Since that ancient day when the first human drew a line connecting Point A to Point B, maps have been understood as one of the most essential tools of communication. Despite differences in language, appearance, or culture, maps are universal touchstones in human civilization. Over the centuries, maps have served many varied purposes; far from mere guides for reaching a destination, they are unique artistic forms, aides in planning commercial routes, literary devices for illuminating a story. Accuracy—or inaccuracy—of maps has been the make-or-break factor in countless military battles throughout history. They have graced the walls of homes, bringing prestige and elegance to their owners. They track the mountains, oceans, and stars of our existence. Maps help us make sense of our worlds both real and imaginary—they bring order to the seeming chaos of our surroundings. With The Curious Map Book, Ashley Baynton-Williams gathers an amazing, chronologically ordered variety of cartographic gems, mainly from the vast collection of the British Library. He has unearthed a wide array of the whimsical and fantastic, from maps of board games to political ones, maps of the Holy Land to maps of the human soul. In his illuminating introduction, Baynton-Williams also identifies and expounds upon key themes of map production, peculiar styles, and the commerce and collection of unique maps. This incredible volume offers a wealth of gorgeous illustrations for anyone who is cartographically curious.

The Curious Map Book

History

Baynton-Williams, Ashley

World

University of Chicago Press

Between 1680 and 1807 several British publishers produced a sequence of double-hemisphere world maps, each printed on two conjoined sheets. The publishers of these world maps were the leading figures of the map trade at that time and had identified a ready market for maps of this type, which were aimed at a newly prosperous and upwardly aspiring class of purchasers. A peculiarly British phenomenon of this period, two-sheet double-hemisphere maps are important in the history of cartography for exemplifying how the map trade used the popular ideas of the Enlightenment to target an emerging market. The buyers were hungry for geographical information, but they were also eager to acquire status symbols to display as a statement of their intellectual pursuits. The scientific appearance of the maps was thus more important than geographical accuracy, which few of them achieved. This study is the first of its kind and will be essential in understanding the eighteenth-century British map trade as well as the economics of mapmaking and the emergence of new marketing techniques.

The World at Their Fingertips: Eighteenth-Century British Two-Sheet Double-Hemisphere World Maps

Armitage, Geoff

Europe

British Library

A lavish collection of 150 contemporary maps of the world's greatest battles Gaze across history’s bloodiest battlefields, as beautifully realized by the cartographers of the time. From the depiction of the battle of Pinkie Cleugh between England and Scotland in 1547the earliest map printed in the British Islesto chartings of the American War of Independence, and from plans of the advance of the British fleet at the Battle of Trafalgar to the trench maps of World War I, this unique collection highlights the extraordinary influence cartography has had on the nature of warfare. Each illustration is accompanied by an extended caption on the background to the war, including the planning and conduct of the battle in question. Whether the map was used to plan a military campaign, or drawn just after the event to record the conflict, each provides a fascinating piece of military history, and brings the drama of the battle to life. This giant book not only allows these important cartographical documents to be showcased, but also provides a captivating illustrated history of the last 500 years of warfare.

Maps of War

Baynton-Williams, Miles

Military

Quercus

A lavish collection of 150 contemporary maps of the world's greatest battlesÂ 
Gaze across historyâ€™s bloodiest battlefields, as beautifully realized by the cartographers of the time. From the depiction of the battle of Pinkie Cleugh between England and Scotland in 1547—the earliest map printed in the British Isles—to chartings of the American War of Independence, and from plans of the advance of the British fleet at the Battle of Trafalgar to the trench maps of World War I, this unique collection highlights the extraordinary influence cartography has had on the nature of warfare. Each illustration is accompanied by an extended caption on the background to the war, including the planning and conduct of the battle in question. Whether the map was used to plan a military campaign, or drawn just after the event to record the conflict, each provides a fascinating piece of military history, and brings the drama of the battle to life. This giant book not only allows these important cartographical documents to be showcased, but also provides a captivating illustrated history of the last 500 years of warfare.

A stunning visual history of America from 1513 ti 1855 unveiled through 100 exquisite antique maps.

Maps of NORTH America

Americas

Gathered from five centuries of exploration, over 120 maps of oceans and continents, mountains and forests, cities and shires, presented in chronological order. Hardcover. Original jacket. NF/NF condition.

New Worlds: Maps from the Age of Discovery

Town and City Maps of the British Isles 1800 - 1855.

Dolphin Publications

Take a journey into the past, to a world where exotic beasts and even stranger locals stalk cartographic voids, where sea monsters and floating islands lurk beyond uncertain shores, where the borders between myth and reality are blurred. Here, gathered from five centuries of exploration, are over 200 maps of oceans and continents, mountains and forests, cities and shires. Presented in chronological order, these maps record the adventures and discoveries - not to mention fantasies and outright lies - of explorers, merchants and travelers. Taken together, they chart our discovery of the world as science, legend, politics and art are blended together by the cartographer's craft. Presenting an illustrated history of the Age of Discovery, New Worlds displays our finest maps and tells the stories of the explorers, rulers, scientists, artists and charlatans who created them.

Travel

Smith-Davies Pub

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by Baynton-Williams, Ashley. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

Books by Baynton-Williams, Ashley

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by Baynton-Williams, Ashley. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

The Curious Map Book

The World at Their Fingertips: Eighteenth-Century British Two-Sheet Double-Hemisphere World Maps

Maps of War

Maps of War

Maps of NORTH America

New Worlds: Maps from the Age of Discovery

Town and City Maps of the British Isles 1800 - 1855.

New Worlds: Maps from the Age of Discovery