The Great Arc: The Dramatic Tale of How India was Mapped and Everest was Named

A vivid description of one of the most ambitious scientific projects undertaken in the 19th century, and the men who undertook the measurement of the Himalayas and the mapping of the Indian subcontinent: William Lambton and George Everest.

The graphic story of the measurement of a meridian, or longitudinal, arc extending from the tip of the Indian subcontinent to the mountains of the Himalayas. Much the longest such measurement hitherto made, it posed horrendous technical difficulties, made impossible physical demands on the survey parties (jungle, tigers, mountains) and took over 50 years.

But the scientific results were commensurate, including the discovery of the world's highest peaks and a new calculation of the curvature of the earth's surface. The Indian Mutiny of 1857 triggered a massive construction of roads, railways, telegraph lines and canals throughout India: all depended heavily on the accuracy of the maps which the Great Arc had made possible.

'A wonderful and fascinating book' The Times

Shipping

Please note that orders placed after 2pm on a Saturday will not be processed until the following Tuesday.

Local delivery

If your order is £35 or over and you live within 10 miles of our bookshop, then we offer free local delivery on all orders, just choose this option at the checkout.

Store pickup

You can also choose to pick up your order for FREE from our shop at:

1 Chaldicott Barns
Semley
SP7 9AW

Delivery Enquiries

If you're not sure which delivery option to select, please feel free to contact us at:

Email: anna@thetravelbookcompany.co.uk

Telephone: 01747898247

Opening Hours:

Tuesday: 10am-4pm
Wednesday: 10am-4pm
Thursday: 10am-4pm 
Friday: 10am-4pm 
Saturday : 10am-2pm

We would be delighted to hear from you so please do drop us a line using the form below or alternatively, give us a call on 01747 898247