Official publication of the National Maritime Museum's "Ships, Clocks, and Stars" exhibition. 300 years ago, amidst growing frustration from the naval community and pressure from the increasing importance of international trade, the British government passed the 1714 Longitude Act. It was an attempt to solve one of the most pressing problems of the age: how to determine a ship's longitude (east-west position) at sea. With life-changing rewards on offer, the challenge captured the imaginations and talents of astronomers, skilled craftsmen, politicians, seamen and satirists. This beautifully illustrated book is a detailed account of these stories, and how the longitude problem was solved. Highlights of the book include: From the same publisher as Dava Sobel's “Longitude”, “Finding Longitude” tells a new story of one of the great achievements of the Georgian age, and how it changed our understanding of the world.
