In the days since GPS was invented, many of us have lost the skill of navigating by a good old compass and map. As a family ...

STEP 2: Put the pin of the compass at the point of the angle. Set the other end of the compass to a point most of the way up one of the lines and draw an arc across each line.

Four Points of the Compass: The Unexpected History of Direction by Jerry Brotton Allen Lane £20, 208 pages. Join our online book group on Facebook at FT Books Caf ...