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Four Points of the Compass: The Unexpected History of Direction
From the New York Times bestselling author of A History of the World in Twelve Maps, this is the revelatory history of the four cardinal directions that have oriented and defined our place on the globe for millennia
North, south, east, and almost all societies use these four cardinal directions to orientate themselves and to understand who they are by projecting where they are. For millennia, these four directions have been foundational to our travel, navigation, and exploration, and are central to the imaginative, moral, and political geography of virtually every culture in the world. Yet they are far more subjective—and sometimes contradictory—than we might realize.
Four Points of the Compass takes us on a journey of directional discovery. Societies have understood and defined directions in very different ways based on their locations in time and space. Historian Jerry Brotton reveals why Hebrew culture privileges east; why Renaissance Europeans began drawing north at the top of their maps; why early Islam revered the south; why the Aztecs used five color-coded cardinal directions; and why no societies, primitive or modern, have ever orientated themselves westwards. In doing so, politically-loaded but widely used terms such as the “Middle East,” the “Global South.” the “West Indies,” the “Orient.” and even the “western world” take on new meanings. Who decided on these terms and what do they mean for geopolitics? How have directions like “east” and “west” taken on the status of cultural identities—or more accurately stereotypes?
Yet today, because of GPS capability, cardinal points are less relevant. Online, we place ourselves at the center of the map as little blue dots moving across geospatial apps; we have become the most important compass point, though in the process we’ve disconnected ourselves from the natural world. Imagining what future changes technology may impose, Jerry Brotton skillfully reminds us how crucial the four cardinal directions have been to everyone who has ever walked our planet.
North, south, east, and almost all societies use these four cardinal directions to orientate themselves and to understand who they are by projecting where they are. For millennia, these four directions have been foundational to our travel, navigation, and exploration, and are central to the imaginative, moral, and political geography of virtually every culture in the world. Yet they are far more subjective—and sometimes contradictory—than we might realize.
Four Points of the Compass takes us on a journey of directional discovery. Societies have understood and defined directions in very different ways based on their locations in time and space. Historian Jerry Brotton reveals why Hebrew culture privileges east; why Renaissance Europeans began drawing north at the top of their maps; why early Islam revered the south; why the Aztecs used five color-coded cardinal directions; and why no societies, primitive or modern, have ever orientated themselves westwards. In doing so, politically-loaded but widely used terms such as the “Middle East,” the “Global South.” the “West Indies,” the “Orient.” and even the “western world” take on new meanings. Who decided on these terms and what do they mean for geopolitics? How have directions like “east” and “west” taken on the status of cultural identities—or more accurately stereotypes?
Yet today, because of GPS capability, cardinal points are less relevant. Online, we place ourselves at the center of the map as little blue dots moving across geospatial apps; we have become the most important compass point, though in the process we’ve disconnected ourselves from the natural world. Imagining what future changes technology may impose, Jerry Brotton skillfully reminds us how crucial the four cardinal directions have been to everyone who has ever walked our planet.
224 pages, Hardcover
Published November 12, 2024
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768 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 56 reviews
July 18, 2025
This was a very interesting book. It is full of fascinating information and quite a joy to read. In this book, Brotton looks at the four points of the Compass (Nort, South, East and West) and how those words and the concepts of direction (cardinal directions) are central to the development of humans throughout history. Different cultures and different geographic areas have dealt with these concepts.
This is a book that is going to look at linguistics, culture, history, religion, etc and how they dealt with those cardinal directions and how those directions affected the thoughts and beliefs of different peoples. It's a rather brilliant concept, and the book is a fascinating one.
In certain societies North is a negative concept associated with cold and darkness, while other cultures have viewed it as wonder and constancy. The South is viewed as warmth and light, yet some cultures view it as indolence and under-development.
These cultural/geographical differences are highlighted for each of the Cardinal Directions ( 'cardinal' comes from the Latin word 'cardinalis', which means 'hinge', and something of fundamental importance, hence cardinal directions are central and pivotal to the principles of orientation) and how that has affected different cultures and thoughts. A fascinating book for anyone who enjoys learning about interesting tidbits that can change the way you think about common terms and ideas about direction and orientation.
This is a book that is going to look at linguistics, culture, history, religion, etc and how they dealt with those cardinal directions and how those directions affected the thoughts and beliefs of different peoples. It's a rather brilliant concept, and the book is a fascinating one.
In certain societies North is a negative concept associated with cold and darkness, while other cultures have viewed it as wonder and constancy. The South is viewed as warmth and light, yet some cultures view it as indolence and under-development.
These cultural/geographical differences are highlighted for each of the Cardinal Directions ( 'cardinal' comes from the Latin word 'cardinalis', which means 'hinge', and something of fundamental importance, hence cardinal directions are central and pivotal to the principles of orientation) and how that has affected different cultures and thoughts. A fascinating book for anyone who enjoys learning about interesting tidbits that can change the way you think about common terms and ideas about direction and orientation.
February 13, 2025
Fascinating.
March 19, 2025
“Four Points of the Compass” is, as the subtitle states “The Unexpected history of direction”. This book covers the four main cardinal directions – North, South, East, and West – in a way that these concepts have meant and evolved to various peoples.
