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El gran libro de los mapas / the Big Book of Maps

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Organizado de manera sencilla a partir de la progresión a través del tiempo, cada mapa no sólo constituye a menudo una obra de arte maravillosa por derecho propio, sino que además nos informa acerca de nuestra percepción cambiante de la tierra.Con la difusión de los rumores de nuevos descubrimientos, continentes imprecisos empezaron a ser representados en los márgenes del mundo, a menudo como tierras desconocidas. En el siglo XVIII, en los mapas de África todavía figuraba una escueta anotación para referirse al interior del Países jamás explorados por europeos.Los mapas no tratan sólo de comprender y representar el mundo físico. Tienen una utilidad administrativa, social, militar, o política e incluso propagandística.Todos estos usos se encuentran representados en el presente volumen, una historia del mundo en imágenes de todos los lugares y todas las épocas.

Hardcover

First published January 1, 2005

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About the author

Peter Barber

46 books26 followers
Peter Barber is the award-winning, bestselling author of Greek travel memoirs, including A Parthenon on our Roof and A Parthenon in Pefki.

A native Londoner, he lives between England and Greece. Marrying his fiery Greek wife Alexandra not only made him part of a Greek family but also immersed him in Greek life and culture. Fascinated by the people, history and traditions, Peter dove in head first. He wished to be among the locals and experience Greek life first-hand.

From his cultural and language flubs to the trials and tribulations of life in Greece, Peter sometimes got more than he bargained for. But with his signature wit, he found humor in their escapades. And, as he learned more about Greece’s history, his new family, and modern life in Greece, he knew he had to share his insights.

His humorous and heartfelt travel memoirs reveal the real Greece—not just sun and sea, but the wonderful people, rich history and culture. If you can’t get to Greece, live Greece through his books.

Peter is a proud member of the UK’s Society of Authors.

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5 stars
60 (40%)
4 stars
49 (33%)
3 stars
31 (21%)
2 stars
6 (4%)
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1 (<1%)
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
Profile Image for Jeff.
59 reviews1 follower
May 9, 2025
Will return to this later
Profile Image for JoAnn.
405 reviews34 followers
November 19, 2009
I really looked forward to getting this book and wish I had read the reviews first. While I can enjoy the overall design of the maps, I certainly found my enjoyment lessened by the fact that I cannot read the print on most of them, even with a magnifying glass. This, in turn, lessened the appeal of the text. Just a mess, to be honest.

Didn't any editor notice the size of the print on the maps? Or are they sight-impaired?

I am just glad that I only paid $8 for this, used, including shipping.
Profile Image for Fred Rose.
654 reviews16 followers
January 17, 2012
Really a coffee table book. It's well done, and has many, many kinds of maps, to represent various times, places and purposes. It's well done and researched, but it's only a page on each map, so it's just enough to make one point. The maps are beautiful but, even with a large format book, hard to see details. But a great book for browsing, and more interesting than many coffee table books.
Profile Image for Keeko.
370 reviews
February 27, 2014
I read it from cover to cover, a map or two a day to soak them in. What a beautiful, interesting, and diverse book. It's more than a collection of maps (not that there's anything wrong with that). It's also about the people who made the maps and what the maps show of their lives. It's one of those books you never finish because you know it will be nice to read it again and again.
Profile Image for Jessica.
12 reviews
July 3, 2012
A really lovely look at some wonderful cartography. However, some of the maps are pretty small, and we can't read all of the details, but it doesn't make the book any less of a joy to flip through. I picked it up and the library (quite randomly actually) and wouldn't mind buying a copy :)
Profile Image for Jesus.
89 reviews
September 12, 2007
Amidst a beautiful collection of historical maps, it reveals that the fiction of "flat world" was primarily perpetuated by Washington Irving.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews