Brian's bookshelf: to-read en-US Thu, 20 Jun 2024 15:09:19 -0700 60 Brian's bookshelf: to-read 144 41 /images/layout/goodreads_logo_144.jpg <![CDATA[The Remarkable Journey of Coyote Sunrise (Coyote Sunrise #1)]]> 39280558
Coyote hasn’t been home in all that time, but when she learns the park in her old neighborhood is being demolished - the very same park where she, her mom, and her sisters buried a treasured memory box - she devises an elaborate plan to get her dad to drive 3,600 miles back to Washington state in four days...without him realizing it.

Along the way, they'll pick up a strange crew of misfit travelers. Lester has a lady love to meet. Salvador and his mom are looking to start over. Val needs a safe place to be herself. And then there's Gladys....

Over the course of thousands of miles, Coyote will learn that going home can sometimes be the hardest journey of all...but that with friends by her side, she just might be able to turn her “once upon a time� into a “happily ever after�.]]> 352 Dan Gemeinhart Brian 0 to-read 4.44 2019 The Remarkable Journey of Coyote Sunrise (Coyote Sunrise #1)
author: Dan Gemeinhart
name: Brian
average rating: 4.44
book published: 2019
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/06/20
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Caldera (Brotherband Chronicles, #7)]]> 34488586 The Herons take to the high seas to fend off pirates and rescue the heir to an empire in the newest adventure from John Flanagan, author of the worldwide bestselling Ranger's Apprentice!

Includes BONUS content--a brand-new Ranger's Apprentice short story featuring fan-favorites Will and Maddie!

In Hallasholm, Stig is contesting the annual Maktig competition to decide Skandia's greatest warrior. But a late-night knock on the door brings someone Stig never expected to see again, along with a request the Herons are hard-pressed to refuse: a rescue mission of epic proportions.

Across the ocean, the southern city-state of Byzantos is plagued by a crew of pirates who've kidnapped the son of Empress Justina. Slipping out of Hallasholm under the cover of darkness, the brotherband sets sail to recover the boy from his kidnappers, heading south to the island of Santorillos where a near-impenetrable fortress stands atop a cliff, surrounded by a lagoon--a caldera--formed by the crater of a volcano.

In this explosive seventh book in the action-packed Brotherband Chronicles, the Herons battle pirates amid stormy seas as the fate of an empire rests on their shoulders.]]> 12 John Flanagan 0525494057 Brian 4 to-read 4.28 2017 The Caldera (Brotherband Chronicles, #7)
author: John Flanagan
name: Brian
average rating: 4.28
book published: 2017
rating: 4
read at: 2017/10/20
date added: 2023/12/24
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Stern Chase (Brotherband Chronicles, #9)]]> 60151480 Outnumbered but determined, the Herons are ready for action. The scene is set for an epic battle at sea . . .

For years now, the Skandians have been the guardians of the Stormwhite Sea, stopping piracy wherever they find it. But there are some who don't like the Skandians' new role.

When their enemies strike at the heart of Hallasholm, damaging every ship and stealing the pride of the fleet, there is one hope. Hal's ship, the newly rebuilt Heron, was being repaired so the attackers didn't find her.

Hal and the Heron brotherband - along with the Oberjarl, Erak - set off to find Wolfwind. But when they discover the thieves are using Wolfwind to plunder ships and towns and blame the Skandians, Hal realises the pirates have a more sinister plan.]]> 264 John Flanagan 1761043072 Brian 4 to-read 4.10 2022 The Stern Chase (Brotherband Chronicles, #9)
author: John Flanagan
name: Brian
average rating: 4.10
book published: 2022
rating: 4
read at:
date added: 2023/12/24
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Kingfall (The Kingfall Histories, #1)]]> 58492911 Be bright but do not burn. Embrace the darkness but do not live in the shadows. The powerful godblades were believed to be lost nearly half a millennia ago, when the Godswar ended. Now, however, one has been found by the unlikeliest of wielders: Sampson Gaard, a sheltered prince who's been told he'll never rule Teravainen. As his power grows, the only question is whether he controls the blade or the blade him. With an insidious evil lurking in the shadows, the answer may very well determine the fate of all Kingfall.

