Latitude : The astonishing journey to discover the shape of the earth

Latitude : The astonishing journey to discover the shape of the earth
ISBN: 9780241478349
Publication Date: 1 June 2021

The untold story of an adventure that shaped history by confirming the shape of the world

By knowing the shape of our earth we can create maps, survive the oceans, follow rivers, navigate the skies, and travel across the globe. This is the story of our world, of how we discovered what no one thought possible - the shape of the earth.

A thrilling and page-turning account of the first major expedition by data gatherers and qualified observers to interior Peru, to discover the shape and magnitude of the earth. Until humanity discovered this it would be impossible to produce accurate maps and sea charts, without which thousands of lives would be lost, and exact locations of cities, roads and rivers would never be known. This fascinating and dramatic story weaves scientific rigour, egos, funding crises and betrayal with sea voyages, jungles and volcanoes.

About the Author

Nicholas Crane was born in Hastings, but grew up on the rugged coast of Norfolk. He is an award-winning writer, journalist, geographer and explorer who has presented BAFTA winning, BBC TV series Coast, Great British Journeys, Map Man and Town. His previous books include, Great British Journeys, Clear Waters Rising, Two Degrees West and Mercator: The Man Who Mapped the Planet and writes for the Daily Telegraph, the Guardian and the Sunday Times.

Nicholas has travelled extensively in Tibet, China, Afghanistan, Africa, and he identified and visited for the first time the geographical Pole of Inaccessibility, the point on the globe most distant from the open sea, in the Gobi Desert. He now lives in London with his wife and children.