It was the first nonfiction book, i think, that i really. Find all the books, read about the author, and more. If one or more works are by a distinct, homonymous authors, go ahead and split the author. An analysis of dava sobels writing style in the book. The book was made into a television series entitled longitude. At sea, there were no landmarks by which ones eastwest position could be tracked. Dava sobel born june 15, 1947 is an american writer of popular expositions of scientific topics. Penguin books the planets dava sobel, a former new york times science.
Even before the publication of longitude twentyfive years ago, i learned about a group of women who worked at the harvard college observatory in the nineteenth century, analyzing images of the stars to fantastic effect these ladies of pickerings harem aroused my curiosity, but i put them off while pursuing galileos daughter, exploring the planets, and turning copernicuss idea. The publication of longitude in 1995 and its unexpected success transformed me into a fulltime author of books. Dava sobel, a former new york times science reporter, is the author of longitude walker 1995 and 2005, penguin 1996, galileos daughter walker 1999 and 2011, penguin 2000, the planets viking 2005, penguin 2006, a more perfect heaven walker bloomsbury 2011 and 2012, and the sun stood still bloomsbury, 2016 and the glass universe viking, 2016. Dava sobel, an awardwinning former science reporter for the new york. Dava sobel wrote a very neat and enjoyable little book on the subject. Through dava sobels consummate skill, longitude will open a new window on our world for all who read it. The greek astronomers could measure latitude as early as the third century b. The book concentrates on the life and times of john harrison a carpenter who went on to design and build a succession of precision clocks capable of. Author dava sobel, however, cuts through all the more complicated principles like a good precalculus teacher. Her books include longitude, about english clockmaker john harrison, and galileos daughter, about galileos daughter maria celeste, and the glass universe.
Full of heroism and chicanery, it is also a fascinating brief history of astronomy, navigation, and clockmaking, and opens a new window on our world. She received grants from the sloan foundation and the guggenheim foundation in support of and the sun stood still. Longitude is an enjoyable, easytoread and understand overview of the events surrounding the longitude problem, including the various solutions proposed, the political and scientific rivalry involved in the quest for the prize. Getting this agreement is never easy and often relies on who has authority on. The publication of longitude taught me that a book can actually improve by virtue of being read. Daily mail rarely have i enjoyed a book as much as dava sobels longitude. Using dava sobels bestsellling longitude as its departure point, this essay considers the.
The longitude problem was the thorniest dilemma of the eighteenth century. The book celebrates earth and her nearest neighbors at this unique moment in history, when the old familiar solar family yields to a new definition of the word planet, and thousands of recently discovered exoplanets orbiting stars beyond the sun hold out the tantalizing possibility of extraterrestrial life. The true story of a lone genius who solved the greatest scientific problem of his time. And the sun stood still by dava sobel, hardcover barnes. Dava sobel is an accomplished writer of popular expositions of scientific topics. The book has endorsements from patrick obrien and neil armstrong, and a blurb that cheerfully describes the search for longitude as a true.
Dava sobel is the acclaimed author of the internationally bestselling titles longitude, galileos daughter, the illustrated longitude, and the planets. The problem of longitude was long regarded as unsolvable. Though sobel sets the story up well, with an easy to understand explanation of what longitude is and how people tried to calculate it, i was otherwise very disappointed with her writing. The true story of a lone genius who solved the greatest scientific problem of his time is a bestselling book by dava sobel about john harrison. Dava sobel born june 15, 1947 is the author of longitude, galileos daughter, the planets, and most recently a more perfect heaven. The dramatic human story of an epic scientific quest and of one mans fortyyear obsession to find a solution to the thorniest scientific dilemma of the daythe longitude problem. Longitude is the dramatic human story of an epic scientific quest, and of harrisons. Its like writing one college term paper after another.
How the ladies of the harvard observatory took the measure of the stars. Longitude by dava sobel meet your next favorite book. Yet as science writer dava sobel points out in her engaging and delightful new book longitude, the big breakthroughs in clock construction came in pursuit of seafaring, not social regulation. Dava sobels 1995 book first came without illustrations, but to meet reader demands, her publisher released the illustrated longitude. Dava sobels longitude is the story of this problem, and specifically of clockmaker john harrison who developed timepieces accurate enough to offer a solution. Dava sobel is the bestselling author of longitude, galileos daughter, and a more perfect heaven. Simon schaffer our trusty friend the watch lrb 31 october 1996. Longitude, by american writer dava sobel, is the true story of the quest to devise a reliable navigational instrument for sailors. Dava sobel is an american writer of popular expositions of scientific topics. Books by dava sobel featured in the 1870s, before women had the right to vote or a firm standing in the workplace, a lucky few found employment at the harvard college observatory. Through dava sobels consummate skill, longitude will open a new window on our world for all who pdf read it.
