First published 2007
Young Nat Bowditch dreams of Harvard, but his family's financial struggles force him into an apprenticeship at a ship chandlery in Salem. The bookish boy discovers his true calling when he encounters the complex mathematics of navigation. Ships still rely on crude methods like log, lead, and lookout to find their way across treacherous seas. Nat throws himself into mastering the intricate calculations that guide vessels safely to port. His determination leads him to sea, where he tests his mathematical theories against the reality of ocean voyages. Through years of study and practical experience, Nat develops revolutionary techniques that will transform maritime navigation. His work eventually becomes The American Practical Navigator, the essential guide that sailors call their bible. This is the story of how one boy's persistence and love of learning changed the way ships navigate the world's oceans.
Genres: biography, american-fiction, historical-fiction, 20th-century, american, adventure, 19th-century, american-history
Vibes: emotional, inspiring, thought-provoking
Tropes: fish-out-of-water, overcoming-adversity, self-improvement
Setting: Harvard, Salem
Period: 19th-Century
439 pages · Library Binding · Paw Prints 2007-06-28