Finding Longitude: Ships, Clocks and Stars

Finding Longitude: Ships, Clocks and Stars by Richard Dunn and Rebekah Higgitt:. hardcover edition. ISBN: 9780007525867.

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 ships 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 illustrated book is a detailed account of these stories, and how the longitude problem was solved.