Latitude & the Magnetic Earth: The True Story of Queen Elizabeth's Most Distinguished Man of Science

Revolutions in Science

by Stephen Pumfrey

Unfolding the drama of Gilbert's discoveries, this book climaxes with an exploration of geomagnetism, via the story of the logitude schemes so crucial today's seafarers.

Genres: History, Science, Nonfiction, Biography

249 pages, Paperback

First published December 31, 1950

Reviews

[Velvetink · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was expecting more of a biography than this turned out to be. It seems really little is known of William Gilbert's private life which is a shame considering he was Doctor/physician to Elizabeth 1. Gilbert's theory of latitudes and of magnets is fully covered though and although I found some sections a bit dry, many people into physics will love it and it gives a fairly complete magnetic theory timeline with references to Kepler, Bruno and Dr Dee and many navigators of the period.

[Dave Clarke · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was considering one star, but reflected that might just be because I’ve just read a couple of John Guy books covering the same period, it’s particularly poor by comparison, lacking the engagement, prose or contextually that makes Guy’s so enjoyable, informative & readable … this tale, centered around William Gilbert, a Tudor scholar, doctor scientist and advisor to the royal court, cries out for that sort of treatment, but that’s not what I got, clunky and awkward instead are the watchwords, and a clue perhaps into what motivated it’s writing: jealously … Pumfrey refers several times to
Dava Sobel’s brilliant work, Longitude, and by linking his title to Latitude (which is only tenuously linked to the work of Gilbert) , one suspects he hoped to ride on the shirt tails of Longitude’s success (and presumably attain fame and fortune and a film deal too) … particularly jarring sentences such as “He certainly baptised, even if he did not father, our modern subject of electricity.” Or “Gilbert remains the man with the big ideas, the brilliant experiments, the bulky knowledge of lodestones - the butt-kicker of Aristotle, the creator of magnetic philosophy.” … yet details like describing what he did at court, for several monarchs, is blank, as are many of the details that would have brought this work to life, rather rely on pointless sentences that abound.
As for digging into his work on magnets, which one would think would be the major point, it’s just plan disappointing.
The author does try and put Gilbert in context, and does try to give an idea of what came before as well as what followed with regard to western civilizations knowledge, but these all to brief glimpses only made me want more, as science started to push back on religious censorship and a world view still clinging to the Greek philosophers description of the world around us.

[Gary Turner · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very interesting book about science at the end of the renaissance era. The church could and did execute free thinkers!!!!!!! Sad. This book is more about the science and less about the life of William Gilbert. A nice read just the same.

[Summisse · Rating 3 out of 5]

The true story of William Gilbert, "Distinguished Man of Science" and the personal physician to Queen Elizabeth I. Gilbert's only published work, De Magnete, became the standard on electricity and magnetism.

[Daniela]

:)