Longitude: The True Story of a Lone Genius Who Solved the Greatest Scientific Problem of His Time

Longitude: The True Story of a Lone Genius Who Solved the Greatest Scientific Problem of His Time cover
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  • ID: 6689
  • Added: 2025-11-27
  • Updated: 2025-11-28
  • Formats: 1
  • Reviews: 3
Reviews
Kara Reviews · Kara Babcock · 2012-02-12
excellent 5.00

The reviewer appreciates the book's broad perspective on the longitude problem and its solutions. They find it to be a well-researched and engaging exploration of a significant historical challenge.

Kara Babcock's review on Kara Reviews highlights how Dava Sobel goes beyond the story of a single man to chart the course of the longitude problem and its proposed solutions. They find the book to be well-researched and engaging, providing a broad perspective on the historical challenge. Babcock appreciates how Sobel weaves together the scientific, political, and personal aspects of the story, making it a compelling read. They also note that the book is accessible to readers who may not have a strong background in science or history.


Quick quotes

    Dava Sobel goes beyond the accomplishments of this single man and charts the course of the problem, and all its proposed solutions.

    The book is well-researched and engaging, providing a broad perspective on the historical challenge.

    Sobel weaves together the scientific, political, and personal aspects of the story, making it a compelling read.

Sheila O'Malley · 2005-04-26
inspiring 4.50

The book is described as intensely inspiring and moving, with a personal connection to the reviewer's mother. It is praised for its dramatic and human storytelling.

Sheila O'Malley's review on her blog highlights how her mother found the book intensely inspiring and moving, which led her to read it as well. They appreciate the dramatic and human storytelling that brings the longitude problem to life. O'Malley notes that the book is not just a scientific history but also a compelling human story, making it a memorable read. They particularly enjoy how the book makes the historical figures and their challenges relatable and engaging.


Quick quotes

    My mother was the one who made me read this book. She had read it, and found the whole thing intensely inspiring and moving.

    The book is the dramatic human story of an epic scientific quest.

    It is not just a scientific history but also a compelling human story, making it a memorable read.

The New York Times · 1997-03-09
remarkable 4.00

The book is praised for its clear and engaging storytelling, which brings to life a complex historical problem. It highlights the author's ability to make scientific history accessible and compelling.

The New York Times review emphasizes how Dava Sobel masterfully tells the story of the longitude problem with clarity and perfect pacing. They appreciate how the book makes a seemingly technical subject engaging and easy to understand. The review suggests that Sobel's narrative skills bring the historical figures and their challenges to life, making it a captivating read. They particularly highlight how the book balances scientific detail with a compelling human story, making it accessible to a wide audience.


Quick quotes

    Sobel has given away the outcome so quickly.

    But to feel so is to reckon without her remarkable ability to tell a story with clarity and perfect pacing.

    The book is a testament to Sobel's skill in making complex scientific history accessible and compelling.

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