The Map Book

by Peter Barber (Editor)

'Journey over all the universe in a map, without the expense and fatigue of traveling, without suffering the inconveniences of heat, cold, hunger, and thirst.' --Miguel de Cervantes, in Don Quixote From the earliest of times, maps have fired our imaginations and helped us make sense of our world, from the global to the very local. Head of Map Collections at the British Library, Peter Barber has here compiled an historic and lavish atlas, charting the progress of civilization as our knowledge of the world expanded. Simply organized as a progression through time, The Map Book collects some 175 maps that span four millennia - from the famed prehistoric Bedolina (Italy) incision in rock from around 1500 B.C. to the most modern, digitally enhanced rendering. Many of the maos are beautiful works of art in their own right. From Europe to the Americas, Africa to Asia, north to south, there are maps of oceans and continents charted by heroic adventurers sailing into the unknown, as accounts spread of new discoveries, shadowy continents begin to appear n the margins of the world, often labeled 'unknown lands.' Other maps had a more practical some demarcated national boundaries or individual plots of land; military plans depicted enemy positions; propaganda treatises showed one country or faction at an advantage over others. So much history resides in each map--cultural, mythological, navigational--expressing the unlimited extent of human imagination. This is captured in the accompanying texts--mini essays by leading map historians--that are as vivid and insightful as the maps themselves. They make The Map Book as much a volume to be read as to be visually admired.

Genres: Nonfiction, History, Maps, Geography, Cartography, Reference, Travel

360 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2005

About the author

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.

Reviews

[Jeff · Rating 3 out of 5]

Will return to this later

[JoAnn/QuAppelle Kirk · Rating 2 out of 5]

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.

[Fred Rose · Rating 3 out of 5]

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.

[Keeko · Rating 5 out of 5]

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.

[Jessica · Rating 4 out of 5]

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 :)

[Jesus · Rating 4 out of 5]

Amidst a beautiful collection of historical maps, it reveals that the fiction of "flat world" was primarily perpetuated by Washington Irving.

[Rose]

526 Bar