The Story of the Great Irish Famine

'An utterly dazzling book, the best piece of history I have read for a long time' Jerry Brotton, author of A History of the World in Twelve Maps<BR><BR>'Not merely an horologist's delight, but an ingenious meditation on the nature and symbolism of time-keeping itself' Richard Holmes<BR><BR>The measurement of time has always been essential to human civilization, from early Roman sundials to the advent of GPS. But while we have one eye on the time every day, are we aware of the power clocks have given governments, military leaders and business owners, and how they have shaped our lives and our world?<BR><BR>In this spectacularly far-reaching book, David Rooney narrates a history of timekeeping and civilization in twelve concise chapters. Over their course, we meet the most epochal inventions in horological history, from medieval water clocks to Renaissance hourglasses, and from stock-exchange timestamps to satellites in Earth's orbit. We discover how clocks have helped people navigate the globe and build empires, but also, on occasion, taken us to the brink of destruction.<BR><BR>This is the story of time, and the story of time is the story of us.

A non-stop flight across the Atlantic might seem routine today. But it is only possible because of those who went first.<BR><BR>'Vivid and compelling' John Lancaster<BR>'A delectable serving of escapist nostalgia' The Times, Book of the Week<BR><BR>Newfoundland, 1919. Buffeted by winds, an unwieldy aircraft - made mainly from wood and stiff linen - struggled to take off from the North American island's rocky slopes. Cramped side by side in its open cockpit were two men, freezing cold and barely able to move, but resolute. They had a dream: to be the first in human history to fly, non-stop, across the Atlantic Ocean. But there were three other teams competing against them, and as the waves raged a few miles below, memories of wartime crashes resurfaced . . .<BR><BR>Mining letters, diaries and evocative unpublished photographs, David Rooney's deeply researched account of this audacious contest shows how it was the airmen's thrilling wartime experiences that ultimately led them to the 'Big Hop', and brought old friends together for one more daring adventure.<BR><BR>'Excellent... consists of colourful biographical sketches of the aviators who took part in the competition and thrilling accounts of their efforts' Daily Mail<BR><BR>'A glorious romp through an overlooked part of aviation history, stuffed full of intriguing characters and white-knuckle courage' Sunday Times