^{Dava Sobel - photo by Glen Allsop}

The first English settlers arrived in Jamestown aboard ships that braved the Atlantic crossing with only rudimentary navigational tools. A century and a half would pass before their countryman, John Harrison, invented the marine clocks that transformed the art of wayfinding at sea.

Science writer Dava Sobel told Harrison’s story in "Longitude," an unlikely 1995 New York Times bestseller that has since been translated into more than twenty languages. Join us on September 24 at Jamestown Settlement as she reveals the ongoing adventures of John Harrison — and the book about him.  

Tickets are $10. Museum members enjoy a 20% discount.

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Dava Sobel

Dava Sobel is the author of prominent and best-selling science history books, including "Longitude," about English clockmaker John Harrison; "Galileo's Daughter," a historical memoir of Galileo's daughter Maria Celeste; "A More Perfect Heaven," about Nicolaus Copernicus; "The Glass Universe: How the Ladies of the Harvard Observatory Took the Measure of the Stars," about the Harvard Computers; and "The Elements of Marie Curie: How the Glow of Radium Lit a Path for Women in Science." 

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About Jamestown Settlement

Open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily (except Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s days), Jamestown Settlement is located on State Route 31 just southwest of Williamsburg. The museum features expansive exhibition galleries and films that connect visitors with the lives of the Powhatan, English and West Central African cultures that converged at 17th-century Jamestown. Outdoor living-history areas feature historical interpretation in re-creations of Paspahegh Town, 1607 English ships and a colonial fort.

Admission tickets can be purchased online or in person. Plan your visit today or call (757) 253-4838 for more information.