Longitude

This is a quick, informative read. Sobel deftly conveys the complexity and difficulty of the longitude problem in layman's terms, and describes several of the solutions proposed, some of which are quite humorous. The prose is for the most part clear and concise, though it is sometimes accented by superfluous poetic flourishes. I wish that the end of the book offered more specifics about Harrison's impact on horology, and I think it could also have benefited greatly from annotated pictures of the movements of his machines.