Mapping the World: An Illustrated History of Cartography

Ralph E Ehrenberg

ISBN 10: 0792265254 / ISBN 13: 9780792265252

Published by National Geographic, 2005

About this Item

Seller Inventory # VB0061

Bibliographic Details

• Title: Mapping the World: An Illustrated History of Cartography
• Publisher: National Geographic
• Publication Date: 2005
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0792265254
• ISBN 13: 9780792265252
• Binding: Hardcover
• Condition: New
• Seller catalogs:
  • Comedy/Humor

About this title

Synopsis

Mapping the World is a one-of-a-kind collection of cartographic treasures that spans thousands of years and many cultures, from an ancient Babylonian map of the world etched on clay to the latest high-tech maps of the earth, seas, and the skies above. With more than one hundred maps and other illustrations and an introduction and running commentary by Ralph E. Ehrenberg, this book tells a fascinating story of geographic discovery, scientific invention, and the art and technique of mapmaking.

Mapping the World is organized chronologically with a brief introduction that places the maps in their historical context. Special "portfolios" within each section feature key cartographic innovators and maps of exceptional artistic quality or significance, such as the 1507 Waldseemüller Map, the first to use the name America. Unusual and surprising maps are also presented, including a set of playing cards that contained a secret escape map for American prisoners in Germany during World War II.

With its broad historical and cultural range, unmatched variety of maps from the finest map collections in the world, more than one hundred illustrations, and a fresh and authoritative perspective on the history of cartography, Mapping the World will delight everyone with an interest in maps and mapmaking like no other book on the subject.

About the Author

Ralph E. Ehrenberg is a former chief of the Geography and Map Division of the Library of Congress and a former director and assistant director of the Center for Cartographic and Architectural Archives, U.S. National Archives and Records Administration. He has lectured and consulted widely on cartographic and geographic resources, the history of cartography, and management of cartographic collections.