Product Description

An updated edition of the classic, much praised history of cartography. It traces the adventures, discoveries, and feats of technical ingenuity by which mapmakers, over the centuries, have succeeded in charting first the surface of the globe, then the earth's interior and the ocean floors, and finally the moon and the planets of our solar system. The author has added three new chapters, as well as many updates and amplifications, to reflect the great changes that have taken place in mapmaking in the past two decades. The Mapmakers will continue to be the definitive book on this fascinating subject.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #704793 in Books
• Published on: 2002-04-04
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 528 pages

Review
'A winning chronicle of mapmakers over time and space... Wilford has combined the accounts to offer a variety of adventures and perceptions not so often well described.' Scientific American 'Fascinating... Wilford manages to make everything from the discovery of the longitude to advanced laser-beam technology clear.' Newsweek 'One begins to sense how very much of what we know about the makeup of our planet has come to light just the other day as history goes... Wilford has produced a brisk intelligent history.' New York Times Book Review

Scientific American
‘A winning chronicle of mapmakers over time and space… a variety of adventures and perceptions not so often well described.’

Newsweek
‘Fascinating…Wilford manages to make everything from the discovery of the longitude to advanced laser-beam technology clear.’

Customer Reviews

A historical and intellectual delight
This book is not a coffee-table book full of beautiful maps - rather this is a book which skilfully and eloquently covers the history of mapmaking from primitive ancient charts to modern satellite-aided mapping of other worlds. Like good popular science books, 'The Mapmakers' enlightens the reader about the evolution of mapmaking, often at quite a technical level, without ever resorting to condescending prose or losing the reader with jargon. And best of all, it is richly embellished with historical detail. Mapmakers have been amongst the world's greatest adventurers, and the tales of bravery and hardship, all in the name of mapmaking, are as exciting as any. I heartily recommend this book to anyone with an interest in maps and the human drama which has accompanied their creation through the ages.

Interesting account of the history of mapmaking
What can I add to the description and the first review? This book describes how we came to know the shape of the earth, the distribution of land and oceans, mapmaking, the history of voyages of discovery, and how the earth was mapped. Later chapters descibe mapping the oceans, the moon, and even Mars. It is clearly written and well illustrated. I would have liked more on map projections, with illustrations. I also found the book to be pretty Americanocentric.

Great review of technical advances thru 1981.
Many aspects of world history are seen in a different light after reading how man learned to accurately map and use maps for world exploration. European and Americas mapping is handled extensively. Africa and Asia are lacking in historical context, perhaps due to lost or unavailable records. Being published in the early 1980's, the book is missing the last 2 decades of technological advances of Global Positioning Systems in use today. Otherwise a WONDERFUL READ for anyone interested in geoscience, geography, maps, or history.