Time & Timekeepers

Time & Timekeepers

By Willis I. Milham, Phd

Original publication date October 1923

Introduction

Time & Timekeepers is a thorough history of mankind’s efforts to track time, from its earliest beginnings in ancient Babylonia, circa 2000 BC, up to the ‘modern’ pocket watch (the wrist watch is not covered in this history). The history covers all known methods for tracking time.

The book is written for the ‘general reader’ assuming no previous knowledge or expertise in the subjects addressed. Although the chapters follow the historical time line, each chapter can be read independently, allowing the reader to focus only on the specific topics or time periods.

The contents of the book are covered in 616 pages, divided into 25 Chapters and include 339 Illustrations.

Time & Timekeepers

Willis I. Milham’s historical analysis and research report into the theories behind and technical descriptions of timekeeping devices, is a vast collection of highly detailed and intricate explanations of how man has kept time over the centuries. The facts are presented in a very professorial college level lecture series that you can almost here the author read in a flat, dry, monotone voice, with no flourish or embellishments to help draw the reader in to, or help lighten a very deep and heavy series of topics.

I found Milham’s explanation of mans earliest timekeeping efforts to be the most fascinating parts of the book. Particularly interesting is the way in which time was divided into its current units of measurement. In ancient Babylonia, the number 12 was a sacred and mystic number due to the 12 moons in each year. This led to the 12 months in a year and a day being split into two 12-hour segments. The number ‘5’ was a Roman influence, as the Romans divided their day into five-hour increments. As (5 x 12 =60) hours of the day were divided into 60-minute intervals and each minute into 60 seconds, it was also the Romans tradition to begin and end each day at...