Mapping the Silk Road and Beyond [Hardcover]

Kenneth Nebenzahl (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 1, 2004

Mapping Asia presents an authoritative selection of the most important antique maps of Asia and the Middle East produced from the time of Alexander the Great to the early nineteenth century, by cartographers from England, France, Portugal, Holland, Turkey, Italy, and China. A fascinating visual chronicle of the maps and their makers, this book explores the history of Europe's discovery of lands to the east, from Constantinople to present-day Alaska. It tells the stories of the thriving trade that linked east and west beginning with the ancient Silk Road, the explorers - such as Magellan and Sir Francis Drake - who continually searched for new lands and routes to reach the east beginning in the fifteenth century, and the indigenous peoples who struggled to retain their autonomy in the face of European missionary activity and influence. 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

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

Reproducing the images of 80 historical maps, this collection is something to behold for cartography connoisseurs. Chronologically, its selections span a millennium, from diagrams in illuminated manuscripts, to fanciful early modern maps of Prester John's mythical Christian kingdom, to the charts resulting from James Cook's voyages. Spatially, they depict the trade routes connecting Europe to the Orient, and descriptively--well, that's where Nebenzahl arrives with his expertise. To the untutored eye, premodern maps are colorful but confusingly busy. For each map, Nebenzahl describes its features; its degree of geographical speculation and accuracy; and its contexts of trade, exploration, or conquest. The era of exploration inspired the majority of the maps, including, most rarely, diagrams resulting from the voyages of Chinese admiral Zheng He in the early 1400s. As pleasing as Nebenzahl's book will be to map enthusiasts, the caveat to the acquiring library is that Silk Road fans will find their topic, the title notwithstanding, a faint presence in the work. Gilbert Taylor
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

About the Author

Kenneth Nebenzahl is an internationally recognized authority on antiquarian cartography and one of the most prominent dealers and appraisers in the United States in rare books, manuscripts, and maps. He served as a consultant on the history of cartography to Rand McNally from 1966 to 1998, is a fellow of the Royal Geographic Society, and serves on the boards of the Newberry Library and the University of Chicago. Nebenzahl is the author of four books, including Maps of the Holy Lands and The Atlas of Columbus and the Great Discoveries.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 176 pages
• Publisher: Phaidon Press; 1St Edition edition (November 1, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0714844098
• ISBN-13: 978-0714844091
• Product Dimensions: 11.7 x 10.1 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.8 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,146,450 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Mapping the Silk Road and Beyond, April 15, 2008

By 

Wendie Batho (Bundanoon, NSW Australia) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Mapping the Silk Road and Beyond (Hardcover)

A most detailed and wonderful book of early maps of the Silk Road. It is one for the travel eccentric really. I love just slowly leafing through and enjoying each print. Great to get such a book from Amazon as we don't have such specialist items in Australia.

4.0 out of 5 stars Mapping the Silk Road Review, November 15, 2011

By 

Jim Siebold - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Mapping the Silk Road and Beyond (Hardcover)

A well designed book on the fascinating topic of the famous Silk Road from Europe to China that was the primary source of information, technology, and products between the two remote regions