It covers why early cultures turned to the East for that is where the sun rose and what seemed to bring life, and away from the West, because they represented the setting of the sun, darkness, and to some extent death. It also covered the meanings of terms such as the “Middle East” which is Eurocentric, and the “Global South” being more of an economic than a directional term. Further it talks about the rise of importance of the “West” which started as one of the least desirable directions, to being a centre of a strong civilisation – as in Western Civilisation.
Lastly the book moves to include a fifth digital dimensions where maps have been replaced by GPS systems in smartphones, and the cardinal directions refer more to cultures than to directions. That’s because GPS services put you at the centre, of everything.
I liked the book for it helped me understand why many countries turned to the East. Although the book doesn’t describe this Japan is the “Land of the rising sun”, Korea is the “Land of the Morning Calm” and China’s red in is flag and “colours” demonstrate a clear association with the East.
The book is well written, flows well and has great observations, references and insights. I’m very interested in maps and geography and this book brought a larger context to it.
I very much enjoyed to photographic plates at the centre of the book, and I share the author’s love of maps.
There’s nothing I disliked about the book.
It’s a good read. I recommend it.
It covers why early cultures turned to the East for that is where the sun rose and what seemed to bring life, and away from the West, because they represented the setting of the sun, darkness, and to some extent death. It also covered the meanings of terms such as the “Middle East” which is Eurocentric, and the “Global South” being more of an economic than a directional term. Further it talks about the rise of importance of the “West” which started as one of the least desirable directions, to being a centre of a strong civilisation – as in Western Civilisation.
Lastly the book moves to include a fifth digital dimensions where maps have been replaced by GPS systems in smartphones, and the cardinal directions refer more to cultures than to directions. That’s because GPS services put you at the centre, of everything.
I liked the book for it helped me understand why many countries turned to the East. Although the book doesn’t describe this Japan is the “Land of the rising sun”, Korea is the “Land of the Morning Calm” and China’s red in is flag and “colours” demonstrate a clear association with the East.
The book is well written, flows well and has great observations, references and insights. I’m very interested in maps and geography and this book brought a larger context to it.
I very much enjoyed to photographic plates at the centre of the book, and I share the author’s love of maps.
There’s nothing I disliked about the book.
It’s a good read. I recommend it.
Want to read
May 25, 2024Excited to read this.
ARC received by the Publisher, Grove Atlantic, via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
ARC received by the Publisher, Grove Atlantic, via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
December 24, 2024
The author is a British Professor of Renaissance Studies. I first encountered him when I read his “A History of the World In Twelve Maps” (2012). This book is a history of the four cardinal directions: North, South, East, and West. OK, fair enough - these are the four directions one sees on a map, especially the more traditional maps that were so critical to everything from history books to road maps and AAA prior to 2008 or so, whenever it was that mapping hit the iPhone and went digital. So why are the four directions arrayed the way that are? Why is north always at the top - or is it? How do east and west fit in - on a sphere?? Was it always this way?
Just starting with the geography and navigation issues, there is enough for a good history here.
But there is more. For each of the cardinal directions, there is a rich history of how each term has been employed in a variety of different social contexts. Is north “better” than south (it depends, of course). Do these directions have only one set if values associated or is that each has a wide range of values and uses that vary widely depending on who is talking, what they are talking about, and when a conversation about one of the directions occurs. Why is it that modern era maps we know have north at the top, while at the same time entertaining a broad story about the rise and dominance or the west (or also it decline a la Spengler)?
This all works well in the book, because Professor Brotton seems to have forgotten more details about maps than most of us have encountered (and in multiple languages and classical traditions). He is also a fine storyteller who has written a book that can be read quickly. But finally, its illustrations and exhibits are worth looking through in detail on their own as well as part of the book.
I agree that map reading has gone digital, so this is a history of what is becoming increasingly irrelevant to what people need to navigate - a bit of a paradox. I don’t think it really matters at all and I highly recommend the book.
Just starting with the geography and navigation issues, there is enough for a good history here.
But there is more. For each of the cardinal directions, there is a rich history of how each term has been employed in a variety of different social contexts. Is north “better” than south (it depends, of course). Do these directions have only one set if values associated or is that each has a wide range of values and uses that vary widely depending on who is talking, what they are talking about, and when a conversation about one of the directions occurs. Why is it that modern era maps we know have north at the top, while at the same time entertaining a broad story about the rise and dominance or the west (or also it decline a la Spengler)?
This all works well in the book, because Professor Brotton seems to have forgotten more details about maps than most of us have encountered (and in multiple languages and classical traditions). He is also a fine storyteller who has written a book that can be read quickly. But finally, its illustrations and exhibits are worth looking through in detail on their own as well as part of the book.
I agree that map reading has gone digital, so this is a history of what is becoming increasingly irrelevant to what people need to navigate - a bit of a paradox. I don’t think it really matters at all and I highly recommend the book.
