This book is a pamphlet for the public, intended to introduce them to a new product made by the Sperry Corporation: The gyrocompass. It is a type of non-magnetic compass which is based on a fast-spinning disc and the rotation of the Earth (or another planetary body if used elsewhere in the universe) to find geographical direction automatically. The use of a gyrocompass is one of the seven fundamental ways to determine the heading of a vehicle.

Marine Gyro-Compasses and Automatic Pilots: A Handbook for Merchant Navy Officers, Volume One: Gyro Compasses is manual for the various types of compass utilized in naval navigation. The text details the apparent motion of fixed objects, and then proceeds to discussing the principles of free gyroscopes. Next, the selection tackles controlled gyroscopes and gyroscopic compasses. The text also covers errors and corrections, along with the comparison of gyroscopic and magnetic compasses. The subsequent chapters talk about the different types of gyro compasses, such as Sperry Gyro-Compass Mark E. XIV, The Brown Gyro-Compass Types A and B, Arma-Brown Compass, and The Marine Gyrosyn Compass. The book will be of great use to student and professional maritime navigators.