The Map Book [Hardcover]

Peter Barber (Editor)

Editorial Reviews

From the Inside Flap

'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 use: 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.

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

About the Author

Peter Barber trained as a diplomatic historian. He has published extensively on medieval world maps, and on map use and the relationship between mapping and government in the early modern period. In addition to being Head of Map Collections at the British Library, he is a Fellow of the Royal Historical Society and the Royal Geographical Society, and an honorary editorial board member of Mapforum.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 360 pages
• Publisher: Walker & Company (November 15, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0802714749
• ISBN-13: 978-0802714749
• Product Dimensions: 11.7 x 10.2 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.9 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #84,340 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #82 in Books > Education & Reference > Atlases & Maps > Atlases

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

67 of 67 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A beautiful and informative book, December 19, 2005

By 

viktor_57 "viktor_57" (Fairview, Your Favorite State, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Map Book (Hardcover)

"The Map Book" provides ample evidence of Mr. Barber's and his colleagues' knowledge and love of maps. The finely detailed reproductions of the historical maps alone would be worth the price the price of the book, but the addition of the well-informed and entertaining essays which accompany each map imbue the maps with greater meaning and provide a window into the thoughts, traditions, and motives of the mapmakers and those for whom the maps were intended. One could open this book at any page and become engrossed from the history and culture represented by each of the maps.

With the physical dimensions and glossy pages of a coffee table books, "The Map Book" goes beyond most of the genre by being not only pleasing to the eye, but stimulating to the mind as well. This book never fails to catch the attention of my guests and I never fail to be pleased at the undeserved compliments given to me from my simply having and displaying the book.

46 of 48 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Absolutely worth the wait... finally arrived and it's stunning!, March 12, 2006

By 

davidmbfonz (Rochester, NY) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Map Book (Hardcover)

This book just arrived in the mail yesterday! Wow! I never thought I would be saying this about ANY item that takes almost three months to arrive (we are in the 21st century are we not?), but it was worth the wait. The breadth of this book's coverage is amazing - the organization by year is really interesting - you can see the progression of maps (and the dozens upon dozens of invented uses of maps). Many of the maps featured in this book seem to be rare gems. And the paper and print quality are top-notch. Best of all, this book tries to educate while it's busy pleasing the eye, asking its readers thought-provoking questions (like showing a composite satellite image and asking "is this a map"?).

More than just a coffee table book, I am excited to finally own this visual feast! Very thought-provoking... being a geek is cool again! :-)

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Nice coffee table book, January 14, 2009

By 

Catherine A Shaw (Washington, DC) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Map Book (Hardcover)

This book blends a history lesson with interesting maps. Sometimes the maps leave you wanting more detail, but overall, it's an intriguing idea. I gave it as a gift to a map lover, and it was well received.