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Comments: In the middle of the 18th century, one of the greatest scientific problems facing humankind was navigation - finding your location on the globe. Without an accurate way to determine latitude and longitude, sailing across oceans would continue to be a risky proposition.Latitude wasn't the problem, because it could be easily calculated from the sun's position. Longitude, on the other hand, perplexed the most brilliant scientific minds. Why? It, too, was calculated from the sun's position, but that had to be done at a precisely-known time. If you were a minute too late, your calculated location would be off by dozens of miles. The problem was that clocks built in the 1700's could gain or lose many seconds per day - completely inadequate, when multiplied by a 40-50 day transoceanic voyage.
So, while longitude was the great problem, the desperately-sought solution was a clock that could stay accurate through the jarring motions and temperature changes of an ocean voyage. The need was so great that, in 1714, the British Parliament offered a 20,000 pound reward for a suitably accurate device.
This book tells the story of John Harrison, who spent most of his life developing a series of five such clocks. It's a story of brilliant engineering (he pioneered techniques still found in clock mechanisms today), of famous people (Isaac Newton and Edmund Halley have roles), and of political intrigue (due to conflicts with the head of the reward committee, it took him over 40 years to receive his money).
It's a good read, with plenty of photos and diagrams, and just enough technical detail. You'll come away appreciating how something we take entirely for granted today - accurate time-keeping - was once a seemingly impossible dream.
Oh, and you'll also learn what the word horology means.
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