The Longitude Prize (Hardcover)

by Joan Dash (Author), Dusan Petricic (Illustrator) "The Litchfield came to grief because no one aboard knew where they were..." (more)
Key Phrases: John Harrison, Board of Longitude, Astronomer Royal (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly
Dash (We Shall Not Be Moved) pens an engrossing tale of the scientific contest for the Longitude Prize, which was offered through a 1714 act of the British Parliament in response to the devastating loss to the British navy of four battleships and hundreds of sailors. Opening with a gripping historical account of a shipwreck, the author sets up a compelling argument for the need to determine a vessel's position on the open sea. Without means for determining longitude, "English ships had been sailing everywhere in the Western world, relying on charts and maps that often had little relation to reality." The Parliament establishes the prize for "any device or invention for determining longitude" with a reward "roughly equal to $12 million today." (Even Isaac Newton competed.) Enter unlikely contender John Harrison, a carpenter and clockmaker, "a loner, plain-spoken, often tactless, with a temper he couldn't always control, and a genius for mechanics." Dash spotlights Harrison's biography as she navigates scientific and cultural history, describing the dynamics between officers and sailors. (She also mentions the role of Captain James Cook, of the Endeavour, in proving the worthiness of Harrison's inventionDCook figures prominently in Hesse's Stowaway, reviewed above). Petricic's caricaturelike drawings and the ragged-edge paper lend the volume a touch of class. Dash begins with more panache than she ends with, but keeps the suspense high throughout. Fans of science, history and invention and anyone who roots for the underdog will enjoy this prize of a story. Ages 10-up.
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal
Grade 6 Up-This rousing history focuses on the life of the British clockmaker who invented an ingenious way of measuring longitude at sea. This form of measurement was undeveloped in the 18th century, so the British Parliament offered a prize of 20,000 pounds to the first person to come up with an accurate system. John Harrison eventually succeeded overcoming not only the practical problem, but also the prejudices of the scientific community against his humble background and his unusual method. Dash is enthusiastic about her subject, injecting true drama and excitement into the narrative without veering from history. Her explanations of science concepts are clear and easy to follow. Though Harrison's work is key, his life intersects that of many other colorful characters, including Edmond Halley and King George III, all of whom emerge as interesting individuals. Many parts of Harrison's life are unrecorded, but the text always clarifies which areas are speculation or fact. In fact, the piecing together of data by historians becomes a fascinating element of the book, giving readers insight into the challenges and techniques of biographical research. Petricic's small, clever illustrations that open each chapter enhance the text. Dava Sobel's Longitude (Walker, 1995) brought Harrison to the attention of many adults, but The Longitude Prize may need a push to find a young audience. Consider recommending this high-quality title for biography assignments, for inventor reports, and for fans of Jean Latham's Carry on, Mr. Bowditch (Houghton, 1955).
Steven Engelfried, Deschutes County Library, Bend, OR
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 9-12
  
• Hardcover: 208 pages
• Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR) (October 13, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0374346364
• ISBN-13: 978-0374346362
• Product Dimensions: 8.1 x 6.4 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #384,994 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A wonderful children's book about navigation, November 5, 2000

By	Elizabeth Bottman (Seattle, WA United States) - See all my reviews

"The Longitude Prize," by Joan Dash, is a wonderful book for children, 9 to 12 years old, about the 18th century race for an accurate method of determining a ship's longitude. The author makes history come alive and explains how Britain's Parliament offered a prize of 20,000 pounds (equal to $12 million today) to anyone who found an accurate method of determining longitude at sea. As Mrs. Dash explains, the prize went unclaimed for fifty years. During that time, two competing systems arose for finding longitude; one was supported by scientists and astronomers, based on the movement of the moon. The other method was created by a village carpenter, John Harrison, using a seagoing clock. John Harrison was self-educated and had no formal credentials, so the Board of Longitude fought him "tooth and nail," when he offered his chronometer and claimed the prize. Mrs. Dash makes the race for the prize an exciting one. She shows the historical framework of shipwrecks, politics, voyages of exploration, and John Harrison's persistence against great odds, and (quoting the book jacket) "his lifelong struggle for recognition of a brilliant invention." My 10-year-old son loved this book!

5 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Longitude Prize is a Prize, February 11, 2000

By	greg dash "[e-mail]" - See all my reviews

I am informing you that your listing is incorrest: the book cannot be out of stock, because it is not yet printed: it is expected to be out in September 2000. This is not a review.

2 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Book!!!, February 22, 2001

By A Customer

A hugely captivating book, Dash conveys the wonderfully interesting and historically important tale with magnitude but truly gets the point across. For all you people that don't normally read non-fiction books, and to the people that do, I strongly suggest you read this book!