Synopsis
During the great age of exploration, the "longitude
problem" was the gravest of scientific challenges.
Without the ability to determine longitude, sailors and their
ships were lost at sea as soon as they lost sight of land. In
1714, desperate for a solution, England's Parliament offered
20,000 pounds (the equivalent of millions of dollars today)
to anyone who could solve the problem. With all the skill and
storytelling ability of a great novelist, Dava Sobel captures
the dramatic story at the heart of this epic scientific
quest.