Fans of A Game of Thrones, The Stormlight Archives, Legends of the First Empire and The Fatemarked Epic will enjoy The Kingfall Histories. Start your 5,000+ page epic adventure today.]]> 816 David Estes Brian 3 to-read 4.31 2021 Kingfall (The Kingfall Histories, #1)
author: David Estes
name: Brian
average rating: 4.31
book published: 2021
rating: 3
read at:
date added: 2023/12/24
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Cece Rios and the Desert of Souls (Cece Rios #1)]]> 49613673
When her older sister, Juana, is kidnapped by El Sombrerón, a powerful dark criatura, Cece is determined to bring Juana back. To get into Devil’s Alley, though, she’ll have to become a bruja herself—while hiding her quest from her parents, her town, and the other brujas. Thankfully, the legendary criatura Coyote has a soft spot for humans and agrees to help her on her journey.

With him at her side, Cece sets out to reunite her family—and maybe even change what it means to be a bruja along the way.]]> 352 Kaela Rivera 0062947559 Brian 2 to-read 4.33 2021 Cece Rios and the Desert of Souls (Cece Rios #1)
author: Kaela Rivera
name: Brian
average rating: 4.33
book published: 2021
rating: 2
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date added: 2023/12/24
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Return of the Temujai (Brotherband Chronicles, #8)]]> 45145972 The Herons take to the high seas in the action-packed eighth installment of the Brotherband Chronicles, Brotherband: Return of the Temujai from John Flanagan, author of the internationally bestselling Ranger's Apprentice series!

The Herons are home in Skandia, but the usually peaceful country is in danger. The Temujai--ruthless warriors from the Eastern Steppes--have never given up on their ambition to claim Skandia for their own...and now they're on the move. Hal and his crew will have to brave the treacherous icy river and rapids to stop them, no matter the cost.

Climb aboard with the Herons in Return of the Temujai the exciting eighth installment of the Brotherband Chronicles!]]> 347 John Flanagan 1524741450 Brian 4 to-read 4.34 2019 Return of the Temujai (Brotherband Chronicles, #8)
author: John Flanagan
name: Brian
average rating: 4.34
book published: 2019
rating: 4
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date added: 2023/12/24
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Earth Magic: A Kingdoms of Kambrya novel (The High King of Kambrya, #1)]]> 38601301
It is in this world that the young Elwin ap Gruffydd, the scholarly Prince of Ceredigion, suddenly finds himself orphaned, and faced with mounting challenges: his beloved sister is missing, the kingdoms of Kambrya are being overrun by an ancient evil, and his kingdom has been stolen by his own cousin. Can he and his childhood friends find the missing Princess Lina ap Gruffydd, and save the kingdom? Even before they can start the long journey, Elwin and his loyal friends find themselves hunted and chased by an evil that never sleeps and never rests. Will they survive? To make things worse, the young Elwin is horrified to find that a magic as old as the evil he faces, is begging to change him. Can the help of a mysterious druid from an outlawed religion help him? Can he even trust this strange druid from a land so distant that most believe it to be only a folk tale to scare children? Will the young Elwin be able to recognize his friends from his enemies? Can he embrace the magical changes that are rising up within him, or will he be destroyed by them? Can he find answers to the riddles and mysteries that have for centuries baffled humans, elves, and dark forces alike?

Find the answers in Earth Magic, the first book of a new exciting series that will start you on an epic journey of discovery, danger, and adventure.
]]> 584 Kenneth Price Brian 3 to-read 4.46 Earth Magic: A Kingdoms of Kambrya novel (The High King of Kambrya, #1)
author: Kenneth Price
name: Brian
average rating: 4.46
book published:
rating: 3
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date added: 2023/12/24
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]]> <![CDATA[Cemetery Boys (Cemetery Boys, #1)]]> 52339313
When his traditional Latinx family has problems accepting his gender, Yadriel becomes determined to prove himself a real brujo. With the help of his cousin and best friend Maritza, he performs the ritual himself, and then sets out to find the ghost of his murdered cousin and set it free.

