The Quickie “Longitude” by Dava Sobel Review

In the captivating book “Longitude” by Dava Sobel, the remarkable tale of one man’s quest to solve the greatest scientific problem of his time unfolds, revealing the extraordinary lengths he went to in order to determine a ship’s longitude at sea.

An image of a map showing the routes of famous explorers.

“Longitude” by Dava Sobel tells the gripping story of John Harrison, an English clockmaker who dedicated his life to solving the age-old problem of determining longitude at sea.

In the 18th century, sailors faced great difficulties in navigating the vast oceans due to the lack of an accurate method to measure their east-west position. As ships ventured further into uncharted waters, countless lives and valuable cargo were lost due to navigational errors.

The British government, recognizing the urgency of the situation, offered a substantial reward to anyone who could devise a reliable method for determining longitude.