Publisher's Synopsis
Whilst everone has heard the shipping forecast on the radio, few realize what the numbers refer to. Known as the Beaufort Scale, it has never been bettered and, as a result, never replaced. This lasting legacy of Admiral Sir Francis Beaufort is only part of his overall contribution to the world of the mariner, scientist and antiquarian.;This text chronicles the life of this unsung hero whose early years come straight from the pages of "Hornblower" - pirates, wars and royalty - and whose latter life carries on from "Longitude". The story, set at the turn of the 19th century, of this corageous officer who was instrumental to the major discoveries and surveys of his day - not least the voyages of the Beagle and the subsequent fame of Charles Darwin - is told here.;Whilst everone has heard the shipping forecast on the radio, few realize what the numbers refer to. Known as the Beaufort Scale, it has never been bettered and, as a result, never replaced.
