The Charting of the Oceans: Ten Centuries of Maritime Maps
by Peter Whitfield
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Description
This book from the Peter Whitfield cartographic series traces the history of humankind's relation to the sea as revealed in ten centuries of maritime maps. Presenting sixty maps reproduced in color over double-page spreads, & commentary describing their special features & their significance in the history of navigation, the book explores ancient navigation; the Middle Ages & the Age of Discovery; the printed sea chart, 1600-1800; & the modern sea chart.Tags
Recommendations
Member Reviews
Beautifully done. A heavy, coffee table book with glorious photos of ancient maps. Text is informative and interesting to read, but is done in my the maps. You read 10 or 20 pages and then stop to page through and examine the maps.
Disappointment in that there was only a couple of maps showing the east coast of Africa, and neither of them were detailed. A route that was heavily travelled by spice traders and even earlier people. Trade routes linked to the Great Zimbabwe pre-Christian era. The book clearly has a European focus and there is only a small section about the Chinese and their maps...almost as though they didn't exist. The maps of the oceans in the far east are recent ones, mostly WWII vintage.
So 4.0 stars for the text of what show more IS there, and the beautiful photos. Perhaps a 3.0 for not being more comprehensive. show less
Disappointment in that there was only a couple of maps showing the east coast of Africa, and neither of them were detailed. A route that was heavily travelled by spice traders and even earlier people. Trade routes linked to the Great Zimbabwe pre-Christian era. The book clearly has a European focus and there is only a small section about the Chinese and their maps...almost as though they didn't exist. The maps of the oceans in the far east are recent ones, mostly WWII vintage.
So 4.0 stars for the text of what show more IS there, and the beautiful photos. Perhaps a 3.0 for not being more comprehensive. show less
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Author Information
25+ Works 1,362 Members
Peter Whitfield is a former director of Stanford's International Map Centre in London.
Classifications
- Genres
- Nonfiction, History, General Nonfiction
- DDC/MDS
- 623.89 — Applied science & technology Engineering Military Vehicles: Land, Air, & Sea Naval architecture; Shipbuilding Navigation
- LCC
- GA359 .W47 — Geography, Anthropology and Recreation Mathematical geography. Cartography Mathematical geography. Cartography Cartography Maps. By region or country
Statistics
- Members
- 91
- Popularity
- 352,497
- Reviews
- 1
- Rating
- (3.59)
- Languages
- English
- Media
- Paper
- ISBNs
- 2
