There were maybe too many maps in here that were many centuries old, but there were also some really interesting choices and lots of historical titbits that made for enjoyable reading and some of the detail in the better illustrations were genuinely impressive.

Overall this was a mixed bag, with some puzzling choices and some dry moments. He goes onto the topic of the highly controversial Map of Vinland and also touches on the ongoing Gall-Peters v Mercator projection question. I’m sure you have your own thoughts but I’m not sure both of these would necessary rank as maps that changed the world?.We get maps of various battles of various wars, particularly WWI, WWII and the American Civil War. There is the puzzling inclusion of Andy Warhol’s cold war joke map and Tolkien’s Middle Earth. He hops across the pond to the emergence of panorama maps, which was particularly popular in North America. He features a number of London maps in the shape of John Snow’s miasma defying cholera map, Charles Booth’s poverty work and Harry Beck’s transformative London underground one. He touches on the golden age of Dutch cartography with the Blaeu family. Starting from ancient clay maps and the Nazca enigma through to the more familiar names like Ptolemy and Von Humboldt, Clark covers plenty in this cartographical overview. With an introduction written by acclaimed cartographic historian Jeremy Black. There are also famous fictional maps, including the maps of the lost continent of Atlantis and Tolkien’s Middle Earth. Organised by theme, the book shows the evolution of map-making from all corners of the globe, from ancient clay maps, to cartographic breakthroughs such as Harry Beck’s map of the London underground. Included are the beautifully engraved Dutch maps of the 16th century the sinister Utopian maps of the Nazis the maps that presaged brilliant military campaigns charted the geology of a nation and the ones that divided a continent up between its European conquerors. The book includes details of how the Lewis and Clark Expedition helped map the American West, and how the British mapped India and Australia. Maps That Changed the World features some of the world's most famous maps, stretching back to a time when cartography was in its infancy and the 'edge of the world' was a barrier to exploration. An ancient Chinese proverb suggests, “They are wise parents who give their children roots and wings – and a map.”

The map that changed the world review