Great Maps is a visual treat that begins with one of the world's earliest existing maps – the Bedolina Petroglyph (1500 BC) – found in a valley in northern Italy that charts fields, livestock, and houses of its day. The book leaves us with a Google Earth map. In between are over 60 mesmerizing maps and charts that give us a glimpse of world views throughout the ages. Whether it was religious, political, or mercantile, each cartographer seemed to have his own perspective, which was revealed by the way he drew his map. Author Jerry Bretton fills us in on each map's story, gives us a short bio on its cartographer, and zooms in on specific parts of each map to point out interesting details about it. Great Maps is as much an art book as it is an archaeological history lesson as it is a collection of the world's most fascinating and significant maps.
Great Maps: The World's Masterpieces Explored and Explained, by Jerry Brotton
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