Publication Date: 1999 Binding: Paperback
 

Hardback 360 pages Publication: October 2005
A unique, highly accessible, lavishly illustrated introduction to the history of maps, which have been at the forefront of altering our perceptions of the world and our place within it.
Maps are not just diagrams of the route from A to B - from the earliest times they have helped us make sense of our world, from the very local to the global. Simply organised as a progression through time, each map is not only a beautiful work of art in its own right but also tells us about our changing perception of the earth.
Sometimes, of course, maps tell lies and there are examples represented here that are meant to alter or influence our understanding of the world around us. There are maps of oceans and continents charted by heroic adventurers sailing into the unknown, at sea for years in tiny ships. For every example of a beautifully embellished map that has survived there must have been scores of cartographers who perished at sea or in 'unknown parts'. Maps are not just about understanding and representing the physical world: they have an administrative use in demarcating national boundaries or individual plots of land, a social use in showing who lives where, a military use in depicting the layout of enemy positions, a political or propaganda use in showing one country or faction at an advantage over others. All are represented in this book, a history of the world in images from around the globe and from every epoch.
 

Mapping the World is a one-of-a-kind collection of cartographic treasures that spans thousands of years and many cultures, from an ancient Babylonian map of the world etched on clay to the latest high-tech maps of the earth, seas, and the skies above. With more than one hundred maps and other illustrations and an introduction and running commentary by Ralph E. Ehrenberg, this book tells a fascinating story of geographic discovery, scientific invention, and the art and technique of mapmaking.
Mapping the World is organized chronologically with a brief introduction that places the maps in their historical context. Special "portfolios" within each section feature key cartographic innovators and maps of exceptional artistic quality or significance, such as the 1507 Waldseemüller Map, the first to use the name America. Unusual and surprising maps are also presented, including a set of playing cards that contained a secret escape map for American prisoners in Germany during World War II.
With its broad historical and cultural range, unmatched variety of maps from the finest map collections in the world, more than one hundred illustrations, and a fresh and authoritative perspective on the history of cartography, Mapping the World will delight everyone with an interest in maps and mapmaking like no other book on the subject.
AUTHOR BIOGRAPHY
Ralph E. Ehrenberg is a former chief of the Geography and Map Division of the Library of Congress and a former director and assistant director of the Center for Cartographic and Architectural Archives, U.S. National Archives and Records Administration. He has lectured and consulted widely on cartographic and geographic resources, the history of cartography, and management of cartographic collections.
Publisher: National Geographic Format: Hardcover, 256 pages Pub Date: October 2005
 

The Influential, the Eccentric and the Sublime By Dr. Lez Smart

Few people can resist the appeal of old maps and plans. Even in these days of disposable mapping - from satellite navigation to customized road directions at the click of a mouse - the historical map continues to present a unique perspective on our changing world. Here we explore 25 glorious examples. The emphasis is on the story behind the map: what it reveals about its creator and users, from the first explorers to the railway builders. This thought-provoking collection features maps that chart societies as well as land, sea, and skies; maps that have influenced and inspired; and perhaps most revealing of all, maps that misrepresent.
 

By : Paul E. Cohen, David Rumsey (Intro.) Mapping the West: America's Westward Movement 1524-1890, a stunning collection of the finest maps ever made of the American West, chronicles the cartographic history of the western United States from 1524 to 1890. The book begins with a look at the European powers' (Spain, France, England) efforts to comprehend their far-flung colonies, then directs our attention toward U.S. Government and military maps made by such notables as Lewis and Clark, Robert E. Lee, and C.T. Beauregard. Also included are maps by American Indians, maps that highlight the epicenter of the California gold rush, and maps that delineate the proposed and final courses of the transcontinental railroad, to mention only a few of the areas herein discussed. The sixty-five maps shown come from collections throughout the world. Leading private collectors of maps of the American West, whose holdings have never been published.... Publisher: Rizzoli
 

Mapping Asia reproduces in full color 80 beautifully rendered and rare maps, more than 40 of which have never been published for the general public. Each map is accompanied by an accessible essay that provides extensive background on the mapmaker and how the map was originally produced, and describes the geography, sites, and details on the map. Most of the maps feature fascinating flourishes, cartouches, and curious details, such as camel caravans making their way across the Silk Road, illustrations of native plants and animals, battle scenes and cityscapes.
 

The first book to tell the urban and social history of the world's first modern city through maps--from crude woodblock engravings depicting Verrazano's first glimpse of New York Harbor in the 16th century to the latest satellite photographs of the island of Manhattan. These rare and mostly never-before-published maps span four centuries. 64 color illustrations
 

Introduction by Joan Dawson In 1878, the Roe Brothers of Saint John commissioned the first comprehensive atlas of the Maritimes. Engraved by Worley and Bracher of Philadelphia and printed by another Philadelphia firm, F. Bourquin, the result was called Atlas of the Maritime Provinces of the Dominion of Canada and was a huge investment for the Saint John company involving the very latest in 19th century map-making technology. The atlas featured one hundred pages of maps, historical and geological descriptions, and a business directory. Each page contained a map of one county in the Maritimes (the scale was one inch to seven miles) and featured the added bonus of color to highlight each parish within a county. In addition to the county map, the Roe Brothers Atlas contained a number of Maritime towns and city maps including Saint John, Halifax, Moncton, Fredericton, St. Stephen, Chatham, Newscastle, Saint Andrews, and Charlottetown. The urban centers are color coded according to wards. The maps are splendidly produced, show bustling communities, and offer a bird’s eye view of life in the Maritime in the late years of the 19th century. Joan Dawson has written extensively about local history and early mapping in the Maritimes. She is the author The Mapmaker’s Eye and co-authored Historic LaHave River Valley