Fifty Maps and the Stories they Tell

by Jerry Brotton, Nick Millea

The Bodleian Library’s map collection is a treasure trove of cartographic delights spanning more than a thousand years. This book features highlights from the collection together with rare artifacts and some stunning examples from twenty-first-century map-makers. Lavishly illustrated throughout, the book showcases a rich from military maps, digital cartograms, decorative portolan charts, and maps of heaven and hell; to a Siberian sealskin map and a twelfth-century Arabic map of the Mediterranean; to J. R. R. Tolkien’s cosmology of Middle-earth, C. S. Lewis’s map of Narnia, and a tapestry map by contemporary artist Grayson Perry. Each map is accompanied by a narrative revealing the story behind its creation and the significance of its design. The chronological arrangement highlights how the science and practice of cartography has changed over time and how this evolution reflects political and social transformations from century to century. 
 

Genres: Nonfiction, Maps, History

144 pages, Paperback

Published November 15, 2019

Reviews

[Ian · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some very interesting maps, but I wanted more of the 'stories they tell' rather than a short, general overview of each one. More analysis and less description, in other words. Also I can never understand why publishers put out map and art books where significant amount of the illustration is unviewable due to the bindings - there must be a better way to do it that is still economical!

[Josh · Rating 4 out of 5]

During the Pandemic I’ve not been able to travel and I’ve turned to maps to help fulfill that wanderlust. Maps contain great power to convey realities and this book covers 50 different ones from the Oxford Bodleian Library. From physical, to spiritual, to fictional to political, this book covers the multiple ways maps both reflect and construct reality. I really enjoyed this volume but I only wish it was physically larger so that I could luxuriate with them. Most of all, however these maps made me want to travel to Oxford even more.

[James S. · Rating 2 out of 5]

Lots of things to dislike here:

1. False advertising. The title implies that these maps are all important or somehow noteworthy in and of themselves, but nope. These are just 50 maps from the Bodleian Library, seemingly chosen at random. Some of the maps come from fantasy authors and depict their fantasy worlds.
2. The book is tiny. The maps can barely be seen.
3. The maps are usually snipped so that you only see a tiny portion.
4. The accompanying text is akin to the type of writing you find on museum plaques: bland word salad.

Overall, a disappointing book.

[Ian McHugh · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved this. Beautiful colour illustrations and, as the introduction states, the supporting text is as important and the images. Fascinating to see the evolution of map making and the hugely different ways in which culturally specific information has been (and continues to be) communicated. The map is an intellectual creation - the map is "not" the territory indeed!

[Don · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you like maps, you will love this book. The 50 maps are enormously varied and interesting. Each of has a short and informative description. As a whole, the book engagingly explores the nature of maps.

[Martin Ridgway · Rating 5 out of 5]

A small exhibition catalogue in the 'n examples of a topic' genre and very well done. Mainly it's one page description and one page illustration (good quality) although some get extra write-up and some detail illustrations.

[Michael Hillman · Rating 4 out of 5]

A delight to "read", though I did need to resort to a magnifying glass for the fine detail on some of the maps.