Rating: 
Summary: Unbelievably fascinating.Totally absorbing.
Review: Typifies mans unrelenting struggle to master his environment. A MUST REA
Rating: 
Summary: A good, quick, easy read. Lacks a bit of meat.
Review: Dava Sobels novel is great for a quick rundown on the quest to find longditude and the battle between the astronomers and 'mechanics' to do so. However, the book isn't meaty enough. More facts on the actual workings of the clocks and the technicalities of the astronomical approach, as well as some more discussion on what effects accurate time keeping has had on society would have added to the book.
Rating: 
Summary: Interesting
Review: This book was very interesting, especially since Sobel tried to make up a story consisting of both one human's struggle for several decades to construct a clock that could be used to measure longitude, the technological aspects, and the evil Board of Longitude, those who would give the 20,000£ to the first man who could solve the longitude problem. This is put together in a very short space, only around 160 pages. One cannot fail to notice that Sobel's writing is very distant from the protagonist, John Harrison, not following his every thought and movement, but rather easily walking along with him, at a distance, noticing his more important deeds and chronicling them in a way that is very understandable. I did not recieve an answer on one of the most important questions, however: How do you measure longitude with clocks? Despite the fact that some of the questions are unanswered, and some requires a bit of technological knowledge to understand, this is a very good and easy book to read. I highly enjoyed it, since it, apart from many other books, does not require the reader to concentrate everything on the book, but rather just ride along with this finely crafted book.
Rating:
Summary: Fascinating!
Review: This book told the remarkable story of a man's obsession to make the perfect clock. It really aroused my curiousity about the era of naval exploration.
Rating:
Summary: Great Reading - but how does it work ?
Review: Great reading, but I am very disapointed that after finishing this book I still have no idea how these clocks work, or even a faint idea what the actual invention is. What did he change and enhance? Even without this information: Where are the pictures? We are talking 200 pages about one problem solved by a man over his lifespan building 4 different clocks, what we see of these clocks are 4 stamp size pictures! I have seen that there is an illustrated editon of this book available. That might solve the paperback problem, but without a little bit more background on the technology side this book tells only half the story.
Rating: 
Summary: Irritatingly incomplete
Review: I was deeply disappointed by this book. It was repetitive in style and didn't have much factual information.
Rating:
Summary: Great quick read for all interested in navigation.
Review: Those of us who go down to the sea in ships often take for granted the electronic tools we use to fix our position. This little book gives insight into the challenges faced in eightteenth century navigation and the solution to the longitude puzzle which made safe passage at sea possible. I highly recommend this book for providing historical background and perscpective on common problems in navigation.
Rating:
Summary: Fascinating
Review: I have absolutely no interest in this subject matter, which is why it is such an accomplishment of Sobel's that I found it to be such a riveting read. First-rate.
Rating: 
Summary: Interesting human tale lacks substance
Review: Stylishly written and well narrated, this book certainly succeeds as a great read. Deliberately told from a human perspective, we learn more about John Harrison's struggles with the authorities of the day than the inspiration for his genius.Sobel avoided writing in an academic style (hence lack of technical details), but more than this, she seems to have skipped a lot of the research and thought needed to write a historical story like this. It is written from a 20th C. American stand-point - falling into the fallacy of judging history from today's standards. The author didn't even visit England where more or less the entire book is set until the last chapters! This shows through in the writing very clearly and is a great shame. This destroyed the author's credibility for me. This "view from the 20th C" also appeared in the way that often the events were described with no explanation for the reasons for them, in fact with a sort of wonder that they happened at all. I would like people's motivations explained, not stared at in amazement. All told, I think this book is far more interesting as a window on an American perspective of the world - rather than a view of past events.
Rating:
Summary: Broadens thinking to a reflection on the nature of discovery
Review: In addition to the fascinating account of Harrison's scientific achievement and his attempts to be justly recognized, I found this book to be remarkably thought-provoking on the very nature of scientific and technological progress. Non-scientists like me tend to think of goal-directed technological advance, financed by governments and private enterprises, and encouraged by prizes, as a relatively new phenomenon. The longitude story provides a strong continuity with the past, both in terms of scientific method and in terms of the difficult relationships between policy-makers, politicians (often ignorant of science and influenced by all manner of persons, competent or not) and scientists. This story has much to tell us about today's world as well.
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