num_pages: 256
description: 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 illustrated book is a detailed account of these stories, and how the longitude problem was solved.
language: English
title: Finding Longitude: How ships, clocks and stars helped solve the longitude problem
publisher: Collins