Compass: A Story of Exploration and Innovation

Gurney, Alan

ISBN 10: 0393327132 / ISBN 13: 9780393327137

Published by W. W. Norton & Company (edition New edition), 2005

About this Item

The item might be beaten up but readable. May contain markings or highlighting, as well as stains, bent corners, or any other major defect, but the text is not obscured in any way.

Seller Inventory # 0393327132-7-1

Bibliographic Details

• Title: Compass: A Story of Exploration and Innovation
• Publisher: W. W. Norton & Company (edition New edition)
• Publication Date: 2005
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0393327132
• ISBN 13: 9780393327137
• Binding: Paperback
• Edition: New edition.
• Condition: Fair

About this title

Synopsis

"The compass's rocky evolution is charted with an enthusiast's passion…A fascinating adventure." ―Bernadette Murphy, Los Angeles Times

This is the rich history of the most important navigational device of all time, the magnetic compass, born of the need for a reliable means of negotiating treacherous sea routes around the globe. Compass chronicles the misadventures of those who attempted to perfect the instrument―so precious to sixteenth-century seamen that, by law, any man found tampering with one had his hand pinned to the mast with a dagger. Part history, part adventure, this book is a compelling tribute to human ingenuity―and the mysteries of the sea.

20 illustrations.

About the Author

Alan Gurney was a former yacht designer and photographer. His books include Compass, The Race to the White Continent, and Below the Convergence: Voyages Toward Antarctica: 1699–1839.