About Time: A History of Civilization in Twelve Clocks

For thousands of years, people of all cultures have made and used clocks, from the city sundials of ancient Rome to hourglasses fomenting revolution in the Middle Ages, Enlightenment observatories in India, and the GPS satellites now circling the Earth. Clocks have helped us navigate the world and build empires, and have even taken us to the brink of destruction. Elites have used them to wield power, make money, govern citizens, and control lives—and sometimes the people have used them to fight back. Through the stories of twelve clocks, About Time shows how the history of clocks is a history of civilization.