Maps That Made History

Few people can resist the appeal of old maps and plans. Even in these days of disposable mapping - from satellite navigation to customized road directions at the click of a mouse - the historical map continues to present a unique perspective on our changing world. Here we explore 25 glorious examples. The emphasis is on the story behind the map: what it reveals about its creator and users, from the first explorers to the railway builders. This thought-provoking collection features maps that chart societies as well as land, sea, and skies; maps that have influenced and inspired; and perhaps most revealing of all, maps that misrepresent.It includes the following intriguing historical maps: Ptolemy's Ancient World; The Psalter; The Pilgrimage Route to Canterbury; The Peutinger Table of Roman Roads; Chertsey Abbey on the Thames; Tenochtitlan: Cortes and the Aztecs; The Coast of West Africa; Virginia: John Smith and Pocahontas; Southern England from the 'Poly Olbion'; The Lion Map of Belgium; The Moluccan Spice Islands; The Mythical Island of California; The Garden of Eden; The Battle of Culloden; The Red Line Map of North America; Cook and the East Coast of Australia; The Battle of Waterloo; The Great River of Australia; The American Civil War; The Great Trigonometrical Survey of India; Booths Poverty Map of London; The Battle of Mons; Highways of the British Empire; The London Tube; and, D-Day.