Rating: 
Summary: One sided, over-hyped chronical of chronometer developement
Review: Easy read, but not too much depth. No real motivations presented regarding a man who spent his entire life in the pursuit of a single goal. Besides being written in an "overly flowerly" style at points, I thought the "other side" of the story was not well represented. Other points of view were hinted, but not explored or explained.
Rating: 
Summary: Absolutely excellent. Not just 'cause he's my ancestor also.
Review: This book concentrates solely of one man's struggle to keep up with people but mainly TIME. I say this because he tries to convince the world that he can do the virtually imposible. He succeeds of course and only gets paid in full for his troubles after he's made his very last Chronometer. You must read this book for not only the plot but the entire story.
Rating:
Summary: A tale well organized that targets the casual reader
Review: Longitude Reviewed by Eve Nikolova, Student in Genetics at Drexel University, Philadelphia, PAStarting in the early 18th century, a scientific quest for the measurement of Longitude at sea began with the establishment of the Board of Longitude under the British Government. The Board was charged with the review of helpful inventions and was to award the most talented scientist with a prize of 20,000.00 British lira. The conflict of interests immediately began. Driven mostly by the money and fame that such recognition would bring, numerous scholars and sailors made the measuring of Longitude their life's work. While every one in Europe was looking at the skies, an unknown clockmaker dared to trust his own mechanical knowledge in making the perfect watch. John Harrison's clocks were a tool rather than a scientific method for finding Longitude. Although the incredible work of a genius, these inventions were met with doubt and jalousie and by the Scientific Society. Isaac Newton wrote to the Board: "'One [method] is by Watch to keep the time exactly. But by reason of the motion of the Ship, the Variation of Heat and Cold, Wet and Dry, and the Difference of Gravity in different Latitudes, such a Watch hath not yet been made.' And not likely to be made, either, he implied. This story is set in an era of great scientific activity in which a natural genius did not receive fair treatment because he was ahead of his time. Longitude, The Story of a Lone Genius... reveals to the unaware reader the importance of shows how the pending prize turned to be the reason for many scientific achievements that now a day are regarded as common knowledge. For example, while searching for a way of measuring Longitude, astronomers mapped the skies from end to end in the hopes to draw some use from the Lunar movement while at sea. Galileo observed Jupiter and calculated its predictable eclipses. The exact distance between the Sun and Earth a well as the speed of light was calculated. John Harrison's perfectionism and generosity revealed a major set back in the competitive scientific world of his time. This is a tale well organized and clear that targets the casual reader. Its repetitive pattern informs and educates without obliging. The scene of action is set very carefully and in detail so the reader can feel the impact of John Harrison's both greatness and misfortune.
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Summary: A must for travellers with a scientific/historical bent!
Review: A thoroughly research compilation of the numerous factors influencing the introduction of accurate longitudinal readings at sea. The book is written in much the way a cliff hanger novel would be only this is all true. It appropriately chronicals various critical discoveries leading to John Harrison's lifetime study/obsession of the creation of his masterpiece 'chronometers'. It further details the political obstacles he faced, as his creations undermined the need for the royal observatory and its directorial head. This is a thoroughly excellent mix combining the scientific, the political an the social challenges in bring safer sea travel along with the courageous individuals involved with the creation and testing of the various solutions to the problem of longitude. I could put it down once I started!
Rating:
Summary: The best scientific book I've ever read!
Review: I loved this book! It's well written and interesting. If history had been this interesting in school, well...
Rating: 
Summary: Really excellent and simple presentation of a complex story
Review: Dava Sobel did an excellent job making a riveting tale out of material, which on its face, would be considered by many to be tedious and boring. She explained the problem of identifying one's longitude, which in reality is a very complex topic, in a manner than almost anyone could understand, even without any background whatsoever in the subject, or the mathematical or physical underpinings of the subject. I liked the paperback so much I decided to buy the illustrated version as well.
Rating: 
Summary: A good primer on the chronometer and Harrison, but no depth.
Review: After reading Longitude by Dava Sobel I now have a general understanding of the story behind the development of the chronometer. This book keeps on the topic, and is written in a strait forward manner, neither reflecting a technical nor academic style. Unfortunately, Sobel's style also lacks emotion, and I was left without feelings for the characters except outrage at the harsh treatment meted out to John Harrison, the chronometer's creator. The absence of pictures also made the chronometer itself, and its application, a bit difficult to visualize. I recommend this book to anyone wanting an introduction to this story, but for more depth, look elsewhere.
Rating:
Summary: Overhyped, but Decent
Review: Slim, vastly overhyped story of the quest to discover a method for calculating longitude, and the unassuming self-taught British clockmaker who invented what we now call the chronometer. It's somewhat interesting history in that it brings home what a big deal solving the longitude problem was, but the personal struggles and feuding come across as almost cliché-like. Still, worthwhile reading. An illustrated edition which is due to come out in late 1998 should be a bit more interesting.
Rating:
Summary: excellent and well-written
Review: i thought the book was concise and well-written, and not too technical for the average reader. i fail to understand why many of the reviews criticized ms.sobel for having "no diagrams or line drawings." i guess they didn't read the illustrated longitude. the book is full of excellent photographs and drawings, with full explanations. the subject of longitude was difficult enough for John Harrison and Ms. Sobel, please don't make it any more difficult without doing your homework. the book was great, and important, too!!!
Rating:
Summary: A must for devotées of navigation
Review: Recommended reading for top celestial navigation students at local junior high school. Clear depiction of the evolution of chronometers makes the connection between the sky and the clock, between the position of the stars and the position of one's feet very much within the grasp of every reader.
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