Sundials: History, Theory, and Practice

René R.J. Rohr

ISBN 10: 0486291391 / ISBN 13: 9780486291390

Published by New York: Dover, 1996, 1996

About this Item

Paper bound, oblong octavo, illustrated throughout, viii + Pp142. Includes tables, references, and index. Ex-library copy. Corners slightly fanned else a tight. unmarked, very good or better copy. 470 grams. All books in stock and available for immediate shipment from Winnipeg, Manitoba.

Seller Inventory # 24676

Bibliographic Details

• Title: Sundials: History, Theory, and Practice
• Publisher: New York: Dover, 1996
• Publication Date: 1996
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0486291391
• ISBN 13: 9780486291390
• Binding: Soft cover
• Seller catalogs:
  • History of Science

About this title

Synopsis

"His lively pen, his direct and simple style, his expressive vocabulary, his avoidance of pedantry, his conciseness in the exposition of his thoughts make his book a pleasure to read." — Henri Michel, International Academy of the History of Science
The story of man's efforts to measure time is a long one — reaching back thousands of years to the dawn of civilization. Among the earliest instruments developed for telling time was the sundial. In this expert study, a noted sundial expert offers a fascinating and informative account of these ancient devices, presented in simple, lively language.
Over the centuries, many different varieties of sundials have been constructed, and Mr. Rohr provides detailed, accurate descriptions of them all: classical sundials, inclined dials, solar calendars, analemmatic dials, moon dials, and many more. There is even a chapter devoted to especially remarkable dials past and present, and a listing of the most popular sundial mottoes.
In this profusely illustrated volume, you will not only learn about the long and colorful history of the sundial, you will learn a practical method of building one yourself. No special knowledge is required, other than an understanding of the basic principles of cosmography and of the relative movements of the sun and the planets. (These are recalled in an elementary way in a special chapter.) For mathematically inclined readers, more complex formulae and calculations have been included, some of which have never been printed in a book of gnomonics.

Reviews

First published in English in 1970, Rohr's volume traces a history of sundials as well as the science behind their operation. Along with measuring time, some of these devices also followed the movements of the moon and were accurate solar calendars. This is for both the lay reader and the scientist alike.
Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc.