Compass: A Story of Exploration and Innovation
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Compass: A Story of Exploration and Innovation by Alan Gurney
The first compasses were devised a thousand years ago and as they were steadily improved, an understanding of their potential developed, so they made possible much of the exploration of the world, reliable mapping, and the reliable sea and air transport networks that we still rely on today.
"..looks as if it might do for magnetic north what Longitude did for, well, longitude." - Erica Wagner, The Times "...[I]t is in these chapters on Knight that Gurney shows best what he is capable of. Without laborious analysis, he charts a steady shift from theoretical to empirical science; equally deft is he in his narrating of Knight's capabilities as a business man (which easily matched his capabilities as an inventor). Gurney's digressive style also works to his advantage in his discussions of Knight, as he gives tantalizing suggestions about the ways in which accurate navigation, or rather, the ability to intercept escaping ships at sea and the counter-plunder, bolstered not only the naval supremacy of the British fleet, but also the national exchequer." David Thorley, TLS, 18 February 2005
Alan Gurney was a former yacht designer and photographer. His books include Compass, The Race to the White Continent, and Below the Convergence: Voyages Toward Antarctica: 1699–1839.
| SKU | Unavailable |
| ISBN 13 | 9780393050738 |
| ISBN 10 | 0393050734 |
| Title | Compass: A Story of Exploration and Innovation |
| Author | Alan Gurney |
| Condition | Unavailable |
| Binding Type | Hardback |
| Publisher | WW Norton & Co |
| Year published | 2004-06-17 |
| Number of pages | 320 |
| Cover note | Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary. |
| Note | Unavailable |