![]() ![]() As a result of Sir Clowdisley's misfortune, the British legislature passed the Longitude Act of 1714, promising twenty-thousand pounds to whoever could solve the problem. This lush, colorfully illustrated edition adds lots of pictures to the story, giving readers a more satisfying sense of the times, the players, and the puzzle. So nation-states had an interest in finding a solution. Dava Sobels Longitude tells the story of how 18th-century scientist and clockmaker William Harrison solved one of the most perplexing problems of history-determining east-west location at sea. Seagoing trade was particularly difficult without a measure of longitude. Not only did the problem of longitude have human consequences it also had economic ones. It was highly inaccurate, particularly on long voyages. This is only one example of the uselessness of the typical mode of calculating longitude - "dead reckoning" - or the use of a brief time/distance calculation via the use of a sea-borne log. The crash destroyed his ship, the Association, and killed nearly all his crew. The story begins with the tale of Admiral Sir Clowdisley's unfortunate crash due to a longitudinal miscalculation. ![]() Chapter 2: The Sea Before Time Summary and Analysis ![]()
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