About this item
In the tradition of Dava Sobel's Longitude comes sailing expert David Barrie's compelling and dramatic tale of invention and discovery - an eloquent elegy to one of the most important navigational instruments ever created, and the daring mariners who used it to explore, conquer, and map the world.Since its invention in 1759, a mariner's most prized possession has been the sextant. A navigation tool that measures the angle between a celestial object and the horizon, the sextant allowed sailors to pinpoint their exact location at sea.David Barrie chronicles the sextant's development and shows how it not only saved the lives of navigators in wild and dangerous seas, but played a pivotal role in their ability to map the globe. He synthesizes centuries of seafaring history and the daring sailors who have become legend, including James Cook, Matthew Flinders, Robert Fitz-Roy, Frank Worsley of the Endurance, and Joshua Slocum, the redoubtable old "lunarian" and first single-handed-round-the-world yachtsman.
About the Author
David Barrie is a crime writer who has lived in Paris for over twenty years. The city looms large in his NOIR CHIC crime novels. A sense of place has always been one of the foundations of quality crime fiction. Barrie's novels are true to the city in which they are set: stylish, sophisticated and crafted with an eye for the tiniest detail.As for Barrie's own take on what he does, here's an extract from a recent interview: "Crime fiction is a genre that has never turned its back on the simple pleasures of colourful characters and compelling plots. It's not ashamed to be entertaining, even while it's doing its best to keep the reader on his or her toes."If it's dark, alluring and has a wicked sense of style, it's probably NOIR CHIC.
