Product Description

This second mini edition has new mapping and has been planned to provide balanced coverage of every part of the world in a series of reference maps specially designed and created for the format to show detailed information at a small scale. The new introductory section includes satellite images, geographical information, states and territories data, and world maps including population and climate. The index with over 20,000 place names illustrates the scope of the atlas. The atlas includes over 100 pages of reference maps showing landscape relief, cities and towns, roads and railways.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #1111185 in Books
• Published on: 1999-10-04
• Original language: English
• Binding: Hardcover
• 253 pages

From the Publisher
The Times Atlas of the World has long been famous for its authority, accuracy and tradition. Each atlas in the range offers outstanding quality and attention to detail with mapping of the world that is clear and beautiful to look at.

Customer Reviews

Great for family use
With the release of the 2nd edition of the Reference Atlas of the World, Times Books have now completed the re-styling of their entire range of world atlases. This Reference edition takes the middle position of the five volumes, having two smaller siblings and two larger. In fact, this atlas is characterized by compromises on almost all levels. This is not necessarily always bad: you get a fairly detailed coverage of the world, plus 46 city plans and much information on the states and territories of the world. World coverage is more or less based on land mass, which means Asia gets a lot more than Europe, though densely populated European areas such as southern UK and German Ruhr area are mapped at larger scales. France and Spain are a bit disappointing, though U.S., India, China, and SE Australia are very good. The coloring of the maps is highly subtle but not overall consistent with the other Times atlases. The plates are highly legible and what's more, the data is very up-to-date. For example, cities that have recently exceeded 1 million inhabitants are shown as such, and the recent borderline agreement between Yemen and Saudi-Arabia is also incorporated.

The 103 maps together show 47,000 place names which is good for an atlas of this size. The thematic section is not large but it provides very handy concise information on the most important topics. The 46 city maps are a real treat - and these are not included in the largest edition, the Comprehensive edition.

If you want an atlas primarily for answering the question "Where is it located", I suggest you buy one of the two bigger siblings, but if you want a world atlas with a general overview of the world, this one does a good job. There are comparatively-sized atlases at a much cheaper price, but Times has a reputation and the extra cost is not just for the name of Times. This atlas breathes authoritativeness and detail. And a nice companion for day-to-day reference.

Good value
This atlas is very good for the price, and a good quick reference as the name suggests. It is however not as detailed as the more expensive atlases. If this is all you can afford it is very good, but I regret not shelling out the extra to get a more comprehensive atlas.

Times Atlas of the World - errors
Before purchasing it was impossible to discover the scale of the maps and these were disappointing. I regret buying this Atlas. I found an error of a few hundred miles in the site of Borodino; I have e-mailed the publishers twice and they haven't even acknowledged them.