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A 200 page masterclass in making the interesting boring. Sobel takes the fascinating progress of early science, the flaming vitriol of of men competing for the Longitude Prize, and renders it devoid of all intrigue and suspense. If there were instead a prize for neutering great stories, Sobel would handily win it.
Every page reeks with untapped potential. Because even an educated reader has only a vague idea of the exact happenings in the 1700s fight for the longitude prize, a blow by blow retelling could easily make a book of great suspense and scientific interest. Yet Sobel consistently robs her work of any semblance of excitement by spoiling every great moment hundreds of pages before its narrative conclusion, constantly insisting on telling key events out of line.
Blessed with an abundance of first hand literature and documents, she could have regaled us with the pointed words of the original combatants. And yet instead she chooses to dully recite the facts in a dry wikipedia summarization.
I was so excited to read a book-length treatment on this fascinating topic, and so let down by the actual experience.
Every page reeks with untapped potential. Because even an educated reader has only a vague idea of the exact happenings in the 1700s fight for the longitude prize, a blow by blow retelling could easily make a book of great suspense and scientific interest. Yet Sobel consistently robs her work of any semblance of excitement by spoiling every great moment hundreds of pages before its narrative conclusion, constantly insisting on telling key events out of line.
Blessed with an abundance of first hand literature and documents, she could have regaled us with the pointed words of the original combatants. And yet instead she chooses to dully recite the facts in a dry wikipedia summarization.
I was so excited to read a book-length treatment on this fascinating topic, and so let down by the actual experience.