An accessible, enjoyable, attractive and browsable history of Edinburgh as seen through maps, that will appeal to all those with an interest in Edinburgh and Scottish history.
Part of the Cities of the Imagination series, this is an in-depth cultural, historical, and literary guide by a lifelong native to Scotland's vibrant capital and home to one of the world's greatest arts festivals.
A colourful showcase of one of the most beautiful cities in the world. Inspired by Oxford's unique architecture and historic university, over 50 artists have produced a unique collection of contemporary images illustrating all aspects of the city and surrounding area. Oxford is both a thriving city and a byword for one of the world's best universities. Its ancient buildings are the wonder of the world, still used and inhabited by an energetic and passionate student community. From tightly-packed Cornmarket street catering for the shoppers of the busy city to Oxford's lush riverside walks that provide an asylum from the bustle of everyday life, to traditional St Giles's Fair and May Day that attract visitors from across Oxfordshire and beyond, this book represents them all, including: - Quirky hidden gems such as The Eagle and Child (the pub frequented by J.R.R. Tolkien and C.S. Lewis) and the many cafes of the Covered Market - Innovative representations of classic tourist sites: the Bodleian Library, the Radcliffe Camera, the Sheldonian Theatre, Christ Church College, Magdalen College and many more... - The Mini Car Plant and Cowley Road transformed into artworks There is so much to wonder at in this lovely book. Its enthusiasm reveals a passion for both contemporary art and the lovely city of Oxford. It will renew memories and inspire visits and revisits to all its haunts.
Whilst documents and other written material are obvious resources that help shape our view of the past, maps too can say much about a nation's history. This is the first book to take maps seriously as a form of history, from the earliest representations of Scotland by Ptolemy in the second century AD to the most recent form of Scotland's mapping and geographical representation in GIS, satellite imagery and SATNAV.Compiled by three experts who have spent their lives working with maps, Scotland: Mapping the Nation offers a fascinating and thought-provoking perspective on Scottish history which is beautifully illustrated with complete facsimiles and details of hundreds of the most significant manuscript and printed maps from the National Library of Scotland and other institutions, including those by Timothy Pont, Joan Blaeu and William Roy, amongst many others.
Mapmaking fulfills one of our most ancient and deepseated desires: understanding the world around us and our place in it. But maps need not just show continents and oceans: there are maps to heaven and hell; to happiness and despair; maps of moods, matrimony, and mythological places. There are maps to popular culture, from Gulliver's Island to Gilligan's Island. There are speculative maps of the world before it was known, and maps to secret places known only to the mapmaker. Artists' maps show another kind of uncharted realm: the imagination. What all these maps have in common is their creators' willingness to venture beyond the boundaries of geography or convention. You Are Here is a wide-ranging collection of such superbly inventive maps. These are charts of places you're not expected to find, but a voyage you take in your mind: an exploration of the ideal country estate from a dog's perspective; a guide to buried treasure on Skeleton Island; a trip down the road to success; or the world as imagined by an inmate of a mental institution. With over 100 maps from artists, cartographers, and explorers, You are Here gives the reader a breath-taking view of worlds, both real and imaginary.
Venture to twenty-eight cities around the world in this colorfully illustrated collection of maps that take you on a journey through history, culture, and geography. On each page, you’ll visit a different city. And in each city, you’ll explore the metaphorical resonance between the physical metropolis and its inhabitants, history, and culture. In the hands of a creative cartographer, Manhattan is dissected in an anatomical diagram, the streets of Monaco trace the form of a Picasso nude, and the crisscrossing paths of boats on the Bosphorus become the nerves of Istanbul. Travel as you never have traveled before, and revel in the details that define urban life. By laying bare the bone, muscle, and sinew of twenty-eight cities, these maps reveal the unique spirit of each one and shed light on the strange and marvelous ways in which humans interact with the places they call home. Witty and insightful, this book will capture the imaginations of travelers, map enthusiasts, history buffs, and dreamers.
With Rick Steves, Edinburgh is yours to discover! This slim guide excerpted from Rick Steves Scotland includes: Rick's firsthand, up-to-date advice on Edinburgh's best sights, restaurants, hotels, and more, plus tips to beat the crowds, skip the lines, and avoid tourist traps Top sights and local experiences: Visit ancient Edinburgh Castle and stroll the Royal Mile, uncover Scottish history at the National Museum of Scotland, or hike to the peak of Arthur's Seat for incredible views of the city. Go on a literary pub tour, sample whisky at a tasting, and tap your foot to traditional folk music at a local favorite spot Helpful maps and self-guided walking tours to keep you on track With selective coverage and Rick's trusted insight into the best things to do and see, Rick Steves Snapshot Edinburgh is truly a tour guide in your pocket. Exploring beyond Edinburgh? Pick up Rick Steves Scotland for comprehensive coverage, detailed itineraries, and essential information for planning a countrywide trip.
It started and ended with a financial catastrophe. The Darien disaster of 1700 drove Scotland into union with England, but spawned the institutions which transformed Edinburgh into a global financial centre. The crash of 2008 wrecked the city's two largest and oldest banks – and its reputation. In the three intervening centuries, Edinburgh became a hothouse of financial innovation, prudent banking, reliable insurance and smart investing. The face of the city changed too as money transformed it from medieval squalor to Georgian elegance. This is the story, not just of the institutions which were respected worldwide, but of the personalities too, such as the two hard-drinking Presbyterian ministers who founded the first actuarially-based pension fund; Sir Walter Scott, who faced financial ruin, but wrote his way out of it; the men who financed American railways and eastern rubber plantations with Scottish money; and Fred Goodwin, notorious CEO of RBS, who took the bank to be the biggest in the world, but crashed and burned in 2008.
Over the past four and a half centuries, the magnificent city of Oxford has been mapped for many reasons, few of which have involved the mere finding of one's way through the streets. Maps were produced as part of schemes to defend Oxford from rampaging Roundheads, raging floodwaters, and the ravages of cholera; to plan the new canals and bridges of the eighteenth century and the new railways, tramways and suburbs of the nineteenth; to determine and display changes in the city's political stature under the Reform Acts of 1832 and 1867; to aid police enforcement of the laws against homosexuality; and even to plan a Soviet ground assault on the heart of the British motor industry. Given its status as a world centre of drama, poetry, literature, music, architecture, and scientific experimentation, and sometime royal capital, it is unsurprising that Oxford was the first British town to be included in map form in a tourist guidebook, as early as 1762, and one of just two inland towns mapped by French invasion planners in the Seven Years' War. For the first time, this lavishly illustrated volume brings together sixty of the most remarkable maps and views of the area that have been made by friend and foe since 1575.