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Review
``This is a nifty book that will appeal to a wide variety of yacht owners.#.#.For those who like simple solutions to complex situations and those who like to create their own devices, this book with its straightforward diagrams and comprehensive information would make a delightful gift.'' (Coastal Cruising )
``.#.#.for people who like to work with their hands and appreciate traditional nautical craftsmanship.#.#.Each project emphasizes simplicity and reasonable cost and is true to the spirit and fucntion of the original instrument.'' (Nautical Collector )
``.#.#.for people who like to work with their hands and appreciate traditional nautical craftsmanship.#.#.Each project emphasizes simplicity and reasonable cost and is true to the spirit and fucntion of the original instrument.'' (Nautical Collector )
Review
"This is a nifty book that will appeal to a wide variety of yacht owners.#.#.For those who like simple solutions to complex situations and those who like to create their own devices, this book with its straightforward diagrams and comprehensive information would make a delightful gift." Coastal Cruising ".#.#.for people who like to work with their hands and appreciate traditional nautical craftsmanship.#.#.Each project emphasizes simplicity and reasonable cost and is true to the spirit and fucntion of the original instrument." Nautical Collector
Inside This Book
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First Sentence
YOU DON'T HAVE TO OWN or invest in lots of exotic tools to make the projects in this book. Read the first page
Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Index | Back Cover
YOU DON'T HAVE TO OWN or invest in lots of exotic tools to make the projects in this book. Read the first page
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Concordance
Browse Sample PagesConcordance
Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Index | Back Cover
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
6 of 6 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
The instruments shown in this book can be made easily by almost anyone. In general, the instruments as described are not really good enough to use for the primary means of navigation - however that is not the intention of the book. It does what it sets out to do very competently, and that is to review some of the ancient navigation instruments and enable anyone to make simple functional replicas of them. Most of the designs can be worked up with additional data from other sources into primary navigation instruments.
In the main, the designs are correct, if somewhat sparse on calculation detail. However, there appears to be an error in the Nocturnal (Chapter 8) where the angles for the Great Bear and Little Bear have been incorrectly rotated 54 degrees clockwise relative to the hour scale. I have attempted to notify the publishers of this error - whether any notice has been taken, I do not know.
Barring the error in the nocurnal, I must say I thoroughly enjoyed the book and will be making a few of the instruments shown in the next few weeks.
In the main, the designs are correct, if somewhat sparse on calculation detail. However, there appears to be an error in the Nocturnal (Chapter 8) where the angles for the Great Bear and Little Bear have been incorrectly rotated 54 degrees clockwise relative to the hour scale. I have attempted to notify the publishers of this error - whether any notice has been taken, I do not know.
Barring the error in the nocurnal, I must say I thoroughly enjoyed the book and will be making a few of the instruments shown in the next few weeks.
Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta)
Amazon.com:
9 reviews
36 of 38 people found the following review helpful
Excellent Concept. Poor Execution.
3 Sep 2001
Format:Paperback
The Good: An excellent overview ancient navigational instruments. In addition to sundials, octants and compasses, Fisher covers such escoteric tools as the traverse board (used to track direction and ship speed), the weatherglass (early barometer), the kamal (arabian navigation tool) and the cross staff (predecessor to the octant).
The Bad: Very crude, hand-drawn illustrations and building plans. No photographs or contemporary illustrations of the actual instruments. Though it is clear that the author has made each of these instrument himself, the book even lacks photos of his own reconstructions. Many illustrations of critical parts are unclear and difficult to understand. The only saving grace is Fisher's excellent descriptions of the parts and the building process.
The Bad: Very crude, hand-drawn illustrations and building plans. No photographs or contemporary illustrations of the actual instruments. Though it is clear that the author has made each of these instrument himself, the book even lacks photos of his own reconstructions. Many illustrations of critical parts are unclear and difficult to understand. The only saving grace is Fisher's excellent descriptions of the parts and the building process.
The Verdict: Though his concept, scope and research are excellent, the failure of the publisher to back Fisher up with quality illustrations, photographs, and professionally-drafted design plans prevents this from being the excellent book it could have been. While it is possible to actually build these tools, the process is more difficult that it should be due to the lack of quality plans.
15 of 15 people found the following review helpful
A Medieval Reenactor's Perspective
2 Jun 2003
Format:Paperback
As a medieval reenactor with a nautical persona, I bought this book to get some information on navigational instruments used in the Middle Ages. This book is a gold mine of information on making and using traditional navigational instruments. Although some of the instruments do not fit into my time of interest (Western Europe 1066-1603), most do, and the instructions on making and using them are good. The historical information is spotty,and some information does not agree with other sources that I consider reliable, but this is not intended as a history book, and the information it DOES provide on construction and use fills in a lot of gaps in other sources. This is a must-have book if you want to know how to make and use medieval navigational instruments.
16 of 17 people found the following review helpful
Do-able projects and sound history
21 Jun 2000
Format:Paperback
This well-illustrated volume contains 18 projects for those interested in nevigation and astronomy. They are not excessively difficult, and the instructions are clear. The author demonstrates how very simple devices can be used in navigation; if nothing else, the "ancient astronaut" crowd should read this to learn how our "primative" ancestors could tell their latitude with just a stick and a string!
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