The Story Of Maps

"An important and scholarly work; bringing together much information available heretofore only in scattered sources. Easily readable." — Gerald I. Alexander, F.R.G.S. Cartographer, Map Division, New York Public Library. The first authoritative history of maps and the men who made them. The historical coverage of this volume is immense: from the first two centuries A.D. — Strabo and Ptolemy — through the end of the 19th century, with some discussion of 20th-century developments. 86 illustrations. Extensive notes and bibliography. "Mr. Brown felicitously marries scholarship to narrative and dramatic skill." — Henry Steele Commager.

The number of people who love maps is growing. They are now very popular with the book-buying public. Among many other bits of information, this book reveals how the rules of cartography were drawn up and how people worked out the dimensions of the world.

The number of people who love maps is growing. They are now very popular with the book-buying public. Among many other bits of information, this book reveals how the rules of cartography were drawn up and how people worked out the dimensions of the world.

Winner of the 2018 Louise de Kiriline Lawrence Award for Nonfiction Longlisted for the 2018 RBC Taylor Prize Shortlisted for the 2018 Edna Staebler Award for Creative Non-Fiction The sweeping, epic story of the mysterious land that came to be called “Canada” like it’s never been told before. Every map tells a story. And every map has a purpose--it invites us to go somewhere we've never been. It’s an account of what we know, but also a trace of what we long for. Ten Maps conjures the world as it appeared to those who were called upon to map it. What would the new world look like to wandering Vikings, who thought they had drifted into a land of mythical creatures, or Samuel de Champlain, who had no idea of the vastness of the landmass just beyond the treeline? Adam Shoalts, one of Canada’s foremost explorers, tells the stories behind these centuries old maps, and how they came to shape what became “Canada.” It’s a story that will surprise readers, and reveal the Canada we never knew was hidden. It brings to life the characters and the bloody disputes that forged our history, by showing us what the world looked like before it entered the history books. Combining storytelling, cartography, geography, archaeology and of course history, this book shows us Canada in a way we've never seen it before.

Learn map skills to help you navigate and find things.

Who were the first mapmakers? What was the Vinland Map? How will maps change in the future? To uncover the hidden facts behind everyday things, explore the secrets of True Stories. True Stories reveals the surprising truth about a range of subjects. Discover everything you could wish to know, and some things you'll wish you didn't, about a huge range of topics!