November 22, 2024
This was a short but an interesting read. Jerry Brotton explores the history of direction and he separates the story into four chapters: North, South, West and East. He delves into these four cardinal directions which defined our place on the globe for millennia. He uncovers the history of compass and the ways different societies looked at direction. One of the most interesting cases that Brotton makes in this book is how we don't even think about directions in today's digital world. Overall, it was an informative read with an intriguing thesis about the way in which certain cultures interpreted cardinal directions.
December 1, 2024
This had some interesting information and I'm glad I read it but it never really grabbed me. It is nonfiction but I have read many nonfiction books that were as gripping as novels. This wasn't one.
A couple of the kinds of things I did like: We, of course, have north at the top of our maps today, but other civilizations have used east or south at the top. No civilization ever used west and there's only been one old map found with west at the top. This is because most people think of the setting sun as a symbol of death. There is some worry today that we are losing our ability to know where we are in space, because of GPS doing that for us. The last chapter discusses this and I thought it was one of the best parts of the book.
A couple of the kinds of things I did like: We, of course, have north at the top of our maps today, but other civilizations have used east or south at the top. No civilization ever used west and there's only been one old map found with west at the top. This is because most people think of the setting sun as a symbol of death. There is some worry today that we are losing our ability to know where we are in space, because of GPS doing that for us. The last chapter discusses this and I thought it was one of the best parts of the book.
December 31, 2024
I've been meaning to post this for a few days, and I guess I just got lost 😉 this was a true surprise gem of a book. As someone with an avid interest in cartography, it's kinda surprising I'd never thought to wonder about the history of direction itself. But this book laid out all in a very accessible way.
Equal parts history, mythology, science, literary analysis, and many other disciplines there is really something for everyone within these pages. I couldn't put it down. Highly recommended to anyone, really, there was no niche that could fit. Maybe history buffs and map lovers would enjoy it most, but I think really it's accessible and fascinating to anyone with even a passing interest. 10/10
Equal parts history, mythology, science, literary analysis, and many other disciplines there is really something for everyone within these pages. I couldn't put it down. Highly recommended to anyone, really, there was no niche that could fit. Maybe history buffs and map lovers would enjoy it most, but I think really it's accessible and fascinating to anyone with even a passing interest. 10/10
January 9, 2025
A compelling exploration of how directions have influenced human civilization from ancient times to today. He skillfully connects historical narratives with cultural insights, revealing the deep meanings assigned to north, south, east, and west. The book also examines how these cardinal points shape political and social ideologies, making it relevant to contemporary discussions.
Ultimately, this insightful read encourages reflection on the significance of geography in shaping our understanding of the world. Highly recommended for anyone interested in the intersection of history, culture, and geography.
Ultimately, this insightful read encourages reflection on the significance of geography in shaping our understanding of the world. Highly recommended for anyone interested in the intersection of history, culture, and geography.
August 7, 2025
Christmas gift. Interesting history / beliefs about direction etc throughout human history. Taps straight into one of my special interests lol
April 25, 2025
Not what I was expecting. Good, but not what I expected.
I thought it would be something like Longitude: by Dava Sobel. This ain’t that. Not that I read the Sobel book, but one hears things and sees PBS specials on it.
Longitude was almost like one of those race to discover or develop books you see about science or business, what with all the technical challenges that are overcome with ingenuity and determination. This book is more like a loquacious philosopher/scholar filled with facts or trivia, and sipping brandy with friends and acolytes on some magical evening. Bouncing from history to science to mythology to religion to politics to psychology and back to history and so on.
I liked this book, but the subject is very broad and very contradictory. What he is really doing is only using the directions of the compass to show the amazing convoluted lengths humans have gone to in order to make sense of the world. They were "sense makers" before there was the opportunity to become Internet sensations.
For instance, there is the practical point that the sun always rises in the east and sets in the west. BUT different civilization lay on top of this observation layers and layers of “meaning”. And there have been so many civilizations over so much time, and they all find meaning in different ways, and what these directions mean is sooooo contradictory you have to marvel at the inventiveness
Quick review, with the sun in the east going to the west, that was the first focus for people, and consequently some early maps had east at the top. After all it was the first place you looked in the morning.
With the advent of the compass sea exploration, north south directions became a priority. But as societies developed these directions took on more personal and political meaning to the point “the West” have come to dominate as the prime cultural direction. But it is way more complicated than that.
The powerful yet contradictory beliefs about the west that had existed since ancient times mutated into one overriding modern political idea. More than any other cardinal direction – including east – west became detached from its origin as a direction and transformed into an ideology. Pg 162
He opens the book with the famous Apollo 17 picture of earth as a “blue marble” and NASA’s need to rotate the original picture so the arctic was at the top of the picture. Space doesn’t care about up or down but earthlings might be “disoriented” but an upside down world.
He ends with a nice, and symmetrical, observation that many smartphone map apps have your location as a blue ball. BUT this radically changes our orientation and again the app doesn’t really care about up or down, it just tells you what turns to make, so we have gone beyond the confusing of the 1972 earth picture and barely noticed the change.
