"Robert11" wrote in message
...
Hello:

Was thinking of purchasing a new copy of Bowditch, as the one i presently
have (1966 ed.)
is probably a collectors item by now.

I see that there is 2002 ED. a Govt issued one for about $ 75, and
apparently also
a commercial version by Celestaire publications at about half the price.

What's the difference(s) ?


Minor changes in binding etc. Not enough to justify the higher cost. The
difference between '66 and '02 should be of great concern.

In 1995, Bowditch was substantially revamped, and -- in many opinions --
dumbed down. The huge, comprehensive, two-volume edition produced in the
'80s was reduced to one comparatively small volume. A great deal of detail
about celestial navigation (including the clear star chart overlays) was
eliminated and tables were compressed. The 2002 edition is an update of the
'95.

To the editor's credit, the 1995 edition probably comes closer to Bowditch's
original goals, but the encyclopedic-like quality of earlier editions was
lost.