Simon Winchester

An orange or an egg? Determining the shape of the world

Nicholas Crane describes the volatile French expedition to Ecuador’s jungle in 1735 to measure the Earth’s latitude at the equator

For ten years in the jungle, against all odds, the scientists conducted surveys, measured gravity, made maps and discovered new plants. Engraving from J. Crevaux’s Voyages in South America. Credit: Bridgeman Images
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  • Latitude: The Astonishing Adventure that Shaped the World

    Nicholas Crane

    Michael Joseph, pp. 258, £16

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