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3.55 AVERAGE
3.55 AVERAGE
informative
slow-paced
adventurous
informative
inspiring
reflective
slow-paced
Fascinating history of map making from the first maps of Babylon to Google Earth.
From the first known world map engraved on a cuneiform clay tablet to Google Earth's interactive three-dimensional image of the world, History of the World in Twelve Maps is a wonderful introduction to the history of cartography. As the title suggests, Jerry Brotton picked twelve maps and placed them in their historical context, dedicating one chapter to each map. At first sight, his choice may seem arbitrary enough - why pick the Hereford map and not the Ebstorf map, or Pietro Vesconte's map, or Fra Mauro's Mappamundi? - but it all becomes clear when reading through the chapters. Since the earth cannot be comprehensively mapped onto a flat surface, maps are necessarily a distortion of reality and, Brotton argues, shaped by the worldview of their makers. Each of the twelve chosen maps represents a worldview of a particular time in history and each of them has an interesting story to tell.
Read this if you'd like to know why, in medieval times, maps by Islamic mapmakers tended to face south while Christian maps faced east and Chinese maps faced north (which, incidentally, made the latter ones look surprisingly modern); how Mercator was arrested and imprisoned for heresy and why his 1569 world map has been unfairly labelled as the ultimate symbol of Eurocentric imperial domination over the rest of the globe; or why Arno Peter's "equality map" was so highly criticised by the cartographic community and yet so popular with development aid organisations such as Oxfam and UNDP.
Brotton being a professor of Renaissance Studies, it is not surprising that his narrative comes most alive when describing the maps that were being made when Europeans started to explore entire continents that were previously unknown: the Waldseemüller map which was the first to name and describe America, Diogo Ribeiro's map as an attempt to claim the riches of the Indonesian spice islands for the Spanish crown, Mercator's projection for navigators, Joan Blaeu's atlases for the VOC and the wealthy merchants of Holland. These "Renaissance chapters" are really excellently done.
Having worked with maps for most of my adult life, these Twelve Maps and the stories behind them weren't new to me, but some of the observations were. Although Eratosthenes is generally thought of as the father of geography, Brotton pointed out that the description of the shield of Achilles fashioned by Hephaestus in Homer's Iliad is actually the first account of what we would now call geography: "…at its centre were the earth, and sky, and sea, the weariless sun and the moon waxing full, and all the constellations that crown the heavens. Moving out, the shield portrayed two fine cities of mortal men, one at peace, one at war; agricultural life showing the practice of ploughing, reaping and vintage; the pastoral world of straight-horned cattle, white-woolled sheep; and finally the mighty river of Ocean, running on the rim round the edge of the strong-built shield…", and this prompted me to read the Iliad again - a fine translation by Robert Graves.
All in all, this book is a fascinating overview of mapmaking throughout the history of humankind. I loved it.
Read this if you'd like to know why, in medieval times, maps by Islamic mapmakers tended to face south while Christian maps faced east and Chinese maps faced north (which, incidentally, made the latter ones look surprisingly modern); how Mercator was arrested and imprisoned for heresy and why his 1569 world map has been unfairly labelled as the ultimate symbol of Eurocentric imperial domination over the rest of the globe; or why Arno Peter's "equality map" was so highly criticised by the cartographic community and yet so popular with development aid organisations such as Oxfam and UNDP.
Brotton being a professor of Renaissance Studies, it is not surprising that his narrative comes most alive when describing the maps that were being made when Europeans started to explore entire continents that were previously unknown: the Waldseemüller map which was the first to name and describe America, Diogo Ribeiro's map as an attempt to claim the riches of the Indonesian spice islands for the Spanish crown, Mercator's projection for navigators, Joan Blaeu's atlases for the VOC and the wealthy merchants of Holland. These "Renaissance chapters" are really excellently done.
Having worked with maps for most of my adult life, these Twelve Maps and the stories behind them weren't new to me, but some of the observations were. Although Eratosthenes is generally thought of as the father of geography, Brotton pointed out that the description of the shield of Achilles fashioned by Hephaestus in Homer's Iliad is actually the first account of what we would now call geography: "…at its centre were the earth, and sky, and sea, the weariless sun and the moon waxing full, and all the constellations that crown the heavens. Moving out, the shield portrayed two fine cities of mortal men, one at peace, one at war; agricultural life showing the practice of ploughing, reaping and vintage; the pastoral world of straight-horned cattle, white-woolled sheep; and finally the mighty river of Ocean, running on the rim round the edge of the strong-built shield…", and this prompted me to read the Iliad again - a fine translation by Robert Graves.
All in all, this book is a fascinating overview of mapmaking throughout the history of humankind. I loved it.
informative
slow-paced
challenging
informative
slow-paced
there are four main points i want to highlight as to why this got three stars as opposed to my initial rating of four stars in my head earlier on in the week. one point is quite general to all the chapters in the book, two points are specific to chapter twelve and one point is specific to the conclusion.
the first point is the amount of context in each chapter. this might be biased as i am halfway through my history degree. i have to agree with some of the reviews of this book from previous years. the book does have a bit too much history for each map. i do think some of it is irrelevant to the maps.
the second point is less of a criticism and more of a thing i wish brotton would do. granted, i am posting this review in 2024 and the edition of the book i have was published in 2013. i wish brotton would release a more updated version of this book talking about google earth and google maps. google maps is mentioned a number of times in chapter twelve, however it is with conjunction to google earth. i am surprised google earth is still a thing, however many people use google maps, apple maps etc over google earth. so i wish brotton would release an updated version of the book acknowledging this.
the third point is defining aspects of technology. like i mentioned, i know this book was released over ten years ago now, but i feel like i am being explained terms, such as HTTP and URL, which i already know. yes, i am a twenty year old gen z who took gcse and a level computer science so i know those terms already, but some terms we learn at school. granted, google’s pagerank algorithm is worth explaining as i only learnt about it in year thirteen, however the terms HTTP and URL are terms which gen z and gen alpha know already. i guess this book was aimed more at older generations, because when HTTP, URL, and bits came up i kept thinking “oh i already learnt about this pre-covid”.
the final point is about the contents of the conclusion. i have learnt at uni that you do not introduce any new points in the conclusion. brotton, however, introduces a whole new map which i think could have been its own chapter.
the first point is the amount of context in each chapter. this might be biased as i am halfway through my history degree. i have to agree with some of the reviews of this book from previous years. the book does have a bit too much history for each map. i do think some of it is irrelevant to the maps.
the second point is less of a criticism and more of a thing i wish brotton would do. granted, i am posting this review in 2024 and the edition of the book i have was published in 2013. i wish brotton would release a more updated version of this book talking about google earth and google maps. google maps is mentioned a number of times in chapter twelve, however it is with conjunction to google earth. i am surprised google earth is still a thing, however many people use google maps, apple maps etc over google earth. so i wish brotton would release an updated version of the book acknowledging this.
the third point is defining aspects of technology. like i mentioned, i know this book was released over ten years ago now, but i feel like i am being explained terms, such as HTTP and URL, which i already know. yes, i am a twenty year old gen z who took gcse and a level computer science so i know those terms already, but some terms we learn at school. granted, google’s pagerank algorithm is worth explaining as i only learnt about it in year thirteen, however the terms HTTP and URL are terms which gen z and gen alpha know already. i guess this book was aimed more at older generations, because when HTTP, URL, and bits came up i kept thinking “oh i already learnt about this pre-covid”.
the final point is about the contents of the conclusion. i have learnt at uni that you do not introduce any new points in the conclusion. brotton, however, introduces a whole new map which i think could have been its own chapter.
See my review here:
http://whatmeread.wordpress.com/tag/a-history-of-the-world-in-12-maps/
http://whatmeread.wordpress.com/tag/a-history-of-the-world-in-12-maps/
informative
medium-paced
very detailed. If you're interested in the history of world map-making, this book is for you.
Sadly, there is no mention of 'controversial' ancient maps, such as those depicting lands that don't apparently exist (Atlantis, lands beyond, etc). These maps are real and exist, so I would've expected them to at least be discussed in some way.
Sadly, there is no mention of 'controversial' ancient maps, such as those depicting lands that don't apparently exist (Atlantis, lands beyond, etc). These maps are real and exist, so I would've expected them to at least be discussed in some way.
A+ for interesting information: the idea of maps as not merely tools for navigation and information but for expressing a particular viewpoint of how the world is made, the introduction of geopolitics as a discipline in the 20th century, etc.
B+ for color plates: which was nice, but occasionally better detail was needed particularly for details called out in the text.
C for readability: The first half of the book is a tough read; many of the historical figures aren't as familiar as later ones. Drier academic tone.
B+ for color plates: which was nice, but occasionally better detail was needed particularly for details called out in the text.
C for readability: The first half of the book is a tough read; many of the historical figures aren't as familiar as later ones. Drier academic tone.
Obviously aimed at map-lovers but actually best suited for people who like the history of the people involved in the history of maps. I know. That's not a thing. Hence the problem with this book. Lots of words. Not that many pictures, and most of those that is does have are not that easy to see, being stuffed down in the binding. The author loves his subject and wants all of us to appreciate the linkage between the history of map-making and the progression of our ways of thinking about the world. Great. It is interesting, but I feel like the author tries too hard to insert the drama of the lives of the map-makers for the sake of human interest. It's overdone, and, as a result, the book is too long by half.