As Michael Bond points out in his book Wayfinding , ‘for the first time in the history of evolution, we have stopped using many of the spatial skills that have sustained us for tens of thousands of years’. He worries that online mapping devices leave many of us in a situation where, ‘in exchange for the absolute certainty of knowing where we are in space, we sacrifice our sense of place’. Pg180
The pixilated virtual blue dot that started to appear on our smartphones from 2008 onwards has displaced the planetary one , transforming our orientation from looking outwards and beyond ourselves to turning inwards with little sense of the wider world through which we move. Pg180
interesting tidbits
The west was a tempting prize and excited such a high degree of land seizure and speculation that George III issued a proclamation in 1763 banning further westward incursions into indigenous territories...These lands, the King declared, ‘are reserved to the said Indians’. The colonists disagreed. Pg 155
Aristotle’s belief that the Earth was divided in five climates…and southern temperate southern continent: the Antipodes. (to match his northern climate)…Thousands of years before Europeans reached this southern region named terra Australis, Aristotle had already anticipated its existence. Pg 78
I thought this last one, was a stretch. Aristotle didn’t figure out there must be a continent like Australia like some astronomer calculating the existence of an unseen planet by gravitation irregularities in other planets. Aristotle just assumed his aesthetic sensibilities would about to plate tectonics (if he had known about plate tectonics)
I thought it would be something like Longitude: by Dava Sobel. This ain’t that. Not that I read the Sobel book, but one hears things and sees PBS specials on it.
Longitude was almost like one of those race to discover or develop books you see about science or business, what with all the technical challenges that are overcome with ingenuity and determination. This book is more like a loquacious philosopher/scholar filled with facts or trivia, and sipping brandy with friends and acolytes on some magical evening. Bouncing from history to science to mythology to religion to politics to psychology and back to history and so on.
I liked this book, but the subject is very broad and very contradictory. What he is really doing is only using the directions of the compass to show the amazing convoluted lengths humans have gone to in order to make sense of the world. They were "sense makers" before there was the opportunity to become Internet sensations.
For instance, there is the practical point that the sun always rises in the east and sets in the west. BUT different civilization lay on top of this observation layers and layers of “meaning”. And there have been so many civilizations over so much time, and they all find meaning in different ways, and what these directions mean is sooooo contradictory you have to marvel at the inventiveness
Quick review, with the sun in the east going to the west, that was the first focus for people, and consequently some early maps had east at the top. After all it was the first place you looked in the morning.
With the advent of the compass sea exploration, north south directions became a priority. But as societies developed these directions took on more personal and political meaning to the point “the West” have come to dominate as the prime cultural direction. But it is way more complicated than that.
The powerful yet contradictory beliefs about the west that had existed since ancient times mutated into one overriding modern political idea. More than any other cardinal direction – including east – west became detached from its origin as a direction and transformed into an ideology. Pg 162
He opens the book with the famous Apollo 17 picture of earth as a “blue marble” and NASA’s need to rotate the original picture so the arctic was at the top of the picture. Space doesn’t care about up or down but earthlings might be “disoriented” but an upside down world.
He ends with a nice, and symmetrical, observation that many smartphone map apps have your location as a blue ball. BUT this radically changes our orientation and again the app doesn’t really care about up or down, it just tells you what turns to make, so we have gone beyond the confusing of the 1972 earth picture and barely noticed the change.
As Michael Bond points out in his book Wayfinding , ‘for the first time in the history of evolution, we have stopped using many of the spatial skills that have sustained us for tens of thousands of years’. He worries that online mapping devices leave many of us in a situation where, ‘in exchange for the absolute certainty of knowing where we are in space, we sacrifice our sense of place’. Pg180
The pixilated virtual blue dot that started to appear on our smartphones from 2008 onwards has displaced the planetary one , transforming our orientation from looking outwards and beyond ourselves to turning inwards with little sense of the wider world through which we move. Pg180
interesting tidbits
The west was a tempting prize and excited such a high degree of land seizure and speculation that George III issued a proclamation in 1763 banning further westward incursions into indigenous territories...These lands, the King declared, ‘are reserved to the said Indians’. The colonists disagreed. Pg 155
Aristotle’s belief that the Earth was divided in five climates…and southern temperate southern continent: the Antipodes. (to match his northern climate)…Thousands of years before Europeans reached this southern region named terra Australis, Aristotle had already anticipated its existence. Pg 78
I thought this last one, was a stretch. Aristotle didn’t figure out there must be a continent like Australia like some astronomer calculating the existence of an unseen planet by gravitation irregularities in other planets. Aristotle just assumed his aesthetic sensibilities would about to plate tectonics (if he had known about plate tectonics)
November 24, 2024
A really interesting nonfiction about the history of direction: where did the 4 cardinal directions come from? Why are they what they are? Why is North always at the top of the map? So on.
May 24, 2025
A short work on how thoughts on the cardinal directions evolved through different societies. interesting and informative.
July 2, 2025
How does someone get so offended by a compass?
May 10, 2025
It is never a good sign when I find myself skimming the material, but by the end of this short book - just 181 pages in the hardcover edition - I had lost interest and just wanted to finish. Four Points of the Compass is well researched, but the material was not that interesting. Brotton's big point is that direction is relative. If you keep heading east for an eternity, you will circle the globe endlessly, but you will never be "west". The earth spins on its axis, but we arbitrarily decided which hemisphere was north and which was south. The subtitle for this book is The Unexpected History of Direction.
