European nations was the knowledge of latitude/longitude, whether on land or sea. Means of establishing latitude were developed, but methods for determining longitude (the measurement of lunar distances or eclipses on Jupiter's satellites) remained imperfect. A third method using "marine timekeepers," or chronometers, was the object of a competitive struggle eventually won by clockmaker John Harrison. These papers by 20 leading scholars and experts, presented at a 1993 conference, capture in their excellent writing and well-researched history the people and the technological demands involved in the creation of these unique clocks, where an error in seconds puts one miles off course. Also covered is the interplay of science, politics, and economics. The 260 illustrations are beautifuly reproduced; many have never been published before. Required for history of science and horology collections. [Dava Sobel covered this same symposium for Harvard Magazine and later wrote the best-selling Longitude, LJ 9/15/95.?Ed.]?Michael D. Cramer, Raleigh, N.C.
-?Michael D. Cramer, Raleigh, N.C.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

This book is based on the proceedings of a longitude symposium held in November 1993 at Harvard University. It is an oversize book that is lavishly illustrated with black-and-white and color photographs. Leading scholars cover all aspects of the subject: they begin by discussing longitude in the context of mathematics, navigation, cartography, and the history of science; move on to early efforts at finding longitude (from observing the eclipses of Jupiter's satellites to the lunar-distance method of measuring it); then to John Harrison ("the timekeeper that won the longitude prize"); and on to developments and controversies in the field; then close with "watchmaking in the twenty-first century." In spite of different contributors authoring the text, the work traces the history of finding longitude seamlessly. And though the approach may not be as popular as that of Dava Sobel's Longitude (1995), it certainly will hold the attention of interested readers. Leon Wagner

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 437 pages
• Publisher: Collection of Histroic Scientific; illustrated edition edition (November 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0964432900
• ISBN-13: 978-0964432901
• Product Dimensions: 11.3 x 8.9 x 1.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.6 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,022,416 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Previous reviewers say "lavish"; I say gorgeous., May 8, 1998

By 

Norman T. Budde (Hingham, MA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Quest for Longitude: The Proceedings of the Longitude Symposium Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts November 4-6, 1993 (Hardcover)

This book considers the problem of longitude from a number of viewpoints. While Dava Sobel's book concentrated on the Harrison/Maskelyne controversy, this volume uses historical, mathematical and geographic viewpoints. What is impressive is the genius, dedication and tenacity of the Renaissance scientists. They may not have had GPS but they knew what they were doing.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Most comprehensive coverage, July 25, 2000

By 

Gene Anderson (San Diego) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Quest for Longitude: The Proceedings of the Longitude Symposium Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts November 4-6, 1993 (Hardcover)

This review is top notch and comprehensive. It's the book of choice to cover the background and the technology. I'm not a watch or clock fanatic, but I slam dunked this whole book in just a couple days; a 15 hour Qantas flight kept me captive. I wish there was more discussion on the nature of astronomy and how the clocks were calibrated. I want to read up on octants, sextants and basic navigation now. This book deserves five stars. The A&E four hour documentary, "Longitude", this month also deserves high marks. If someone knows of a good read on navigating with astronomy that's more layman oriented, please email me (thanks).

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A must-have, February 18, 2002

By 

ilmk "ilmk" (UK) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Quest for Longitude: The Proceedings of the Longitude Symposium Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts November 4-6, 1993 (Hardcover)

This beautifully presented large hardback is actually a series of essays covering the story of the search for Longitude from the 16th century to the 19th. The essays deal with a range of subjects from the mathematical to the absurd, from astronomy to cartography and has 4 excellent appendices. The book is well laid out with both black&white and color photography in a manner that means you don't need to be a student of the sea of chronology to understand it. A good book to have on the shelf.