The Atlas of Boston History

by Nancy S. Seasholes (Editor)

Few American cities possess a history as long, rich, and fascinating as Boston’s. A site of momentous national political events from the Revolutionary War through the civil rights movement, Boston has also been an influential literary and cultural capital. From ancient glaciers to landmaking schemes and modern infrastructure projects, the city’s terrain has been transformed almost constantly over the centuries. The Atlas of Boston History traces the city’s history and geography from the last ice age to the present with beautifully rendered maps.
 
Edited by historian Nancy S. Seasholes, this landmark volume captures all aspects of Boston’s past in a series of fifty-seven stunning full-color spreads. Each section features newly created thematic maps that focus on moments and topics in that history. These maps are accompanied by hundreds of historical and contemporary illustrations and explanatory text from historians and other expert contributors. They illuminate a wide range of topics including Boston’s physical and economic development, changing demography, and social and cultural life. In lavishly produced detail, The Atlas of Boston History offers a vivid, refreshing perspective on the development of this iconic American city.

Contributors
Robert J. Allison, Robert Charles Anderson, John Avault, Joseph Bagley, Charles Bahne, Laurie Baise, J. L. Bell, Rebekah Bryer, Aubrey Butts, Benjamin L. Carp, Amy D. Finstein, Gerald Gamm, Richard Garver, Katherine Grandjean, Michelle Granshaw, James Green, Dean Grodzins, Karl Haglund, Ruth-Ann M. Harris, Arthur Krim, Stephanie Kruel, Kerima M. Lewis, Noam Maggor, Dane A. Morrison, James C. O’Connell, Mark Peterson, Marshall Pontrelli, Gayle Sawtelle, Nancy S. Seasholes, Reed Ueda, Lawrence J. Vale, Jim Vrabel, Sam Bass Warner, Jay Wickersham, and Susan Wilson

Genres: History, Nonfiction

224 pages, Hardcover

Published October 10, 2019

Reviews

[Anna]

Sadly, nothing can make me understand navigating Boston, but this at least rationalizes some aspects of its geography. And it’s a beautiful book.

[Roger · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was kind of a surprise in that it was an actual atlas - full of charts / photos / diagrams detailing Boston's history from Native Americans to the modern age. It traced population trends, land filling, racial issues, famous people of Boston, and the decline and later growth of Boston. It points out Boston's majority - minority population of today, as well as the gentrification that has occurred with thousands of families with children having left the city permanently for the suburbs and neighborhood (and mostly white) schools. It leaves the reader somewhat hopeful, but still wondering where Boston will be in another 10 - 50 years, especially with the prospects of climate change directly affecting Boston's development right up to the edge of the Atlantic Ocean.

[Jack Casey · Rating 5 out of 5]

The book I chose to read this summer wasn’t really a book, rather it was an atlas containing a collection of maps. This is The Atlas of Boston History by Nancy Seasholes, which was published on October 10, 2019. This book shows the growth and changes of Boston and the surrounding areas using maps, some of which date all the way back to the 1600s. This is a great representation of history through maps.
I would totally recommend this book to anyone who has a passion for maps and history, like I do. This book is one of my favorites ever and I love it so much because it’s informative and an easy way to learn about the history of Boston and Eastern Massachusetts’ growth as a whole.

[Justin Crane · Rating 4 out of 5]

I would give it 5 stars for the historical research, content, and cartography - but I really wish the graphic layout could have been better. As is, it throws interesting graphics at the reader with the intensity of an Eyewitness Book.

[Jocelyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great maps!