Depending on where you are from, directional adjectives have different meanings. In England, northerners are though to be poor, unsophisticated blue-collar laborers. In Italy, a northerner is industrious, prosperous and hard working, while southern Italians are lazy crooks. However, whenever an English or Italian citizen travels to another part of the world, they are considered a Westerner.
Because of its industrialization, democracy and capitalistic economy, Japan is considered part of the global West, even though it just east of China, which is the epitome of "the East". Australia is also considered part of the West, though clearly it is in the south.
When previous societies drew maps, they often did so with East appearing at the top, because East was the most important direction - it is the direction of the rising sun, symbolizing birth and renewal. Christians believed that the Garden of Eden lay somewhere in the East, and the Jesus would appear in the second coming by walking out of the East. The mysterious kingdom of Prester John lay in the east. The direction west, the direction of the setting sun, symbolized death, mortality, the impermanence of our human lives, thus almost no cultures drew maps with west at the top.
The terms Near East, Middle East and Far East are all relative to Europe, these names were coined by the European explorers during the age of Exploration.
When in the far north, Polaris is almost directly overhead and thus useless for identifying direction. Societies that live in the far north, like the Inuit, attach no particular status to the "Star that does not move". Due to the wobble of the Earth's axis, in ten thousand years Polaris will no longer align with true north.
The magnetic pole and true north due not align. Even as long ago as Columbus, sailors were aware of this discrepancy and had to make corrections to their navigation. The magnetic pole can move by as much as 40 Km per year.
Magnets are attracted to the opposite pole. Thus the north end of two magnets will repel each other, while the north and south end of magnets are drawn to each other. All compasses that point north are thus actually pointing to the South Magnetic Pole.
Depending on where you are from, directional adjectives have different meanings. In England, northerners are though to be poor, unsophisticated blue-collar laborers. In Italy, a northerner is industrious, prosperous and hard working, while southern Italians are lazy crooks. However, whenever an English or Italian citizen travels to another part of the world, they are considered a Westerner.
Because of its industrialization, democracy and capitalistic economy, Japan is considered part of the global West, even though it just east of China, which is the epitome of "the East". Australia is also considered part of the West, though clearly it is in the south.
When previous societies drew maps, they often did so with East appearing at the top, because East was the most important direction - it is the direction of the rising sun, symbolizing birth and renewal. Christians believed that the Garden of Eden lay somewhere in the East, and the Jesus would appear in the second coming by walking out of the East. The mysterious kingdom of Prester John lay in the east. The direction west, the direction of the setting sun, symbolized death, mortality, the impermanence of our human lives, thus almost no cultures drew maps with west at the top.
The terms Near East, Middle East and Far East are all relative to Europe, these names were coined by the European explorers during the age of Exploration.
When in the far north, Polaris is almost directly overhead and thus useless for identifying direction. Societies that live in the far north, like the Inuit, attach no particular status to the "Star that does not move". Due to the wobble of the Earth's axis, in ten thousand years Polaris will no longer align with true north.
The magnetic pole and true north due not align. Even as long ago as Columbus, sailors were aware of this discrepancy and had to make corrections to their navigation. The magnetic pole can move by as much as 40 Km per year.
Magnets are attracted to the opposite pole. Thus the north end of two magnets will repel each other, while the north and south end of magnets are drawn to each other. All compasses that point north are thus actually pointing to the South Magnetic Pole.
July 29, 2024
Got to read this book through Netgalley.
The description of the book really intrigued me and the book kinda lived up to the expectations as well. it was an eye-opener for me that the four directions (North, South, East, West) that we assume to be set in stone (that north will be upwards, south downwards) are actually subjective. Different cultures and societies have interpreted these differently and have evolved (at least initially) based on their subjective understanding of the direction. The author shows various examples of how different societies have treated directions. Starting from the past like why Europeans drew north at the top, Islamic religion revered south to how have terms such as Middle East, West Indies, etc have come about.
The book is a thoroughly researched book, it gives a taste of several sub-topics within the book. Such as how directions are related with languages, weather, mythology, and many more sub-topics. I probably would have enjoyed a bit more detail on several topics. It was like a very well looking meal which was served beautifully and tasted also amazing but the portion size was pretty small. The book is just about 200 pages and thus, couldn't go into too much detail.
Also, since this was an ARC received on Kindle, there were several images which I wasn't able to see which would have been even better to help me understand the topic better.
Overall, this book is a keeper and I might actually go back to this book again once it gets published.
The description of the book really intrigued me and the book kinda lived up to the expectations as well. it was an eye-opener for me that the four directions (North, South, East, West) that we assume to be set in stone (that north will be upwards, south downwards) are actually subjective. Different cultures and societies have interpreted these differently and have evolved (at least initially) based on their subjective understanding of the direction. The author shows various examples of how different societies have treated directions. Starting from the past like why Europeans drew north at the top, Islamic religion revered south to how have terms such as Middle East, West Indies, etc have come about.
The book is a thoroughly researched book, it gives a taste of several sub-topics within the book. Such as how directions are related with languages, weather, mythology, and many more sub-topics. I probably would have enjoyed a bit more detail on several topics. It was like a very well looking meal which was served beautifully and tasted also amazing but the portion size was pretty small. The book is just about 200 pages and thus, couldn't go into too much detail.
Also, since this was an ARC received on Kindle, there were several images which I wasn't able to see which would have been even better to help me understand the topic better.
Overall, this book is a keeper and I might actually go back to this book again once it gets published.
January 7, 2025
Author Jerry Brotton is a Professor of Rennaissance Studies in the UK, with a series of popular books under his belt. As you might expect from someone with a background in language and literature he gives us a book not so much about North, South, East and West, but rather about the meaning of the words - their usage and importance in culture and through history.
East, for example, is where the sun rises - where each new day is born. East as a word or concept has often been used as a symbol of birth. Across time East came to signify not only birth but the start of the cycle of human life, and of the cycle of the seasons. It was also important to early cultures like the Inca and the Egyptians whose religious beliefs included worship of a sun god.
As monotheistic religions began to take hold, they distanced themselves from worship of the sun while retaining some of the luminous aspects and meaning attached to sun gods. Halos surrounding the heads of holy figures in art is one example of how the sun’s importance was carried forward. Christian churches have long been oriented so that the congregation (and the priest in pre-Vatican Council days) faced to the East.
And so Brotton goes through each of the cardinal directions, drawing out the importance of each across history. His journey through the compass helps him explain why maps today have North at the top, and how West came to be a synonym for modern European civilization in the 19th and 20th centuries. It’s an interesting journey and one I’m glad I took.
East, for example, is where the sun rises - where each new day is born. East as a word or concept has often been used as a symbol of birth. Across time East came to signify not only birth but the start of the cycle of human life, and of the cycle of the seasons. It was also important to early cultures like the Inca and the Egyptians whose religious beliefs included worship of a sun god.
As monotheistic religions began to take hold, they distanced themselves from worship of the sun while retaining some of the luminous aspects and meaning attached to sun gods. Halos surrounding the heads of holy figures in art is one example of how the sun’s importance was carried forward. Christian churches have long been oriented so that the congregation (and the priest in pre-Vatican Council days) faced to the East.
And so Brotton goes through each of the cardinal directions, drawing out the importance of each across history. His journey through the compass helps him explain why maps today have North at the top, and how West came to be a synonym for modern European civilization in the 19th and 20th centuries. It’s an interesting journey and one I’m glad I took.
February 16, 2025
So many interesting facets to what we so easy term north, south, east and west pour out of the pages of Jerry Brotton's small work of nonfiction.
Maps, compasses, clocks, philosophers, magnetic north, priests, popes, global explorers of centuries past, even NASA officials, they're all part of the story, with four-color photos to boot.
How earlier and different cultures saw the directions around and across the globe — the Greeks, the Romans, the Chinese, indigenous tribes, Africans, Polynesians, Aztecs, current South Americans (the list of sources is quite impressive) — isn't the stuff of can't-put-it-down reading.
Taken as whole, though, it's information that explains a lot about who we are and how the societies and cultures we are part of became organized.
The book is 181 pages, however, its on pages in the 170s that Brotton covers who so many of us are today and who we may be becoming: people who won't know east from west or north from south, thanks to the likes of Google Maps.
Brotton writes:
"In this our digitized century, there are now five directions — north, south, east, west and the online blue dot: 'You'. As paper maps are eclipsed, that dot become pre-eminent, superseding compass directions which, for many, become irrelevant."
As our blue dot follows the blue line to get us to everywhere we are going, that part of our brain that stores cognitive maps is threatened with shrinking.
Ah, just what we needed, one more crisis to worry over.
Maps, compasses, clocks, philosophers, magnetic north, priests, popes, global explorers of centuries past, even NASA officials, they're all part of the story, with four-color photos to boot.
How earlier and different cultures saw the directions around and across the globe — the Greeks, the Romans, the Chinese, indigenous tribes, Africans, Polynesians, Aztecs, current South Americans (the list of sources is quite impressive) — isn't the stuff of can't-put-it-down reading.
Taken as whole, though, it's information that explains a lot about who we are and how the societies and cultures we are part of became organized.
The book is 181 pages, however, its on pages in the 170s that Brotton covers who so many of us are today and who we may be becoming: people who won't know east from west or north from south, thanks to the likes of Google Maps.
Brotton writes:
"In this our digitized century, there are now five directions — north, south, east, west and the online blue dot: 'You'. As paper maps are eclipsed, that dot become pre-eminent, superseding compass directions which, for many, become irrelevant."
As our blue dot follows the blue line to get us to everywhere we are going, that part of our brain that stores cognitive maps is threatened with shrinking.
Ah, just what we needed, one more crisis to worry over.
May 31, 2024
Read via NetGalley and the publisher; it's out in November 2024.
This is a really neat idea for a book. So much of the "western" world (an idea that Brotton interrogates fairly well) simply assumes that north should be the default direction at the 'top' of the map, and that's how it always has been. AS someone who has deliberately put maps "upside down" and challenged students to think about why - and as someone living in Australia - book that shows exactly how and north doesn't HAVE to be the default top, and that historically it hasn't been, is a wonderful thing.
Brotton mingles a lot of different ways of thinking about the world in this book. There's linguistics - the ways in which different languages' words for the cardinal directions reflect ideas about the sun, rising and leaving, and other culturally important ideas. Like 'Orient': it comes from the Latin for 'rising', as in the sun, and came to mean 'east'… and of course 'oriental' has had a long and difficult career. But in English we still orient ourselves in space. Then there's the connections with various types of weather, in various parts of the world, something I had not considered; and of course there's an enormous amount of association with mythology from all over the world, often privileging the east and rarely making the west somewhere to be revered. (Three out of four cardinal directions have been regarded as most important over time and space; not the west, though.) Then of course there's history, as humans learned what was actually out there in various directions, and associated people and places with specific directions (hello, Orient). And the act of cartography itself has had an impact on how people think about direction and the appearance of the world - Mercator, obviously, and the consequences of his projection particularly on Greenland, but even how vellum (real vellum, ie made from calfskin) was shaped and therefore impacted on how things were drawn on it.
Is the book perfect? No, of course not; it's under 200 pages, it can't account for every culture and language. But I do think it's done a pretty good job of NOT privileging European languages; there's an Indigenous Australian language referenced, which is rare. (I should note that anyone who thinks they can do any sort of navigation by the 'south polar star' like you can with the northern one is in for a very, very rude shock.) There is some reference to South American cultures, and I think passing reference to North American ones; some African cultures are also referenced. China and some other Asian societies get more space.
This is a really good introduction to the idea of the four directions having an actual history that is worth exploring for its consequences in our language and our history. The one thing that disappointed me is that there's no reference to Treebeard's comment about travelling south feeling like you're walking downhill, which seems like a missed opportunity.
This is a really neat idea for a book. So much of the "western" world (an idea that Brotton interrogates fairly well) simply assumes that north should be the default direction at the 'top' of the map, and that's how it always has been. AS someone who has deliberately put maps "upside down" and challenged students to think about why - and as someone living in Australia - book that shows exactly how and north doesn't HAVE to be the default top, and that historically it hasn't been, is a wonderful thing.
Brotton mingles a lot of different ways of thinking about the world in this book. There's linguistics - the ways in which different languages' words for the cardinal directions reflect ideas about the sun, rising and leaving, and other culturally important ideas. Like 'Orient': it comes from the Latin for 'rising', as in the sun, and came to mean 'east'… and of course 'oriental' has had a long and difficult career. But in English we still orient ourselves in space. Then there's the connections with various types of weather, in various parts of the world, something I had not considered; and of course there's an enormous amount of association with mythology from all over the world, often privileging the east and rarely making the west somewhere to be revered. (Three out of four cardinal directions have been regarded as most important over time and space; not the west, though.) Then of course there's history, as humans learned what was actually out there in various directions, and associated people and places with specific directions (hello, Orient). And the act of cartography itself has had an impact on how people think about direction and the appearance of the world - Mercator, obviously, and the consequences of his projection particularly on Greenland, but even how vellum (real vellum, ie made from calfskin) was shaped and therefore impacted on how things were drawn on it.
Is the book perfect? No, of course not; it's under 200 pages, it can't account for every culture and language. But I do think it's done a pretty good job of NOT privileging European languages; there's an Indigenous Australian language referenced, which is rare. (I should note that anyone who thinks they can do any sort of navigation by the 'south polar star' like you can with the northern one is in for a very, very rude shock.) There is some reference to South American cultures, and I think passing reference to North American ones; some African cultures are also referenced. China and some other Asian societies get more space.
This is a really good introduction to the idea of the four directions having an actual history that is worth exploring for its consequences in our language and our history. The one thing that disappointed me is that there's no reference to Treebeard's comment about travelling south feeling like you're walking downhill, which seems like a missed opportunity.
January 28, 2025
Where and why did the concept of directions start? How were meanings attached to them and how did those meanings change over time? What role does geography and religion play in a culture’s views of directions? These and many other questions are addressed by Brotton as he roams through history. I found the book, especially the begininng, somewhat incohesive. The subjects don’t really flow from one to the next, but the information is interesting, especially his assessment of what is happening now with CPS and maps at out fingertips at all times. And recently I saw someone claim the inability to understand a map because South was at the top. That naturally reminded me of this book. I received an digital advanced copy of this book compliments of Grove Atlantic via NetGalley.
April 13, 2025
One might call this the intellectually rich short book a vivid reference guide to a history-philosophical narrative of directions: meanings and hidden depths they carry, emotions they evoke.
The book is something of a literary attempt to provide a personal perspective vs being a history book about the origins of assigning referential points. Can be a hit or miss for a reader but a possible good starting point.
Yet there are just so many much more grasping books on the subject of distance and interpretation of cardinal directions: Hakluyt, Columbus, Toricelli, Abbasid caliphate cartographical discoveries, Mediterranean and Oriental trade.
Willing to say good words for this book - I am lost in my conflicting emotions about it.
The book is something of a literary attempt to provide a personal perspective vs being a history book about the origins of assigning referential points. Can be a hit or miss for a reader but a possible good starting point.
Yet there are just so many much more grasping books on the subject of distance and interpretation of cardinal directions: Hakluyt, Columbus, Toricelli, Abbasid caliphate cartographical discoveries, Mediterranean and Oriental trade.
Willing to say good words for this book - I am lost in my conflicting emotions about it.
December 11, 2024
I love a book about maps, and this didn't disappoint.
It goes through the four cardinal directions in turn, exploring their significance and changing meanings through the ages.
I found this structure meant it felt we were moving in small loops as we revisited various cultures, and it was surprisingly slow for me to get through the first half, considering it's only around 160 pages long.
I did enjoy the facts sprinkled throughout though and the final chapter on 'the blue dot' of mapping apps struck a chord as we all orient ourselves with our position in the Centre and lose track of the larger picture.
It goes through the four cardinal directions in turn, exploring their significance and changing meanings through the ages.
I found this structure meant it felt we were moving in small loops as we revisited various cultures, and it was surprisingly slow for me to get through the first half, considering it's only around 160 pages long.
I did enjoy the facts sprinkled throughout though and the final chapter on 'the blue dot' of mapping apps struck a chord as we all orient ourselves with our position in the Centre and lose track of the larger picture.
January 23, 2025
Many fascinating accounts of how we’ve changed our orientation on earth. First axis was east to west as the rising sun brings light & life - snd the setting sun brings darkness and death.
Eventually the compass provided a north south orientation. But the implication of north south east & west are much deeper than just direction - it can connote cultural or geopolitical differences.
But maybe of most concern is our loss of the meaning of the cardinal points due to GPS and cell phones. We’re simply following our blue dot in a virtual world.
Eventually the compass provided a north south orientation. But the implication of north south east & west are much deeper than just direction - it can connote cultural or geopolitical differences.
But maybe of most concern is our loss of the meaning of the cardinal points due to GPS and cell phones. We’re simply following our blue dot in a virtual world.
March 19, 2025
I love maps, directional aids, history; I am an avid geocacher, familiar with the growth of GPS before it was in everyone's pocket. So, this should be a slam-dunk read for me, right?
Not to abuse a metaphor, but Jerry Brotton kind of lost his way, imho, in this otherwise interesting book. He can't seem to settle on a flavor: historic, scientific, philosophical, astrological, political. There is a lot to 'map out', and I applaud the effort; but what should have been a home run left me with a bit of a walk.
Not to abuse a metaphor, but Jerry Brotton kind of lost his way, imho, in this otherwise interesting book. He can't seem to settle on a flavor: historic, scientific, philosophical, astrological, political. There is a lot to 'map out', and I applaud the effort; but what should have been a home run left me with a bit of a walk.
October 10, 2024
A thoroughly research and contemplative examination of our sense of direction. The names and history we use for direction are fascinating and Mr Britton does a great job of explaining how different cultures evolved different sense of direction based on their own beliefs, location and circumstances. He crafts a great narrative and it was enjoyable to read.
I received an ARC from NetGalley for my honest review.
I received an ARC from NetGalley for my honest review.
January 13, 2025
Beautiful cover design and quite a lot to think about.
Started out very interesting re our perspective of maps, etc but then seemed to veer way off topic. I love maps, but there was more technical information and historical context than i was interested in --sorry!
I think the author is probably way too smart for the average reader --or this would be more understandable in a book than audio.
Overdrive @ 1.10 speed
Started out very interesting re our perspective of maps, etc but then seemed to veer way off topic. I love maps, but there was more technical information and historical context than i was interested in --sorry!
I think the author is probably way too smart for the average reader --or this would be more understandable in a book than audio.
Overdrive @ 1.10 speed
January 20, 2025
Bought the book because the author had a nice interview on the BBC History Extra podcast. Unfortunately, the podcast was better than the book. After a very promising prologue he loses himself in too much ‘wokeness’ and in the end is utterly unconvincing. Dissappointing really because he does bring up some interesting viewpoints but it’s just not coherent (and the publisher allowed some avoidable mistakes).
November 15, 2025
'The pixilated virtual blue dot that started to appear on our smartphones from 2008 onwards has displaced the planetary one, transforming our orientation from looking outwards and beyond ourselves to turning inwards with little sense of the wider world through which we move' - true, I find myself with less of a solid bearing, at least in terms of cardinal directions, than my elders who grew up with paper maps. perhaps we have lost what it means to be lost. not necessarily a bad thing.
November 23, 2024
Interessante geschiedenis van de vier richtingen, met een sterke focus op taal en politiek-culturele aspecten. Zijn sterke kant is duidelijk vroegmoderne tijd. Verder te moe om er echt een uitgebreide review over te schrijven maar was interessant en vermakelijk en geeft nieuwe kijk op hoe we de termen oost, west, noord, zuid gebruiken.
March 5, 2025
This is a very reasonable look at how human beings have historically imposed a convention on direction which is arbitrary. He goes through many examples that are well taken. Toward the end his get political. It was tolerable and reasonable to mention... just not as much as the author did. Nevertheless I was OK with it.
I might read this book again.
I might read this book again.
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