Maps fascinate us. They chart our understanding of the world and they log our progress, but above all they tell our stories. From the early sketches of philosophers and explorers through to Google Maps and beyond, Simon Garfield examines how maps both relate and realign our history.
His compelling narratives range from the quest to create the perfect globe to the challenges of mapping Africa and Antarctica, from spellbinding treasure maps to the naming of America, from Ordnance Survey to the mapping of Monopoly and Skyrim and from rare map dealers to cartographic frauds. En route, there are pocket map tales on dragons and undergrounds, a 19th-century murder map, the research conducted on the different ways that men and women approach a map, and an explanation of the curious long-term cartographic role played by animals. On the Map is a witty, irrepressible examination of where we've been, how we got there, and where we're going.
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"A very engaging popular history of cartography. Garfield's ever-expanding definition of "maps" makes for a fantastic journey as we travel from the Mappa Mundi to maps of the human brain with stops in the Dark Continent, Antarctica, and even Middle Earth along the way. Even if you have no interest in cartography, this is the history of how we understand and define our world. Garfield effortlessly tells the story of humanity's efforts to fill in the blank spaces on the map, making this a very enjoyable read." — Matt (4 out of 5 stars)
"A very engaging popular history of cartography. Garfield's ever-expanding definition of "maps" makes for a fantastic journey as we travel from the Mappa Mundi to maps of the human brain with stops in the Dark Continent, Antarctica, and even Middle Earth along the way. Even if you have no interest in cartography, this is the history of how we understand and define our world. Garfield effortlessly tells the story of humanity's efforts to fill in the blank spaces on the map, making this a very enjoyable read."
" This was a highly entertaining exploration of the history and fascination of maps. The usually-dry British humor added to the fun. "
" Enjoyed it on the whole, but it got a little abstract towards the end. I wasn't as interested in mapping the brain as spatial/geographical maps, for example. "
" Great Book! A lot of fun information! "
" A history about maps and how they relate and function back then and now ( with GPS technology ), etc. Some bits of it was kinda boring and not really relevant. One section was ' mapping the brain' for example. Talked about the mapmakers and cartographers of the day when the world was being 'discovered' - that was interesting. "
" This was a big long book, but never was it boring. It explores cartography from many different angles: the history, the future, online maps, fictional maps, and more. It's well-written, humorous and terribly interesting. "
" A great book on maps but not a great book. This book was filled with pretty much every map story you've ever heard of plus a bunch more I expect to run into in the future. But it never really had a narrative thread. So it was enjoyable enough but not compelling. I bet it would work just fine as a reference book, though why you'd need a reference book of map anecdotes I'm not really sure. "
" Began strongly but, if you'll pardon the pun, for my tastes it rather lost its way by the time it got to chapters on mapping other planets and mapping the brain. Still, a very good read for anyone interested in both maps and history. "
" Great book covering everything from the earliest maps to gps. The Old World to Dungeons and Dragons. The brain to Mars. Excellent and very readable history. It would be best for those with an interest and not speciality in maps and history, but a very good read for anyone. "
" If you're into the whole history of maps and cartography, this is for you. I'm not, but I'm fascinated by contemporary maps - the London Underground map, for example. So the first 2/3 of the book I flipped through. The last third's pretty good. "
" A very fun quick read about the history of maps, kooky collectors and cartographers, beautifully-prized maps and globes, and even fictional maps. Many fun tidbits in this book. I highly recommend it to all geography and map addicts. "
" A little technical for me, not having much of a geography/cartography background. At the same time, it's full of great stories, good illustrations, and a lot of history that leads right to the present. "
" This was an interesting, though not comprehensive, history of maps. Garfield seems to have cherry picked the history to make his book more episodic, as well as biased towards a UK perspective. "
" I didn't get as much out of this as I expected. My one insight was about the reorientation when someone is looking at a GPS and everywhere starts from where they are, versus a map, where you orient yourself in the whole scheme. "
" This book is a collection of stories about maps. It's good, but there's nothing much new. Brits will enjoy this more than Yankees. "
" I loved it, lots of short pithy chapters which covered so many aspects of maps. I learned about interesting new things, perspectives, and historical mapping. Author is a pleasure to read. He spent considerable time visiting, interviewing people, and looking at all kinds of maps. "
" An interesting look at the history of mapping. The short "pocket map" sections were particularly enjoyable. "
" A fascinating book on the history of maps and how we locate ourselves in the world. The book covers maps in many eras and forms but remarkably omits Buckminster Fuller's Dymaxion Map. "
" I very much enjoyed a romp across the many aspects of Mr Garfield's cartographic views! "
" Although slow at points (mapping the mind, for instance), this was a very well-written overview of cartography and love of maps. Interesting read. "
Simon Garfield is a feature writer at The Observer (London) and the author of nine works of nonfiction, including Mauve: How One Man Invented a Color That Changed the World, which was a New York Times Notable Book, and The End of Innocence, which won the Somerset Maugham Prize in 1995.
Simon Shepherd is a British actor known for his roles in Henry V, Peak Practice, Wuthering Heights, and A Touch of Frost, among others.
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