However, the ghost he summons is actually Julian Diaz, the school’s resident bad boy, and Julian is not about to go quietly into death. He’s determined to find out what happened and tie up some loose ends before he leaves. Left with no choice, Yadriel agrees to help Julian, so that they can both get what they want. But the longer Yadriel spends with Julian, the less he wants to let him leave.]]> 344 Aiden Thomas 1250250463 Brian 3 to-read 4.26 2020 Cemetery Boys (Cemetery Boys, #1)
author: Aiden Thomas
name: Brian
average rating: 4.26
book published: 2020
rating: 3
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date added: 2023/12/24
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]]> <![CDATA[Across the Dark Water (Riders of the Realm, #1)]]> 32711703
Meanwhile, a small herd of pegasi have journeyed across a treacherous ocean to settle in a new, and free land. Led by Echofrost and Hazelwind, the Storm Herd steeds are unaware of the Sandwen people. But when the unthinkable happens, Echofrost and the rest of Storm Herd will have to come to trust the Sandwens, or both may not survive.]]> 448 Jennifer Lynn Alvarez 0062415395 Brian 3 to-read 4.30 2018 Across the Dark Water (Riders of the Realm, #1)
author: Jennifer Lynn Alvarez
name: Brian
average rating: 4.30
book published: 2018
rating: 3
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date added: 2023/12/24
shelves: to-read
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]]> <![CDATA[The Ghostfaces (Brotherband Chronicles, #6)]]> 26890008 Ěý
Suddenly the silence is broken when a massive, marauding bear appears, advancing on two children. The crew springs into action and rescues the children from the bear’s clutches, which earns them the gratitude and friendship of the local Mawagansett tribe, who finally reveal themselves. But the peace is short-lived. The Ghostfaces, a ruthless, warlike tribe who shave their heads and paint their faces white, are on the warpath once more. It’s been ten years since they raided the Mawagansett village, but they’re coming back to pillage and reap destruction. As the enemy approaches, the Herons gear up to help their new friends repel an invasion.
Ěý
In this sixth book in the action-packed Brotherband Chronicles, the Herons find themselves in unfamiliar lands and prepare for battle with a ruthless, unknown enemy.]]> 11 John Flanagan 0451485823 Brian 4 to-read 4.34 2016 The Ghostfaces (Brotherband Chronicles, #6)
author: John Flanagan
name: Brian
average rating: 4.34
book published: 2016
rating: 4
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date added: 2023/12/24
shelves: to-read
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]]> The Marvels 23566909
Nearly a century later, runaway Joseph Jervis seeks refuge with an uncle in London. Albert Nightingale's strange, beautiful house, with its mysterious portraits and ghostly presences, captivates Joseph and leads him on a search for clues about the house, his family, and the past.]]> 664 Brian Selznick 0545448689 Brian 3 to-read 3.99 2015 The Marvels
author: Brian Selznick
name: Brian
average rating: 3.99
book published: 2015
rating: 3
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date added: 2023/12/24
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review:

]]> <![CDATA[Scorpion Mountain (Brotherband Chronicles, #5)]]> 21456821
Hal, his Brotherband crew, and the Ranger Gilan have freed the twelve Araluens sold into slavery. Returning to Araluen, Gilan is given a new mission by King Duncan: protect his daughter’s life. Princess Cassandra has survived one attempt on her life already, and now whispers of a second attempt have reached the kingdom. A deadly sect known as the Scorpion Cult is thought to be behind the assassination threat.

Not waiting to see if the knife will strike true, the Brotherband again team up with Gilan to track down the would-be killers.

