The release date for the English version of 'Longitude: The True Story of a Lone Genius Who Solved the Greatest Scientific Problem of His Time' by
Dava Sobel is Oct 2005. If you enjoy this novel, it is available for buy as a paperback from Barnes & Noble or Indigo, as an ebook on the Amazon Kindle store, or as an audiobook on Audible.
"Longitude" narrates the grand scientific expedition via a compelling human narrative. The most difficult conundrum of the eighteenth century was the "longitude problem". Throughout the great eras of discovery, sailors had been essentially lost at sea due to their inability to estimate longitude.
Dava Sobel's intriguing synopsis of astronomy, navigation, and horology revolves on the life of self-taught Yorkshire clockmaker John Harrison and his forty-year quest to create the ideal timepiece. Harrison fought the system on his own, seeking both the £20,000 award from Parliament and his answer.