About Time : A History of Civilization in Twelve Clocks
3.53 (379 ratings by Goodreads)
Paperback English
By (author) David Rooney


Categories: General & World History History Of Science Time (chronology), Time Systems & Standards Technology & Engineering History Of Engineering & Technology Other Manufacturing Technologies Clocks, Chronometers & Watches (horology)


Description
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

Not merely an horologists delight, but an ingenious meditation on the nature and symbolism of time-keeping itself Richard Holmes

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?

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 Earths 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.

This is the story of time, and the story of time is the story of us.


Product details

Format Paperback | 336 pages
Dimensions 129 x 198 x 20mm | 234g
Publication date 03 Feb 2022
Publisher Penguin Books Ltd
Publication City/Country London, United Kingdom
Language English
ISBN13 9780241370513
Bestsellers rank 124,873