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Sometimes it pays to be in the right place at the right time. Certainly the mariners in Amalfi in the twelfth century were. Here the compass was first invented and used in navigation, eventually helping to make Italians the world's greatest sailors. But the story of the compass is shrouded in mystery and myth. It begins in ancient China around the birth of Christ. A mysterious lodestone whose powers affected metal was known to the Emperor. This piece of metal suspended in water always pointed north and was put to excellent use in feng shui, the Chinese art of finding the right location. However, it was the Italians who unleashed the compass's formidable powers on ships at sea. Throughout the ancient world, sailors navigated by wind, and stars, and the routes of migrating birds, but bad weather and winter storms impeded their travels. When the compass migrated to Italy, the modern world began: Venice, trade with the East, the Age of Discovery. The compass made it all possible, and this is its fascinating story.… (más)
This was a quick, but good read. Well researched, with references given at the end, this was a fascinating tale of the dissemination of the technology which enabled advancement in navigation. I had a few minor quibbles, such as the reference to Magellan's voyage proving the world to be spherical. But, overall a great read, and I learned many new things. ( )
Meh. Its an easy read, but I found it to be rather boring - its mostly full of conjecture, especially at the beginning, and for the most part, to dry. The chapters on how Venice became such a big player in sea trade was very interesting. Recommended if you are interested in the subject, but skip if you are just looking for a bit of pop-history. ( )
My favorite thing about it may be his multiple references to Taylor's "Haven finding art..." which, though decades old and quite scarce, is one of my favorite books of all time. It isn't as compelling a story as Sobel's Longitude but was a quick and enjoyable read in the same vein. ( )
Información procedente del conocimiento común inglés.Edita para encontrar en tu idioma.
For Debra
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Información procedente del conocimiento común inglés.Edita para encontrar en tu idioma.
Preface: ... then the end of thirteenth century could rightly be called the beginning of the commercial revolution. Within a few decades of 1280, the world saw a dramatic rise in trade, and with it, increased prosperity for maritime powers such as Venice, Spain and Britain. A single invention - the compass - made this possible.
Citas
Últimas palabras
Información procedente del conocimiento común inglés.Edita para encontrar en tu idioma.
I stopped in front of the bronze statue. The pedestal was fringed with beautiful flowers. They really do admire him here, I thought, whoever he might have been. A bus carrying tourists arrived, and a group of the travellers crowded around the statue. They stood there for a moment, trying to decipher the Italian inscription. "This guy invented the compass," one of them said as they walked away. I looked up at the statue and thought: Flavio Gioia, if ever you did exist, you have no idea what an impact your invention has had on the world.
Sometimes it pays to be in the right place at the right time. Certainly the mariners in Amalfi in the twelfth century were. Here the compass was first invented and used in navigation, eventually helping to make Italians the world's greatest sailors. But the story of the compass is shrouded in mystery and myth. It begins in ancient China around the birth of Christ. A mysterious lodestone whose powers affected metal was known to the Emperor. This piece of metal suspended in water always pointed north and was put to excellent use in feng shui, the Chinese art of finding the right location. However, it was the Italians who unleashed the compass's formidable powers on ships at sea. Throughout the ancient world, sailors navigated by wind, and stars, and the routes of migrating birds, but bad weather and winter storms impeded their travels. When the compass migrated to Italy, the modern world began: Venice, trade with the East, the Age of Discovery. The compass made it all possible, and this is its fascinating story.
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