NavList:

Paul Saffo, you wrote,

"I have half a dozen or so books on pocket calculator navigation in my navigation library, but just made a new addition: "Positional Astronomy and Astro-Navigation Made Easy A new approach using the Pocket Calculator" by H. R. Mills (Stanley Thornes 1978)."

Thank you for your recommendation of this very interesting book. I ordered a (used) copy after reading your post, and received it, very conveniently, a day before the December solstice, an ideal day to read about positional astronomy. Glancing through the contents of the book persuaded me that it will give many hours of enjoyment. I also share your high opinion about Peter Duffett-Smith's "Practical Astronomy with your Calculator", and have used it to write programs for the HP-41 and HP-42 calculators.

I would like to add one more book to your comprehensive list: "The Calculator Afloat - a mariner's guide to the electronic calculator" (Naval Institute Press, 1980), by Henry Shufeldt and Kenneth Newcomer.  Newcomer worked for Hewlett-Packard, and generated the "Nav Pac", among other applications, for programmable HP calculators. This book is essentially a second edition of an earlier one by Captain Shufeldt, "Slide Rule for the Mariner" (Naval Institute Press, 1972). This first version is ideal for those who require non-electronic calculating aids for navigation calculations. If I'm not mistaken, Greg Rudzinski has mentioned this book in a previous NavList post. It happens to have one of the oddest dedications of any book in my library: "To my constant companion afloat and ashore, the Log Log Duplex Trig Rule". This display of affection for a slide rule might make the most enthusiastic member of the Oughtred Society blush.

Best regards, Rafael C