author
James Arthur
1842–1930
A mechanic, inventor, and collector turned his lifelong fascination with clocks and watches into a lively history of how people have measured time. His writing brings together practical know-how, curiosity, and the pleasure of explaining complicated things clearly.
1 Audiobook
Time and Its Measurement
by James Arthur
About the author
Born in 1842 to Scottish parents in Ireland and raised in Glasgow, James Arthur trained in mechanics as a young man before building a career in the United States. He was known not just as a businessman, but as an inventive tinkerer who kept making and studying clocks and watches throughout his life.
Arthur became especially interested in timekeeping and assembled a remarkable collection of timepieces from around the world. That deep hands-on knowledge shaped Time and Its Measurement (1909), a book adapted from articles he wrote for Popular Mechanics, where he explored the history of clocks, watches, calendars, and other ways people have tracked time.
He died in 1930, but his work still has an appealing mix of enthusiasm and usefulness. For listeners who enjoy classic nonfiction, Arthur offers the voice of someone who truly loved his subject and wanted to share that fascination with ordinary readers.