In this fifth book in the Brotherband Chronicles, old friends reemerge to take on new enemies as the worlds of Ranger’s Apprentice and Brotherband join forces in battle!]]> 480 John Flanagan 044087081X Brian 4 to-read 4.39 2014 Scorpion Mountain (Brotherband Chronicles, #5)
author: John Flanagan
name: Brian
average rating: 4.39
book published: 2014
rating: 4
read at:
date added: 2023/12/24
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Darkest Part of the Forest]]> 20958632
Hazel lives with her brother, Ben, in the strange town of Fairfold where humans and fae exist side by side. The faeries� seemingly harmless magic attracts tourists, but Hazel knows how dangerous they can be, and she knows how to stop them. Or she did, once.

At the center of it all, there is a glass coffin in the woods. It rests right on the ground and in it sleeps a boy with horns on his head and ears as pointed as knives. Hazel and Ben were both in love with him as children. The boy has slept there for generations, never waking.

Until one day, he does�

As the world turns upside down, Hazel tries to remember her years pretending to be a knight. But swept up in new love, shifting loyalties, and the fresh sting of betrayal, will it be enough?]]> 328 Holly Black 0316213071 Brian 4 to-read 3.87 2015 The Darkest Part of the Forest
author: Holly Black
name: Brian
average rating: 3.87
book published: 2015
rating: 4
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date added: 2023/12/24
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]]> <![CDATA[Wild Things! Acts of Mischief in Children's Literature]]> 18248483 Secret lives, scandalous turns, and some very funny surprises � these essays by leading kids� lit bloggers take us behind the scenes of many much-loved children’s books.

Did Laura Ingalls cross paths with a band of mass murderers? Why was a Garth Williams bunny tale dubbed "integrationist propaganda"? For adults who are curious about children’s books and their creators, here are the little-known stories behind the stories. A treasure trove of information for a student, librarian, new parent, or anyone wondering about the post–Harry Potter book biz, Wild Things! draws on the combined knowledge and research of three respected and popular librarian-bloggers. Told in affectionate and lively prose, with numerous never-before-collected anecdotes, this book chronicles some of the feuds and fights, errors and secret messages found in children’s books and brings contemporary illumination to the warm-and-fuzzy bunny world we think we know.]]> 288 Betsy Bird 0763651508 Brian 3 to-read 3.98 2014 Wild Things! Acts of Mischief in Children's Literature
author: Betsy Bird
name: Brian
average rating: 3.98
book published: 2014
rating: 3
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date added: 2023/12/24
shelves: to-read
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]]> One Amazing Thing 6585252
Late afternoon sun sneaks through the windows of a passport and visa office in an unnamed American city. Most customers and even most office workers have come and gone, but nine people remain. A punky teenager with an unexpected gift. An upper-class Caucasian couple whose relationship is disintegrating. A young Muslim-American man struggling with the fallout of 9/11. A graduate student haunted by a question about love. An African-American ex-soldier searching for redemption. A Chinese grandmother with a secret past. And two visa office workers on the verge of an adulterous affair.

When an earthquake rips through the afternoon lull, trapping these nine characters together, their focus first jolts to their collective struggle to survive. There's little food. The office begins to flood. Then, at a moment when the psychological and emotional stress seems nearly too much for them to bear, the young graduate student suggests that each tell a personal tale, "one amazing thing" from their lives, which they have never told anyone before. And as their surprising stories of romance, marriage, family, political upheaval, and self-discovery unfold against the urgency of their life-or-death circumstances, the novel proves the transcendent power of stories and the meaningfulness of human expression itself. From Chitra Divakaruni, author of such finely wrought, bestselling novels as Sister of My Heart, The Palace of Illusions , and The Mistress of Spices , comes her most compelling and transporting story to date. One Amazing Thing is a passionate creation about survival -- and about the reasons to survive.]]> 220 Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni 1401340997 Brian 3 to-read 3.45 2009 One Amazing Thing
author: Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni
name: Brian
average rating: 3.45
book published: 2009
rating: 3
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date added: 2023/12/24
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Shadow Cats (Fire and Thorns, #0.5)]]> 14739821
Alodia is the crown princess of the realm. The sister who knows how to rule, the one who is constantly reminded that she has not been marked for a grand destiny. But Alodia has plans, and she will be the greatest queen her people have ever known. So she travels—with her hopeless, naive, chosen sister—to a distant part of their land, to begin to secure her supporters. This region needs its princesses, for it is plagued with a curse; the crops don't grow, spring doesn't arrive, and a fierce jaguar stalks in the shadows, leaving behind only empty homes splashed with blood. If Alodia can save them, no one will be able to deny her strength and her sovereignty.

