Ha, so I had also read Carry On, Mr. Bowditch and was approaching this book with that as context. Which is one reason I'm side-eyeing the author's severe downplaying of the role of astronomical calculations after Harrison had solved the chronometer problem, because last I checked, both Bowditch and, a hundred years later, Worsley in 1917 in Antarctic waters, were doing the "taking sightings, looking up tables in a book, doing calculations" thing that she disparages. The book briefly mentions that astronomical measurements and calculations continued to be necessary, but wow is the treatment one-sided.
That said, because I knew a few things about the astronomical aspects of navigation, and none at all about the engineering problem of chronometers, this book was valuable for that. But I'm very glad I went in with even the little background I did!
Incidentally, her take is that astronomy had more prestige than engineering (legit), and the fact that the longitude problem was hard meant to some people that only a hard solution was acceptable, and so the fact that taking measurements on a ship that moves up and down, having to compensate for your own height plus that of anything you're standing on, looking things up, trying to keep the book dry, etc. were all really hard were a feature rather than a bug. She says that a century or so earlier and Harrison's devices, which incorporated all the calculations into the hardware and made working them out unnecessary (except for taking local time, which I feel like she also downplays), would have been witchcraft! Since it was the 18th century, he was just dismissed as "It couldn't possibly be that easy," and that was why people kept pursuing the astronomical approach.
All of this comes with a big "Maybe these were factors, but I wish I trusted the author more, because I feel like there was more to it." Since like you said,
(since even after Harrison, chronometers were pretty expensive)
Me: Well, I know why I think the longitude problem is interesting, but why does mildred think it's interesting? I don't think it has anything to do with Fr-- Mildred: Now, if you're me, the words "Lisbon with Admiral Norris in 1736" is a magic phrase that means "Peter Keith." Me: Welp, guess that one's answered!
Hahahahaa, well. It was a major factor in me deciding to buy and read this book after I'd gotten to the 1736 Lisbon part in the Kindle sample. (Amazon rec is how I stumbled on it.) I also, and this is kind of crazy, impulse bought a book on the warship that the chronometer was tested on, solely because Google preview didn't have the page with the footnote showing the original source for the discussion of the English fleet and conditions in Lisbon after they arrived. I was joking to my wife that you know you've gone over the top in your fandom when you're impulse buying a biography of a warship! (It was $3.99! It was readable! I couldn't resist!) I might actually read more chapters someday, right now my list is a little long (50% thanks to Selena :P).
LOL! YUP.
Right? :DD
ETA: Oh, and the author says he was the *only* one who said anything negative about it at the meeting. Honestly, I think he would fit in the Engineer Trilogy really well. "This is an abomination! It departs from specification!" Everyone else: "It's amazing!"
Re: Longitude
That said, because I knew a few things about the astronomical aspects of navigation, and none at all about the engineering problem of chronometers, this book was valuable for that. But I'm very glad I went in with even the little background I did!
Incidentally, her take is that astronomy had more prestige than engineering (legit), and the fact that the longitude problem was hard meant to some people that only a hard solution was acceptable, and so the fact that taking measurements on a ship that moves up and down, having to compensate for your own height plus that of anything you're standing on, looking things up, trying to keep the book dry, etc. were all really hard were a feature rather than a bug. She says that a century or so earlier and Harrison's devices, which incorporated all the calculations into the hardware and made working them out unnecessary (except for taking local time, which I feel like she also downplays), would have been witchcraft! Since it was the 18th century, he was just dismissed as "It couldn't possibly be that easy," and that was why people kept pursuing the astronomical approach.
All of this comes with a big "Maybe these were factors, but I wish I trusted the author more, because I feel like there was more to it." Since like you said,
(since even after Harrison, chronometers were pretty expensive)
Me: Well, I know why I think the longitude problem is interesting, but why does mildred think it's interesting? I don't think it has anything to do with Fr--
Mildred: Now, if you're me, the words "Lisbon with Admiral Norris in 1736" is a magic phrase that means "Peter Keith."
Me: Welp, guess that one's answered!
Hahahahaa, well. It was a major factor in me deciding to buy and read this book after I'd gotten to the 1736 Lisbon part in the Kindle sample. (Amazon rec is how I stumbled on it.) I also, and this is kind of crazy, impulse bought a book on the warship that the chronometer was tested on, solely because Google preview didn't have the page with the footnote showing the original source for the discussion of the English fleet and conditions in Lisbon after they arrived. I was joking to my wife that you know you've gone over the top in your fandom when you're impulse buying a biography of a warship! (It was $3.99! It was readable! I couldn't resist!) I might actually read more chapters someday, right now my list is a little long (50% thanks to Selena :P).
LOL! YUP.
Right? :DD
ETA: Oh, and the author says he was the *only* one who said anything negative about it at the meeting. Honestly, I think he would fit in the Engineer Trilogy really well. "This is an abomination! It departs from specification!" Everyone else: "It's amazing!"