Who is Nevil Maskelyne from Longitude: The True Story of a Lone Genius Who Solved the Greatest Scientific Problem of His Time and what is their importance?

Nevil Maskelyne, known as "the seaman's astronomer", was famous decades after Harrison's death for his astronomical charts. Nevil Maskelyne, however, plays another role in the book - that being the man most determined to defeat Harrison and leave his achievements unrecognized.

Maskelyne was a major proponent of the lunar distance method and was obsessed with finding a solution. He was around forty years younger than Harrison, and he had an elite education. He was also a companion of James Bradley.