But what she discovers could change the fate of her kingdom, if not the entire world. And it will most certainly change her opinion of her younger sister.

The Shadow Cats is a prequel to the riveting Fire and Thorns trilogy.]]> 54 Rae Carson 0062219847 Brian 3 to-read 3.76 2012 The Shadow Cats (Fire and Thorns, #0.5)
author: Rae Carson
name: Brian
average rating: 3.76
book published: 2012
rating: 3
read at:
date added: 2023/12/24
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Legacy of the Clockwork Key (The Secret Order, #1)]]> 13629923
Together with the handsome stable hand she barely knows but hopes she can trust, Meg is swept into a hidden world of deception, betrayal, and revenge, uncovering evidence of an elite secret society and a dangerous invention that some will stop at nothing to protect.
]]> 409 Kristin Bailey 1442440260 Brian 2 to-read 3.66 2013 Legacy of the Clockwork Key (The Secret Order, #1)
author: Kristin Bailey
name: Brian
average rating: 3.66
book published: 2013
rating: 2
read at:
date added: 2023/12/24
shelves: to-read
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]]> The Night Circus 9361589
But behind the scenes, a fierce competition is underway—a duel between two young magicians, Celia and Marco, who have been trained since childhood expressly for this purpose by their mercurial instructors. Unbeknownst to them, this is a game in which only one can be left standing, and the circus is but the stage for a remarkable battle of imagination and will. Despite themselves, however, Celia and Marco tumble headfirst into love—a deep, magical love that makes the lights flicker and the room grow warm whenever they so much as brush hands.

True love or not, the game must play out, and the fates of everyone involved, from the cast of extraordinary circus performers to the patrons, hang in the balance, suspended as precariously as the daring acrobats overhead.

Written in rich, seductive prose, this spell-casting novel is a feast for the senses and the heart.]]> 506 Erin Morgenstern Brian 2 to-read 4.00 2011 The Night Circus
author: Erin Morgenstern
name: Brian
average rating: 4.00
book published: 2011
rating: 2
read at:
date added: 2023/12/24
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making (Fairyland, #1)]]> 9591398 Ěý
With exquisite illustrations by acclaimed artist Ana Juan, Fairyland lives up to the sensation it created when the author first posted it online. For readers of all ages who love the charm of Alice in Wonderland and the soul of The Golden Compass, here is a reading experience unto itself: unforgettable, and so very beautiful.
]]> 247 Catherynne M. Valente 0312649614 Brian 2 to-read 3.95 2011 The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making (Fairyland, #1)
author: Catherynne M. Valente
name: Brian
average rating: 3.95
book published: 2011
rating: 2
read at:
date added: 2023/12/24
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[On the Origin of Stories: Evolution, Cognition, and Fiction]]> 6378585
Art is a specifically human adaptation, Boyd argues. It offers tangible advantages for human survival, and it derives from play, itself an adaptation widespread among more intelligent animals. More particularly, our fondness for storytelling has sharpened social cognition, encouraged cooperation, and fostered creativity.

