The Mapmakers: Revised Edition

This is one of the most interesting history books I've ever read, or really books period. There are so many discoveries made along the way to mapping the world in this book to do with time, gravity, plate tectonics and the distorted shape of the earth. From the myth filled early maps to modern mapping of the ocean floor and beyond; this books is fantastic.

This book is a history of map making, and hence a history of the world. Starting with the earliest known maps in Iraq in -2300 BCE, both the history of discovery of the world and the cartographic principles are traced. For those of us that were taught that Columbus discovered the world is round, the calculation of the earths diameter in 300 BC shows this was widely known. Ptolemy's first cartographic principles are presented. Past the middle ages and their mythical maps, we are introduced to Mercator's projection, a measurement of degrees, and John Harrison's lifetime quest for measuring longitude (readers of this will enjoy Dava Sobel's book Longitude). Three chapters are devoted to the mapping of America (there is more than just Lewis and Clark).The final two parts of the book discuss some of the newer mapping techniques including aerial and radar mapping; geologic and seismic mapping, Antarctica, and Oceanic sea floor. Although large expanses, some of these area have just been mapped in the 20th century. The final part discusses Global Position Systems, and mapping of the moon, mars, and the cosmos. For those of us working with Geographic Information Systems (GIS) this book provides a nice antidote to thinking that mapping starting with the computer.The book is well illustrated, but some of the pictures could really have improved with a little color. The book does really well at presenting a background of the people involved, and realizing their own personal quests. Some of the underlying cartographic principles are also presented.

This was a recent Christmas gift for my son who is employed in the chart making field. It has been a valuable addition to his library.

A long-time science writer and editor for the New York Times, John Noble Wilford wrote the famous front-page article “Men Walk on Moon” back in 1969. Since then, he has won two Pulitzer Prizes for his science journalism. Wilford has also authored several books, among them The Mapmakers, first published in 1981. I read the revised edition of 2000. Judging from what I see on Amazon, I don’t believe it has been updated since then.In The Mapmakers, Wilford chronicles the landmark achievements in cartography from ancient times to the present. If you’ve ever wondered how maps were made back in the days of sextants and theodolites, or how they are made today in the era of satellite technology, The Mapmakers is a great resource loaded with valuable information. Wilford follows the development of cartographic methods and technology from ancient geometry to today’s GPS systems, while highlighting the groundbreaking achievements of explorers and cartographers such as Ptolemy, Mercator, the Cassini family, Captain James Cook, and many other lesser-known but important luminaries in the field of mapmaking. In the 2000 edition, Wilford touches on digital technology and GIS (Geographic Information Systems), but he’s still talking about floppy disks, and he doesn’t even mention the internet. If you want to learn about current cartographic techniques, this is not an up-to-date text on the subject. As a history book, however, it does a very fine job of providing a comprehensive overview of the history of cartography through the 20th century.I took an undergraduate intro to cartography course at a university, and this would have made a good textbook for such a course. In fact, it reads very much like a textbook, for better or for worse. The text never quite reaches the attention-grabbing, accessible prose one expects from popular science journalism. The first half of the book recounts the voyages of many explorers, stories that just about anyone interested in geography can appreciate and enjoy. The second half of the book, however, details a succession of technological advances in radar, remote sensing, and space technology that requires a reader that’s more of a cartography wonk. Though suitable for general readers, one really has to have more than just a passing interest in this subject, and perhaps some prior knowledge, in order to fully understand and appreciate this cartographic history, particularly the mathematics involved.That said, I would fall among those interested parties for whom this book is well-suited, and I enjoyed it quite a bit. I was familiar with many of the people and achievements recounted here, but Wilford fleshed out their stories with interesting details. There was also plenty of content that was new to me. Wilford doesn’t just cover the mapping of the Earth, but also the mapping of the Moon, Mars, and interstellar space. Of course, a lot of advances have been made in those areas since 2000, but again, this is a very good history up to that point. The Mapmakers succeeds as a one-volume overview and reference on the history of cartography. By providing detailed coverage of a broad and deep range of mapmaking pioneers, achievements, and techniques, this book allows curious readers to decide which topics and historical personages are worthy of further research.

This seller said the book was in VG condition. This was a very conservative rating. It was in like new condition! I could not be more please with this seller.

This book is excellent. It describes in amazing detail what it took to map our world. Read this book if your a fan of maps, interested in geography or are interested in some fascinating historical figures that risked their lives to map our world.

Ok

I am a Canadian Land surveyor, I bought this book based on the reviews I have read. My expectations were high and this book went way beyond all my expectations. It is a super interesting to read and very well written. The author touches a lot of history about map making, it is super informative and interesting. There might be a chapter or 2 that the author could have skip about exploration of the USA and add more information about what happened in Asia. But knowing the past help me understanding the future of map making.I highly recommend it to anyone interested in cartography

excellent

great 2nd hand book for very nice price.....