"Version: 20171101"--Title page verso.Includes bibliographical references.Preface -- Introduction -- Glimpses in brief -- 1. The metre and the metric system -- part 1. The making of the metre -- 1.1. Introduction -- 1.2. The birth of the metric system -- 1.3. The Meridian Expedition -- 1.4. How the Meridian was measured -- 1.5. From angles to metres -- 1.6. Measuring the base lines -- 1.7. Crun…