After considering art as adaptation, Boyd examines Homer's "Odyssey" and Dr. Seuss's "Horton Hears a Who!" demonstrating how an evolutionary lens can offer new understanding and appreciation of specific works. What triggers our emotional engagement with these works? What patterns facilitate our responses? The need to hold an audience's attention, Boyd underscores, is the fundamental problem facing all storytellers. Enduring artists arrive at solutions that appeal to cognitive universals: an insight out of step with contemporary criticism, which obscures both the individual and universal. Published for the bicentenary of Darwin's birth and the 150th anniversary of the publication of "Origin of Species, " Boyd's study embraces a Darwinian view of human nature and art, and offers a credo for a new humanism.]]> 560 Brian Boyd 0674033574 Brian 3 to-read 3.82 2009 On the Origin of Stories: Evolution, Cognition, and Fiction
author: Brian Boyd
name: Brian
average rating: 3.82
book published: 2009
rating: 3
read at:
date added: 2023/12/24
shelves: to-read
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]]> <![CDATA[Oracles of Delphi Keep (Oracles of Delphi Keep, #1)]]> 4544390 Ian Wigby is about to find out that he is a very special boy.

Along the southern coast of England, atop the White Cliffs of Dover, stands a castle. And at that castle’s old keep is an orphanage. Delphi Keep has seen many youngsters come and go through its gates, and Ian Wigby and his sister, Theodosia, are happy to call it home. Life has always been simple at the Keep, and the orphanage safe, until one day, Ian and Theo find a silver treasure box. And within the box, a prophesy. Three thousand years ago a great Greek oracle wrote of a quest. A quest on which the fate of the world depends. A quest that names two children—Ian and Theodosia. Suddenly Delphi Keep is no longer safe. And Ian and Theo, along with a very special group of friends, realize they must unravel the meaning behind the scroll of Dover cavern before darkness falls on the world. And before an unfathomable evil catches up with them.


From the Hardcover edition.]]> 560 Victoria Laurie 0385735723 Brian 4 to-read 3.95 2009 Oracles of Delphi Keep (Oracles of Delphi Keep, #1)
author: Victoria Laurie
name: Brian
average rating: 3.95
book published: 2009
rating: 4
read at:
date added: 2023/12/24
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The New Policeman (New Policeman, #1)]]> 287886 Who knows where the time goes?

There never seems to be enough time in Kinvara, or anywhere else in Ireland for that matter. When J.J.'s mother says time's what she really wants for her birthday, J.J. decides to find her some. He's set himself up for an impossible task . . . until a neighbor reveals a secret. There's a place where time stands still--at least, it's supposed to. J.J. can make the journey there, but he'll have to vanish from his own life to do so. Can J.J. find the leak between the two worlds? Will a shocking rumor about his family's past come back to haunt him? And what does it all have to do with the village's new policeman . . . ?

]]> 448 Kate Thompson 0061174270 Brian 3 to-read 3.66 2005 The New Policeman (New Policeman, #1)
author: Kate Thompson
name: Brian
average rating: 3.66
book published: 2005
rating: 3
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date added: 2023/12/24
shelves: to-read
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]]> <![CDATA[Longitude: The True Story of a Lone Genius Who Solved the Greatest Scientific Problem of His Time]]> 4806 Longitude is the dramatic human story of an epic scientific quest. The "longitude problem" was the thorniest dilemma of the eighteenth century. Lacking the ability to measure longitude, sailors throughout the great ages of exploration had been literally lost at sea.

At the heart of Dava Sobel's fascinating brief history of astronomy, navigation and horology stands the figure of John Harrison, self-taught Yorkshire clockmaker, and his forty-year obsession with building the perfect timekeeper. Battling against the establishment, Harrison stood alone in pursuit of his solution and the ÂŁ20,000 reward offered by Parliament.]]> 184 Dava Sobel 0802714625 Brian 3 to-read 3.97 1995 Longitude: The True Story of a Lone Genius Who Solved the Greatest Scientific Problem of His Time
author: Dava Sobel
name: Brian
average rating: 3.97
book published: 1995
rating: 3
read at:
date added: 2023/12/24
shelves: to-read
review:

]]>