{"product_id":"9781415921784","title":"Compass: A Story of Exploration and Innovation","description":"\u003cp\u003eBringing to life the instrument Victor Hugo called the soul of the ship, Alan Gurney writes a rich history of the most important navigational device of all time: the magnetic compass born out of the need for a reliable means of navigating the difficult sea routes. So indispensable to sixteenth-century seamen was this device that anyone found tempering with it had his hand pinned to the mast with a dagger. Though organized in loosely chronological order (with detours for particular people and events), the story begins with a modern maritime misadventure describing how when all the yacht's high-tech navigational equipment failed, the crew had to rely on the stars. Covering a thousand years of ships, people, and events, Gurney's story remains unfalteringly exciting and engaging.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Random House Audio Publishing Group","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47094529327344,"sku":"9781415921784","price":15.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0737\/7593\/9824\/files\/9781415921784_p0.jpg?v=1763726073","url":"https:\/\/shop-qa.barnesandnoble.com\/products\/9781415921784","provider":"Barnes \u0026 Noble (DEV)","version":"1.0","type":"link"}