Atlas of Exploration - Hardcover

Oxford University Press

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0195343182 ISBN 13: 9780195343182

Publisher: Oxford University Press, 2008

Synopsis

From the ancient Polynesians who struck out across the vast Pacific in dug-out canoes with only the stars to guide them, to the Victorian missionaries and adventurers who opened the way for European colonial expansion, and the intrepid scientists of our own time, explorers have long tested their courage in an uncharted world.

The Atlas of Exploration, now in an updated Second Edition, is a splendidly illustrated and authoritative history of these bold adventures. With a vivid and informative text, supported by nearly 100 specially drawn maps and 300 photographs and illustrations, it traces these journeys of discovery from the earliest recorded trips, ranging from the time of the Phoenicians' voyages in the North Atlantic through the launch of the first Pluto explorer. We follow Cortes in Mexico, La Salle on the Mississippi, Darwin in the Galapagos Islands, James Cook in the Antarctic, and many others. In each section, graphic relief maps highlight the main routes of exploration, while photographs, paintings and engravings brilliantly capture the variety of terrain through which these courageous men and women passed. Also included are maps from different historical periods which reveal cartographers' growing knowledge of the shape of the world's continents and oceans. The final section of the atlas, thoroughly updated and expanded, covers many of the discoveries of the last decade. The Second Edition also contains new biographical details on many great explorers, geographers, and cartographers, plus a revised time chart which summarizes the history of exploration over 5000 years.

From the High Andes to the ocean depths, from the Sahara desert to the outer planets, The Atlas of Exploration allows us to rediscover the extraordinary journeys of humanity. Opening its pages is taking the first step on a grand adventure.

About this title

Review

Humans have always been explorers. Countless millennia ago our distant ancestors were traversing glaciers and negotiating savannas; today we seek the mysteries of the ocean floor, of the mountain summit, and of deepest space. This hefty compendium of exploration lore accounts for all these quests and more, with more than 100 maps and 300 photographs and drawings to liven the discussion. Full of details, The Oxford Atlas of Exploration is a fact-finder's dream. Alexander the Great, we learn, took his army through 20,000 miles of hostile territory; Marco Polo reveled in trout fishing; Lewis and Clark passed their first winter on the Pacific Coast reading by the light of candles made from a beached whale. For history and geography buffs, The Oxford Atlas of Exploration is a must.

About the Author

John Hemming, Director, Royal Geographical Society.

About this edition

• Publisher: Oxford University Press
• Publication date: 2008
• ISBN 10: 0195343182
• ISBN 13: 9780195343182
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 2
• Number of pages: 256