Surveying Described

[Peter Petto]

In a review of THE GREAT ARC: The Dramatic Tale of How India Was Mapped and 
Everest Was Named, by John Keay in The San Diego Union-Tribune, Brian 
Alexander (author of GREEN CATHEDRALS: A Wayward Traveler in the Rain 
Forest) writes:

Keay does a fine job finessing a tale that could be either mind-numbingly 
boring to those of us unschooled in the science of surveying, or could be 
an overblown adventure tale.  Keay understands that his subject is a 
footnote to history, and he does not ask us to regard it as much more than 
that.  But he also makes the footnote fascinating, like those PBS shows 
telling us how medieval castle besiegers built a catapult.  You say you'll 
tune in just for second, then realize you've missed all of "The Drew Carey 
Show."

There is a fair amount of discussion about surveying and angles and 
observing stars and the math involved, but it is not overbearing.  Indeed, 
those who are considering wading into Thomas Pynchon's novel "Mason and 
Dixon" -- about the British surveyors who did for America what Everest did 
for India (on a much smaller scale) -- would be advised to read Keay's book 
first so you have at least some idea what the hell Mason and Dixon were 
doing out in the woods anyway.