Sea Clocks: The Story of Longitude. Written by Louise Borden, Illustrated by Erik Blegvad
Before the days of Sea Clocks, captains of ships had no way of knowing where they were on the course of their voyages. They could figure out their position north or south of the equator (their latitude) by studying the position of the Sun or the North Star. But when it came to how far east or west they were from their home port, all they could do was guess based on how long they had been at sea....which sometimes led to problems like getting lost at sea. Many scientists worked on this problem of how to find the Longitude. The crown offered a reward of 20,000 pounds to whoever could find the answer. One man spent his entire life working towards that goal. This is his story.
I like several things about this book. First, it is told in a story format, but it is 100% based on historical facts. I love books that relate history in a way that is accessible and intriguing, utilizing the STORY in history. Secondly, while the writers mainly tell the story of John Harrison and his lifelong work, in order to give us a more holistic perspective, they also tell about other historical figures and scientists and how their discoveries and contributions ultimately impacted Harrison's success. Third, Borden emphasizes the character traits that led to Harrison's eventual success: curiosity, problem-solving, patience, and perseverance. In a society where information and knowledge are so immediately available, these character traits are almost foreign concepts. If an answer is not immediately within our reach we tend to lose interest. As a society, we are not comfortable with the process of "trial and error" whether in school, business, or our personal lives. Yet these are the reasons we have the knowledge and information (and the methods for obtaining them) that are available to us today.
This book is a great one for making connections across History and for stimulating discussions on how the discoveries of one person impacted another person's discoveries. What I love about History is that it helps us makes sense of the present. Take the message of this book one step further and discuss how Harrison's discoveries impact today's world.
