Mercator: The Man Who Mapped the Planet - Hardcover

Crane, Nicholas

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0805066241 ISBN 13: 9780805066241

Publisher: Henry Holt and Co., 2003

Synopsis

An enthralling biography of the man who created the first real map of the world and changed civilization

Born at the dawn of the age of discovery, Gerhard Mercator lived in an era of formidable intellectual and scientific advances. At the center of these developments were the cartographers who painstakingly pieced together the evidence to create ever more accurate pictures of the planet. Mercator was the greatest of all of them-a poor farm boy who attended one of Europe's top universities, was persecuted and imprisoned by the Inquisition, but survived to coin the term "atlas" and to produce the so-called projection for which he is known. Devoutly religious, yet gripped by Aristotelian science, Mercator struggled to reconcile the two, a conflict mirrored by the growing clash in Europe between humanism and the Church.

Mercator solved the dimensional riddle that had vexed cosmographers for so long: How could the three-dimensional globe be converted into a two-dimensional map while retaining true compass bearings? The projection revolutionized navigation and has become the most common worldview.

Nicholas Crane-a fellow geographer-has combined a keen eye for historical detail with a gift for vivid storytelling to produce a masterful biography of the man who mapped the planet.

About this title

From the Inside Flap

Mercator is a vivid biography of the man who created the first modern map of the world.

Born into the age of discovery, Gerard Mercator lived through an extraordinary era of intellectual and scientific expansion. At the centre of this exploratory vortex were the cartographers who were painstakingly piecing together the evidence that would create a complete picture of the planet. Mercator was the greatest of them all - a poor cobbler's boy who attended one of Europe's top universities, was persecuted and imprisoned by the Inquisition, yet survived to produce his eponymous projection and to coin the term 'atlas'. Devoutly religious, yet gripped by the quest for geographical truth, Mercator struggled to reconcile the two, a conflict mirrored by the clash in Europe between humanism and the Church.

Mercator solved the dimensional riddle that had vexed cosmographers for so long: How could the three-dimensional globe be converted into a two-dimensional map while retaining true compass bearings? The Mercator Projection revolutionised navigation and has become the most common worldview.

About the Author

Nicholas Crane, a geographer and adventurer, is the author of two acclaimed books, Two Degrees West and Clear Waters Rising. He lives in London.

About this edition

• Publisher: Henry Holt and Co.
• Publication date: 2003
• ISBN 10: 0805066241
• ISBN 13: 9780805066241
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 368