Introducing readers to a wide range of maps from different time periods and a variety of cultures, this book confirms the vital roles of maps throughout history in commerce, art, literature, and national identity.
A beautifully illustrated full-color history of mapmaking across centuries -- a must-read for history buffs and armchair travelers. Theater of the World offers a fascinating history of mapmaking, using the visual representation of the world through time to tell a new story about world history and the men who made it. Thomas Reinertsen Berg takes us all the way from the mysterious symbols of the Stone Age to Google Earth, exploring how the ability to envision what the world looked like developed hand in hand with worldwide exploration. Along the way, we meet visionary geographers and heroic explorers along with other unknown heroes of the map-making world, both ancient and modern. And the stunning visual material allows us to witness the extraordinary breadth of this history with our own eyes.
"Maps have power--they can instruct, make life easier, mislead, or even lie. This engaging text provides the tools to read, analyze, and use any kind of map and assess its strengths and weaknesses. Requiring no advanced math skills, the book presents basic concepts of symbolization, scale, coordinate systems, and projections. It gives students a deeper understanding of the types of maps they encounter every day, from turn-by-turn driving directions to the TV weather report. Readers also learn how to use multiple maps and imagery to analyze an area or region. The book includes 168 figures, among them 22 color plates; most of the figures can be downloaded as PowerPoint slides from the companion website. Appendices contain a glossary, recommended resources, a table of commonly used projections, and more"--
Discover the most awesome places on Earth. 50 Maps of the World is an essential addition to the bookshelf of any young travel lover, map maestro or geography genius. Geography, history and culture spill from the pages of this luxuriously illustrated treasure trove of travel knowledge for 7-to-10-year-olds. Each two-page spread is dedicated to a different country, providing both quick-fire facts and the chance to delve deeper into what makes every nation unique. Natural wonders, bustling metropolises, storied pasts and cultural icons are all presented in expert detail from experienced explorers Ben Handicott and Kalya Ryan, alongside Sol Linero’s eye-popping artwork. Meet our earliest ancestors in Ethiopia, marvel at Machu Picchu in Peru and visit the floating villages of Cambodia in this colourful guide to 50 fascinating countries. It’s a diverse guide that spans from Spain to Singapore, Colombia to Canada, Turkey to Tanzania, and more. Each spread includes dozens of spotlighted locations, a timeline of the nation’s history and introductions to the people who have helped shape it. With the expertise of Ben Handicott (Hello Atlas, Atlas of Adventures: Wonders of the World) and Kalya Ryan, alongside the stunning illustrations of Sol Linero (The 50 States, 50 Cities of the U.S.A.), experience the diversity of our world like never before. 50 Maps of the Worldreimagines what maps for kids can be, providing not just a geographical fact-fest but a vivid insight into the history, culture and wildlife that shape our living world. This is the perfect way for aspiring adventurers to find out more about all the exciting destinations around the world. This is a quirky, dynamic book of atlases that makes a perfect companion for holidays and during trip planning. Originally published in hardback under the title Our Wonderful World (2020). Also in the series: The 50 States, We Are the United States, 50 Cities of the U.S.A., Only in America, and many exciting, fun-filled activity books.
From Babylonian tablets to Google Maps, the world has evolved rapidly, along with the ways in which we see it. In this time, cartography has not only kept pace with these changes, but has often driven them. In this beautiful book, over 70 maps give a visual representation of the history of the world.
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