Today, the latitude and longitude lines govern with more authority than i could have imagined fortyodd years ago, for they stay fixed as the world changes its. The image of the lone genius, prevailing against the odds to make a better world, is an attractive one. Study questions, project ideas and discussion topics based on important themes running throughout longitude. The true story of a lone genius who solved the gre. The true story of a lone genius who solved the greatest scientific problem of his time is a bestselling book by dava sobel about john harrison, an 18thcentury clockmaker who created the first clock chronometer sufficiently accurate to be used to determine longitude at seaan important development in navigation. The subtitle here tells the reader exactly what the book is about. Financial times a true life thriller, jampacked with political intrigue, international warfare, personal feuds and financial skullduggery. She is coauthor of the illustrated longitude and editor of letters to father. Longitude is the story of english clockmaker john harrison and how he figured out how to track longitude, or the eastwest position of ships. Dava sobel is currently considered a single author. Longitude is the dramatic human story of an epic scientific quest. Sobel is an elegant stylist, a riveting and efficient storyteller, a. In 1714, englands parliament offered a reward to anyone whose method or device for measuring longitude proved successful.
A fascinating problem it was ptolemy in geographia, written in the 2nd. Numerous attentive readers took the trouble to write to me to point out typos or other errors in the text, which the publisher then corrected in subsequent editions. Longitude, a recommended book for our hope on the horizon summer reading challenge, is a classic true tale of persistence rewarded. Dava sobel has written a gem of a bookone of the best reads for the nonscientific writing to come along for many a moon. History of lines of latitude and longitude sobel, page 2 lines of latitude and longitude began crisscrossing our world view in ancient times, at least three centuries before the birth of christ. The story of john longitude harrison disproves this. The true story of a lone genius who solved the greatest scientific problem of his time paperback october 30, 2007. Former new york times reporter sobel coauthor, arthritis.
I greatly enjoy the more indepth research required for booklength projects. Anyone alive in the eighteenth century would have known that the longitude problem was the thorniest scientific dilemma of the dayand had been for centuries. I first read longitude, by dava sobel, just after i finished high school, and i devoured it in a sitting or two. The true story of a lone genius who solved the greatest scientific problem of his time by dava sobel. Lacking the ability to measure longitude, sailors throughout the great ages of exploration had been literally lost at sea. The true story of a lone genius who solved the greatest scientific problem of his time, dava sobel writes that the trick for remembering the difference is. Longitude by dava sobel may 19, 2020 janie no comments longitude, a recommended book for our hope on the horizon summer reading challenge, is a classic true tale of persistence rewarded. Sobel attended antioch college and the city college of new york before receiving her bachelor of arts degree from the state university of. Longitude does not seem to be a topic that would set the readers interest and imagination racing, but dava sobel manages to make what is a seemingly boring topic into a tale that is gripping, exciting and educational. Andrewes, the man who first invited her to write about the longitude symposium he was hosting in 1994 and thereby inspired what proved to be a surprisingly popular book. Light concise very readable little book dealing in general with the development of ways in which to determine ones longitude. As dava sobel relates in her engaging narrative, longitude, until the 18th. The true story of a lone genius who solved the greatest scientific. Awardwinning science writer dava sobel explores the great obsession of eighteenth century sciencethe longitude problemand how john harrison solved it.
Thank you for buying an authorized edition of this book and for complying with. Longitude describes how scientists tried to find a way to determine eastwest locations at sea. Also by dava sobel longitude the illustrated longitude with william j. Great supplemental information for school essays and projects. When longitude first appeared in 1995, sobels lucid, insightful little book had a single imperfection. Dava sobel has 26 books on goodreads with 231952 ratings. She described the life of john harrison who discovered how to. In the 15th century, when nations began to sail the worlds oceans seriously, the greatest obstacle to navigation was the inability to determine longitude. Sobels longitude, the story of a littleknown geographical pioneer and a prime exemplar of the style, turned publishing on its ear when it became a big seller. Longitude from dava sobel is a fascinating account of how a virtually unknown watchmaker named john harrison conquered one of the oldest and thorniest problems surrounding the ocean voyages the problem of accurately measuring longitude, which stumped even the best of scientific minds for centuries. The true story of a lone genius who solved the greatest scientific problem of his time sobel, dava on. Dava sobel 4 preparado por patricio barros progresivamente.
For example, the typesetter had inexplicably swapped. A fascinating problem it was ptolemy in geographia, written in the 2nd century, who. A 1964 graduate of the bronx high school of science, ms. The science writer says that while researching her new book, the glass universe, she read fiction.
93 868 559 188 611 1337 212 1410 360 418 1298 737 1073 428 1314 244 91 287 436 192 1000 1326 100 298 725 759 916 434 679 1207 926 1098 757 1470 982 749 1375 1206 1459 1173