|
The Barefoot Navigator | 
 enlarge | Author: Jack Lagan
Publisher: Sheridan House
Category: Book
List Price: $17.95
Buy New: $11.01
You Save: $6.94 (39%)
New (16) Used (7) from $10.38
Avg. Customer Rating:  2 reviews
Sales Rank: 324393
Media: Paperback
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 148
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.9
Dimensions (in): 9.5 x 6.7 x 0.5
ISBN: 1574092324
Dewey Decimal Number: 623.8923
EAN: 9781574092325
ASIN: 1574092324
Publication Date: September 6, 2006
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Shipping: International shipping available
Condition: BRAND NEW. 30 Day Satisfaction Guarantee. Quick International Airmail!
|
| Also Available In:
|
| Similar Items:
|
| Editorial Reviews:
Product Description
The Barefoot Navigator is an unusual and fascinating exploration of the skills of navigation employed by the ancients and transferable to the present day. The first half of the book investigates the navigation capabilities of seafarers long before modern navigation instruments or charts became available. For example, how did the Polynesians manage to populate an area of ocean larger than North America simply by analyzing clouds, currents, wind direction, sun, stars, and the flight patterns of ocean birds? And how did the Vikings routinely travel between Iceland, Greenland and Scandinavia huge tracts of treacherous water? The second part of the book analyzes how the techniques of the ancients can be employed by 21st century seafarers to supplement today s navigational hardware especially in survival situations.
This is a unique analysis of practical technology-free navigation, whose techniques can easily be employed by modern navigators to supplement their personal navigational skills in order to just know where they are. It will fascinate navigators and landlubbers alike.
|
| Customer Reviews:
 Informative and Entertaining June 27, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
Students of Polynesian history are familiar with tales of sailors crossing vast expanses of the Pacific. Lagan's book, The Barefoot Navigator begins with a discussion of their ancient techniques before exploring other ancient navigators; Norse, Chinese, and Arab.
Lagan's premise is that modern sailors are too dependent on electronic navigation tools and that those tools are subject to failure. In contrast the movement of sun and stars, ocean currents, and weather patterns have remained consistent for eons. The prudent sailor will know how to use natural patterns to safely navigate when electronics fail.
By following the historical development of navigational techniques, Lagan introduces complex topics in a simple, easy to understand manner. Along the way he shows how ancients used primitive navigation tools to find their way across oceans and deserts. Lagan instructs the sailor on building and using these tools built of string, sticks, and hands and fingers.
Informative and entertaining, an evening or two spent with The Barefoot Navigator will yield a wealth of knowledge of interest to any sailor, knowledge that might just help you reach your destination.
Dave Lochner
NauticalReads
 Any sailor will find THE BAREFOOT NAVIGATOR intriguing. December 14, 2006
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
The navigation skills of the ancients were legendary yet seem to pale in comparison with modern technology and navigation research - but THE BAREFOOT NAVIGATOR: NAVIGATING WITH THE SKILLS OF THE ANCIENTS offers up an important survey of these early skills, and applies them to modern times. From how to analyze clouds and currents to determine direction to how 21st century sailors can integrate these techniques with modern equipment, any sailor will find THE BAREFOOT NAVIGATOR intriguing.
Diane C. Donovan
California Bookwatch
|
|
|
Powered by Associate-O-Matic
| |
