Customer Reviews

Rand McNally Histomap of World History (Cosmopolitan Map)

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

My father had this four foot long chart of world history and I remember how neat it was to see a graphic depiction of the ebb and flow of civilization. It was also great to quickly answer questions like, "Which came first, the pyramids at Giza or the Great Wall in China?"

So I was so excited to find an updated edition. Information has been added for the last fifty years - logarithmically so you get much more detail on recent events. I have mixed feelings about this as it distorts the overall "tides of history" sense and gives so much importance to recent events. "Election of Bill Clinton" on the same chart as "Tamerlane the Great" or "Charlemagne crowned Emperor"?

One other thought: the chart depicts civilization as "zero sum." For one civilization to gain space, another must lose. This is not my view of the expansion of human civilization. Nevertheless, no one should be without this handy chart.

This histomap is intriguing, but there is no information on it about the horizontal scale and what it represents. It leaves everyone in heated debate about what this chart really means. How can we find out?

The histomap is a wonderful product, well worth having. If you've been looking for it, but cannot find it anywhere, you should check out the North American Montessori Teachers Association site. They have an authorized reprint available for a reasonable price. I wish Amazon had it, but at least you can get it someplace. (if you need a link, you can email me)

I am so excited about this histomap that I cannot emphasize how much I love it. I have posted it on my office door and everyone wants to get a copy. I have never seen so much information in one place. (And it is not a book! )

In my opinion, as an interesting, informative, and truly unique chart, the Rand McNally Histomap of World History is only surpassed by Napoleon's March to Moscow by Charles Joseph Minard.

I wish they would reprint it and update the chart to reflect the fall of the Soviet Union and the ascendancy of China. I would buy a new copy immediately.

This is an excellent graphical display of quite alot of information. However, the meaning of the the width is unclear, and it would be nice to have an indication of how the OVERALL width should change with time.

I have been looking for this map for 25 years. A room mate in college had one. It does not describe the parameters (width= population or sphere or influence) but overall it is visually very interesting.

For some time now, I've been searching for a copy of the "Histomap of World History: The Rise and Fall of Peoples and Nations for 4,000 Years" by John R. Sparks. I know that this must have been a controversial product, but it was also very useful as a starting point for discussions on the flow of time and the impact of different civilizations. This diagram has been out of print for some time, and now people who own copies of this chart are selling them on e-bay for progressively higher prices. Rand McNally should consider publishing an updated version based on the book "The World is Flat" by Thomas L. Friedman. It would be fantastic if they could offer a set of all three maps -- the original 1952 version, an update 1990 version, and the new "World is Flat" version.

When I taught elementary school from 1958-1987, this wonderful histomap was essential to my teaching. I had the 1960s version and still treasure it.

I have been trying to get an up-date for several months and, judging from the rave-reviews, I should think Rand-McNally would be in a hurry to print some more. I'm trying to be patient.

If anyone knows of an outlet that still carries copies of the Histomap, please post the information.