Longitude

I just finished reading Longitude, by David Sobel. This is the story of the man who invented the first clocks capable of telling accurate time whilst enduring the rough conditions of the open seas. This being vital for establishing ones longitude when navigating. Before this was possible many ships and lives were lost due to not knowing the accurate position of the ship.

The story follows John Harrison, a self educated passionate clock maker from England, who built his clocks at a time it was considered impossible.

Along the way there's lots of interesting history, and some familiar figures from history show up including Isaac Newton, Robert Hooke, King George III and Captain Cooke.