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jtth's review against another edition
4.0
Fantastic book. A combination between a mystery novel, a historical romance, an excellent nonfiction look at the history of horology, and very well written.
annabellee's review against another edition
3.0
This book offers a concise history of watch-making as it relates to the French Revolution and a high-profile burglary in Jerusalem during the 1980's. It focuses primarily on a single watchmaker who lived through the French Revolution: Abraham-Louis Breguet, whom the author argues was the finest watchmaker in his day, if not of all-time. Biggs offers for the reader a brief history of clock-making and a detailed history of European watchmaking as they related to Breguet's genius. He goes into detail about complications (i.e. fancy things clockwork watches can do without the aid of electricity) and describes many famous clocks and watches that were created in the eighteenth century at (as Biggs would argue) the height of watchmaking.
As the title indicates, he follows closely the tale of a watch known as the "Marie Antoinette." He uses the process of the watch's creation as an anchor to tell the story of the French Revolution, simultaneously discussing forward-leaps in horology that led themselves to maritime achievement, train regulation, and military precision. It follows the watch after it's creation, as well, using the watch's travels and trials as a means to further explore the history of watchmaking through to modern uses.
The writing was decently organized - timeline-based, for the most part, book-ended by the perpetration and conclusion of a burglary - and was well-researched. The subject matter was decently interesting for me. I particularly liked all of the historical tie-ins, and often found myself googling images of the famous clocks and watches discussed. However, this book was not enthralling. I put it down and came back to it many times; it did not captivate me, interesting though I found it.
I would recommend this book for early high-school readers and later. No graphic sex, language, or violence. Three stars.
As the title indicates, he follows closely the tale of a watch known as the "Marie Antoinette." He uses the process of the watch's creation as an anchor to tell the story of the French Revolution, simultaneously discussing forward-leaps in horology that led themselves to maritime achievement, train regulation, and military precision. It follows the watch after it's creation, as well, using the watch's travels and trials as a means to further explore the history of watchmaking through to modern uses.
The writing was decently organized - timeline-based, for the most part, book-ended by the perpetration and conclusion of a burglary - and was well-researched. The subject matter was decently interesting for me. I particularly liked all of the historical tie-ins, and often found myself googling images of the famous clocks and watches discussed. However, this book was not enthralling. I put it down and came back to it many times; it did not captivate me, interesting though I found it.
I would recommend this book for early high-school readers and later. No graphic sex, language, or violence. Three stars.
kimbui's review
4.0
I got this not realizing it was non-fiction book. I rarely read non-friction, but this was so expertly told it read like a novel of France, watches and Marie Antoinette.
There's a lot of details about watchmaking in there and by the end you will either be sick of it, or immediately want to go put one on your wrist.
There's a lot of details about watchmaking in there and by the end you will either be sick of it, or immediately want to go put one on your wrist.
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