Longitude: The True Story of a Lone Genius Who Solved the Greatest Scientific Problem of His Time

The tenth anniversary edition of this dramatic human story delves into an epic scientific quest: the search for the solution to calculating longitude and the unlikely triumph of an English genius. Now featuring a new Foreword by the celebrated astronaut Neil Armstrong.

"Sobel has done the impossible and made horology sexy - no mean feat"

• New Scientist

Anyone alive in the 18th century would have known that "the longitude problem" was the thorniest scientific dilemma of the day—and had been for centuries. Without the ability to measure longitude, sailors during the great ages of exploration were literally lost at sea as soon as they lost sight of land. The stakes were unimaginably high: thousands of lives and the growing fortunes of nations depended on finding a resolution.

The Quest for a Solution

• In 1714, Parliament raised the stakes by offering a king's ransom (GBP20,000) to anyone who could devise a successful method or device.
• The scientific establishment across Europe, from Galileo to Sir Isaac Newton, had long pursued a celestial answer, mapping the heavens in both hemispheres.
• Meanwhile, countless quacks proposed preposterous suggestions, muddying the waters further.

In stark contrast, one man, John Harrison, dared to imagine a mechanical solution. His journey was one of heroism and chicanery, brilliance and absurdity.

LONGITUDE is not just a story of invention—it is also a fascinating brief history of astronomy, navigation, and clockmaking, brought vividly to life.