While writing an article about the 1900 navigational feat of the Warrimoo (see Baggywrinkle Blog), I was reminded of a couple of books I had previously enjoyed on related topics. Working in chronological order of the subject matter, the first was The World of Gerard Mercator: The Mapmaker Who Revolutionized Geography by Andrew Taylor. The second was Longitude: The True Story of a Lone Genius Who Solved the Greatest Scientific Problem of His Time by Dava Sobel.
I loved the Mercator book as much for its historical insights into the 16th century, a period which has always fascinated me, as for its explanation of how to solve the thorny problem of mapping a round globe onto a flat two dimensional map. Mercator’s life (1512-1594) spanned most of that century which included the exploration of the new world, the religious inquisition and reformation, and the artistic renaissance. The religious convulsions were particularly relevant to Mercator’s story as his assertion that the world was round contradicted the teachings of the catholic church. At one point he was imprisoned by the Inquisition in Flanders as a result of his theories.
Longitude is the story of John Harrison (1693-1776), an English carpenter and clockmaker who invented the marine chronometer which assisted mariners in measuring longitude at sea. It is hard to over-estimate how his invention revolutionized the safety of navigation at sea. The fundamental problem he solved was how to design and manufacture a mechanical time piece which would keep accurate time on a ship while being buffeted by ocean waves and storms. The problem was of such significance that a large cash prize was promised to anyone who could create the clock, a prize which Harrison eventually won. Sobel is an excellent writer on science topics.
Anyone interested in how the 24 time zones were conceived might enjoy reading about Sir Sandford Fleming, the Canadian railway engineer who developed the time zone system now used throughout most of the world. There are numerous concise summaries of his life and innovations available online.
Article published in the February 2023 issue of the Burnt Store Marina Beacon.