Synopses & Reviews
Cartography enthusiasts rejoice: the bestselling author of Just My Type reveals the fascinating relationship between man and map. and#160; and#160; Simon Garfieldand#8217;s Just My Type illuminated the world of fonts and made everyone take a stand on Comic Sans and care about kerning. Now Garfield takes on a subject even dearer to our fanatical human hearts: maps. and#160; Imagine a world without maps. How would we travel? Could we own land? What would men and women argue about in cars? Scientists have even suggested that mappingand#151;not languageand#151;is what elevated our prehistoric ancestors from ape-dom. Follow the history of maps from the early explorersand#8217; maps and the awe-inspiring medieval Mappa Mundi to Google Maps and the satellite renderings on our smartphones, Garfield explores the unique way that maps relate and realign our historyand#151;and reflect the best and worst of what makes us human. and#160; Featuring a foreword by Dava Sobel and packed with fascinating tales of cartographic intrigue, outsize personalities, and amusing and#147;pocket mapsand#8221; on an array of subjects from how to fold a map to the strangest maps on the Internet, On the Map is a rich historical tapestry infused with Garfieldand#8217;s signature narrative flair. Map-obsessives and everyone who loved Just My Type will be lining up to join Garfield on his audacious journey through time and around the globe. and#160;
Review
"A stupendous achievement . . . Unrivalled world history for our day . . . it is unbelievable in its facts and almost incontestable in its judgements."
-A. J. P. Taylor, The Observer (London)
Review
"Mr. Garfield uses cartography as a springboard to similar explorations of how we have viewed not only the world around us, but ourselves." and#8212;
New York Journal of Books "His droll humor and infectious curiosity will keep readers engrossed as he uncovers surprising ways in which maps chart our imaginations as much as they do the ground underfoot." and#8212;Publishers Weekly
"A fine, fun presentation of the brand of cartography that continues to whet our imaginations." and#8212;Kirkus Reviews
and#8220;Mr. Garfield's book serves an immense need, connecting the latest geocacher with both the ancient art and modern science of the cartographer. Each may benefit from learning how the other approaches maps. Mr. Garfield uniquely provides that bridge.and#8221;
and#8211;Pittsburgh Post Gazette
and#8220;Deep research and descriptive intensity. [Garfield] regales us with tales of such wonders as Britain's medieval Mappa Mundiand#8230; On the Mapand#160;offers a world of revelation.and#8221; and#8211;USA Today
and#8220;There is a great deal that is good and charming and fun about this book.and#8221; and#8211;and#160;Washington Post
and#8220;Delightfully meandering.and#8221; and#8211;and#160;NPR.org
and#8220;Garfield has a knack for creating high-spirited, erudite and user-friendly books on subjects that may seem crashingly dull to all but a few fanatics. . . . Garfield is a terrific guide. . . . and#8220;On the Mapand#8221; is a treasure: exhilarating, witty, compulsively readable and just plain fun.and#8221; and#8211;The Seattle Times
and#8220;Engagingand#160;and#8230;full of little conversation piecesand#8221; and#8211;Janet Maslin, New York Times
and#8220;Garfield is a wonderful writer who deploys suspense to excellent effect, making each chapter read like a delightful short story or mini-mystery; what might appear a dusty subject sparkles under his clear-eyed and witty writing.and#8221; and#8211; Smithsonian Magazine
and#8220;engrossing, endlessly fascinatingand#8230; enlightening and impossible to put downand#8230; The length and breadth of his scholarship are staggering, while the witty tone makes for the most convivial of literary guides...an irresistible invitation to see the world, and delivering on his promise of and#8220;the map as story, the map as life.and#8221; and#8211;Booklist Starred Review
and#8220;Vastly entertaining.and#8221; --Bookpage
Synopsis
A New York Times Bestseller "Maps allow the armchair traveler to roam the world, the diplomat to argue his points, the ruler to administer his country, the warrior to plan his campaigns and the propagandist to boost his cause... rich and beautiful." - Wall Street Journal
Throughout history, maps have been fundamental in shaping our view of the world, and our place in it. But far from being purely scientific objects, maps of the world are unavoidably ideological and subjective, intimately bound up with the systems of power and authority of particular times and places. Mapmakers do not simply represent the world, they construct it out of the ideas of their age. In this scintillating book, Jerry Brotton examines the significance of 12 maps - from the almost mystical representations of ancient history to the satellite-derived imagery of today. He vividly recreates the environments and circumstances in which each of the maps was made, showing how each conveys a highly individual view of the world. Brotton shows how each of his maps both influenced and reflected contemporary events and how, by considering it in all its nuances and omissions, we can better understand the world that produced it.
Although the way we map our surroundings is more precise than ever before, Brotton argues that maps today are no more definitive or objective than they have ever been. Readers of this beautifully illustrated and masterfully argued book will never look at a map in quite the same way again.
"A fascinating and panoramic new history of the cartographer's art."
- The Guardian
"The intellectual background to these images is conveyed with beguiling erudition.... There is nothing more subversive than a map."
- The Spectator
"A mesmerizing and beautifully illustrated book."
--The Telegraph
Synopsis
and#147;[A] mesmerizing and beautifully illustrated book.and#8221; and#151;The Telegraph (London) Maps are objects of endless fascination, and the urge to map is a basic human instinct. In this masterful study, historian and cartography expert Jerry Brotton reveals how mapsand#151;far from being objective documentsand#151;are intimately tied to the views and agendas of particular times and places. Beginning with Ptolemyand#8217;s Geography and ending with the satellite-powered behemoth of Google Earth, Brotton examines a dozen world maps from around the globe and through the centuries to trace the long road to our present geographical reality.
This is the kind of book map lovers and history buffs adore. Beautifully illustrated and brilliantly original, A History of the World in 12 Maps was a hit in the U.K. and certain to work its cartographic magic on American audiences.
Synopsis
An extremely accessible narrative of the world's history A book of extraordinary ambition, scholarship and accessibility, The New Penguin History of the World covers the history of our planet from our origins on the African savannah to the state of the world six years after September 11, 2001. Tracing the development of different civilizations through the ages, J. M. Roberts examines the periods of turbulence and change, the international shifts in order and power, and the conflicts, divisions, and advances that have shaped the way we live.
A truly global and comprehensive chronicle of human experience-of ordinary people, as well as of those in power-across all continents and conditions, The New Penguin History of the World brilliantly conveys the staggering diversity of human life and achievement.
About the Author
Jerry Brotton is Professor of Renaissance Studies at Queen Mary University of London, and a leading expert in the history of maps and Renaissance cartography. He lives in London.