About Time: A History of Civilization in Twelve Clocks by Rooney, David
About Time: A History of Civilization in Twelve Clocks by Rooney, David

About Time: A History of Civilization in Twelve Clocks

For thousands of years, people of all cultures have made and used clocks, from the city sundials...
HK$347.51
HK$347.51
SKU: 9780393867930
Product Type: Books
Please hurry! Only 21 left in stock
Author: David Rooney
Format: Hardcover
Language: English
Subtotal: $347.51
10 customers are viewing this product
About Time: A History of Civilization in Twelve Clocks by Rooney, David

About Time: A History of Civilization in Twelve Clocks

$347.51
About Time: A History of Civilization in Twelve Clocks by Rooney, David

About Time: A History of Civilization in Twelve Clocks

$347.51
Author: David Rooney
Format: Hardcover
Language: English
Description

For thousands of years, people of all cultures have made and used clocks, from the city sundials of ancient Rome to the medieval water clocks of imperial China, hourglasses fomenting revolution in the Middle Ages, the Stock Exchange clock of Amsterdam in 1611, Enlightenment observatories in India, and the high-precision clocks circling the Earth on a fleet of GPS satellites that have been launched since 1978. Clocks have helped us navigate the world and build empires, and have even taken us to the brink of destruction. Elites have used them to wield power, make money, govern citizens, and control lives--and sometimes the people have used them to fight back.

Through the stories of twelve clocks, About Time brings pivotal moments from the past vividly to life. Historian and lifelong clock enthusiast David Rooney takes us from the unveiling of al-Jazari's castle clock in 1206, in present-day Turkey; to the Cape of Good Hope observatory at the southern tip of Africa, where nineteenth-century British government astronomers moved the gears of empire with a time ball and a gun; to the burial of a plutonium clock now sealed beneath a public park in Osaka, where it will keep time for 5,000 years.

Rooney shows, through these artifacts, how time has been imagined, politicized, and weaponized over the centuries--and how it might bring peace. Ultimately, he writes, the technical history of horology is only the start of the story. A history of clocks is a history of civilization.



Author: David Rooney
Publisher: W. W. Norton & Company
Published: 08/17/2021
Pages: 288
Binding Type: Hardcover
Weight: 1.13lbs
Size: 10.14h x 5.29w x 1.01d
ISBN: 9780393867930


Review Citation(s):
Library Journal Prepub Alert 03/01/2021 pg. 68
Publishers Weekly 06/07/2021
Kirkus Reviews 07/01/2021
Booklist 07/01/2021 pg. 9
Library Journal 08/01/2021 pg. 80

About the Author
Rooney, David: - David Rooney is a historian of technology and former curator of timekeeping at the Royal Observatory, Greenwich. He helps run three horological institutions, including the world's oldest clock and watch museum, and lives in London, close to the Greenwich meridian.
Shipping & Return

Returns Policy

You may return most new, unopened items within 30 days of delivery for a full refund. We'll also pay the return shipping costs if the return is a result of our error (you received an incorrect or defective item, etc.).

You should expect to receive your refund within four weeks of giving your package to the return shipper, however, in many cases you will receive a refund more quickly. This time period includes the transit time for us to receive your return from the shipper (5 to 10 business days), the time it takes us to process your return once we receive it (3 to 5 business days), and the time it takes your bank to process our refund request (5 to 10 business days).

If you need to return an item, simply login to your account, view the order using the "Complete Orders" link under the My Account menu and click the Return Item(s) button. We'll notify you via e-mail of your refund once we've received and processed the returned item.

Shipping

We can ship to virtually any address in the world. Note that there are restrictions on some products, and some products cannot be shipped to international destinations.

When you place an order, we will estimate shipping and delivery dates for you based on the availability of your items and the shipping options you choose. Depending on the shipping provider you choose, shipping date estimates may appear on the shipping quotes page.

Please also note that the shipping rates for many items we sell are weight-based. The weight of any such item can be found on its detail page. To reflect the policies of the shipping companies we use, all weights will be rounded up to the next full pound.

Review

Related Products

Example product title
HK$347.51
HK$347.51
Example product title
HK$347.51
HK$347.51
Example product title
HK$347.51
HK$347.51
Example product title
HK$347.51
HK$347.51
Example product title
HK$347.51
HK$347.51
Example product title
HK$347.51
HK$347.51
Example product title
HK$347.51
HK$347.51
Example product title
HK$347.51
HK$347.51
Example product title
HK$347.51
HK$347.51
Example product title
HK$347.51
HK$347.51

Recently Viewed Products