William Graves (1) (1926–2004)

Okay, work with me here. This review is heresy in LibraryThing but, I think, worthy.

If you had a dollar for everyone who has subscribed to National Geographic magazine sometime in their lives you probably could sit back, clip coupons and smoke cigars or eat bon-bons. I subscribed as well and they would accumulate and weigh a ton. I’d move, strip out the maps and donate, give away or somehow get rid of the magazines. A hundred or so NG magazines are a hernia producer when moving. Then I’d show more look at the maps and, while in an anti-clutter frenzy, dump them. Bang, bang, bang; the sound of my slapping my forehead.

Now, remorse has set in and I miss my NG maps. A while back I walked into my small suburban town library and they were cleaning house. Hard cover books were a buck, magazines were ten cents. The fates had smiled on me and I made a beeline for the sale area. There they were, NGs by the ton. I went through them checking for maps and bought every one that had a map and happily staggered home, read articles that interested me, stripped out the maps, gave away the mags.

As you might sniff out here, I love maps. Here comes the review…

I recognize that NG maps or other maps are not a book; to me they are an almost essential adjunct to books revolving around history, geology, geography and other topics.

National Geographic maps are known for quality. A curmudgeon might argue that they have declined in the past fifty years. Whatever! Do yourself a favor and acquire some NG maps. If you are reading about the history of European explorers in the Pacific, get the NG Pacific map… I had to write this in conjunction with a specific map and just happened to pick Quebec and here we are (if the other part of “we” ever shows up to read this).

They are high quality, information packed, well annotated maps. Not incidentally, the paper seems of high quality, which is helpful because of folding and unfolding and because they age well. show less

Another excellent Traveler's Map, perhaps the last published by National Geographic (NG). It includes five colourful street plans of the centres of Berlin, Hamburg, Cologne, Dresden and Munich. as well as a classic NG political map and a relief map.

Most excellent resource to have if you love National Geographic Magazines but have no room for them and can't find articles when you need them. Hands-down needed in any educated household - that is until 2007-2008 when it was made. That's the only drawback - you have buy the next edition to keep current.

Interesting to look at a map of Europe from 1962 and see the then borders of the USSR and East Germany and West Germany.