Compass: A Story of Exploration and Innovation

This book was a replacement for one that I had misplaced after reading it a couple of times. I liked this book so much I wanted to read it again, so i ordered another copy! This book gives a great history of the evolution of the modern compass from the very start, all the while weaving a tale of intrigue, greed and lust for power that rivals Washington today.A great read for anyone interested in navigation, history and well, compasses in general. Worth the price of admission.

This is a brilliant examination of the history of the compass and its impact on sailing. This edition is worthy of careful reading. Sailors will love this book.

Unique hisTorical reading. It shows the challenges of developing an d navigating with the compass. As with other books, the author will not end the book when he should, so he keeps writing boring the reader.

Author mixes side stories of historical examples of navigation screw-ups due to poor understanding of compass design and variability of earth's magnetic field. If you liked the bestseller "Longitude", or you navigate boats, this is a must read. Very enjoyable and informative.

Before I read this book, I had an impression that a compass was old technology that while somewhat flawed (it pointed to magnetic north rather than true north) was generally reliable. Not so. It took longer to develop a reliable compass than it did to develop the chronograph to measure longitude. This book covers all the trials and tribulations.

Any technology, navigation or boating nerd will appreciate the history described in this book. The development, obstacles, and even politics surrounding the development and improvements of ships' compasses are described, and it's both entertaining and informative. The author has done a wonderful job. I don't know how he found the time, between designing amazing sailboats. I suspect he time-traveled on the side.

A good historical read that adds nicely to a library if you have a technical maritime interest.

Alan Gurney is a famous yacht designer and his scholarship in this book is the equal of his designs. His discussion of variation and the details of its distribution and change were new to me although I have sailed to Hawaii using compass and sextant

航海に欠かせない羅針盤の歴史を詳述したノンフィクション．羅針盤を中心に据えた航海術の歴史としても読むことができる好著．時代は13～20世紀．方向磁石は古代から知られていたが，これを荒天下の揺れる船上でも安定に使うには大変な技術が必要である．また羅針盤が指す北は地図上の真の北ではなく，場所によって異なり，また経年変化を伴う偏差，船内の磁性部品の影響による自差があり，これを正確に補正する必要がある．このずれに起因する遭難事故も後を断たず，この補正のために先人は血の滲むような努力を重ねてきた．また自ら設計した羅針盤を海軍や船会社に売り込むために，発明家はあの手この手を使って立ち回る．単なる事実の羅列に終わらず，科学技術の背後にある生臭い人間の営みを描いており，読み応えのある内容である．記述がほぼイギリスに限定されていることはイギリスが世界の海を支配していた事情を考えれば止むを得ないとしても，挿図がほとんどないことは残念である．船好き，海好き，科学好きにおすすめ．

not as comprehensive as hoped.