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A History Of The World In 12 Maps (2013)

by Jerry Brotton(Favorite Author)

3.73 of 5 Votes: 2

languge

English

genre

History & Biography

publisher

Viking Adult

review 1: This book looks at12 maps, as the title suggests, and links each map to a particular aspect of history. This is an interesting format which works well for maps. I did find the book difficult to get into - the introduction and the first chapter, Science, were quite dense and full of academic language - but later chapters such as Faith and Nation were fascinating.Brotton himself identifies the problem that historians don't really relate to the science of geography, and that was the biggest issue for me. I loved the way the author explored historical context, and how the maps were used to manipulate the portrayal of the world to meet political or commercial interests. However, when it came to matters of projections, graticules and geodesy, I found this less engaging. Not a fa... moreult of the book, which is well-researched and skilfully written, but of the gap in my knowledge.This is a fascinating and erudite book, but aimed at people with a deeper than average interest in geography.
review 2: I wish some mention had been made of Marcus Agrippa's map, made of stone and in the Roman Forum for all to see from 5 A.D. on, but otherwise an exhaustive (and on occasion exhausting) examination of how map makers created physical representations of the world we live in, many with kings and popes looking over their shoulders, which could and did affect what was shown to be at the center of the world and where the borders went (see page 375, one of many propaganda maps made by Nazi Germany). A book made for map geeks like me who skim until a name like Eratosthenes or al-Idrisi jumps out. Lavishly illustrated, you can spend a lot of time drooling over the maps and wishing you could pinch them out. less

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