Mapping the World: An Illustrated History of Cartography

Mapping the World is a one-of-a-kind collection of cartographic treasures spanning thousands of years and many cultures, from an ancient Babylonian map of the world etched on clay to the latest high-tech maps of the earth, the seas, and the skies above. With more than one hundred maps and other illustrations and an introduction and commentary by Ralph E. Ehrenberg, former Chief of the Geography and Map Division of the Library of Congress, this book tells a fascinating story of geographic discovery, scientific invention, the art of mapmaking, and the efforts of mapmakers everywhere to render our shape-shifting world in ever more innovative and meaningful ways. The book draws from the finest map collections in the world, including the libraries of the National Geographic Society, the Library of Congress, and the British Library, and is organized into several chronological sections.

Each section includes a brief introduction that places the maps in their historical context, followed by a gallery of cartographic masterpieces from different parts of the world, giving readers a unique comparative perspective on the state of geographic knowledge and mapmaking during different historical periods. Special "portfolios" within each section feature key cartographic innovators and maps of exceptional artistic quality or significance, such as the Waldseemuller Map, the first to use the name America; or the life and work of a groundbreaking cartographer, such as Gerardus Mercator, who gave us the Mercator projection; or the latest computer-generated maps that open new windows on the cosmos.

In addition to including examples of all the world's most prized and famous maps of exploration and discovery, the book features many other examples of maps that rarely get the attention they deserve: geological maps, road maps, prisoner escape maps, tourist maps, city maps, military situation maps, mental maps, and much more. With its broad historical and cultural range, unmatched variety of maps from many of the finest map collections in the world, more than one hundred illustrations, and a fresh and authoritative perspective on the history of cartography, Mapping the World will delight everyone with an interest in maps and mapmaking like no other book on the subject.

The richness of history and changing understanding of the world are evident in the entries for the wide range of historic maps gathered in this volume. Ehrenberg, who's the former chief of the geography and map division of the Library of Congress and former director of the Center for Cartographic and Architectural Archives at the U.S. National Archives and Records, brings his expertise to the selection and entries of maps that range from a clay tablet of the 7th century B.C. to THEMIS mosaic maps made for NASA. The volume, which is written for the general reader, is printed in an oversize format (9.5x12.25<">), with a full-page color plate of the map facing each entry.
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Mapping the World is a one-of-a-kind collection of cartographic treasures that spans thousands of years and many cultures, from an ancient Babylonian map of the world etched on clay to the latest high-tech maps of the earth, seas, and the skies above. With more than one hundred maps and other illustrations and an introduction and running commentary by Ralph E. Ehrenberg, this book tells a fascinating story of geographic discovery, scientific invention, and the art and technique of mapmaking.

Mapping the World is organized chronologically with a brief introduction that places the maps in their historical context. Special "portfolios" within each section feature key cartographic innovators and maps of exceptional artistic quality or significance, such as the 1507 Waldseemüller Map, the first to use the name America. Unusual and surprising maps are also presented, including a set of playing cards that contained a secret escape map for American prisoners in Germany during World War II.

With its broad historical and cultural range, unmatched variety of maps from the finest map collections in the world, more than one hundred illustrations, and a fresh and authoritative perspective on the history of cartography, Mapping the World will delight everyone with an interest in maps and mapmaking like no other book on the subject.

Ralph Ehrenberg is a former chief of the Geography and Map Division of the Library of Congress and a former director and assistant director of the Center for Cartographic and Architectural Archives, U. S. National Archives and Records Administration. Earlier, he worked as a cartographer with the Department of Defense Aeronautical Chart and Information Center, St. Louis (1964-1966), and as an aerial photographer with the U. S. Navy (1955-58). During his tenure at the Library of Congress, Mr. Ehrenberg represented the Library on the United States Board on Geographic Names, serving as chairman of the Board for the 1989 - 1991 term. He also served on the U. S. National Committee for the International Geographical Union; the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA), Section of Geography and Map Libraries; and the U. S. Department of the Interior Federal Geographic Data Committee.

Mr. Ehrenberg is founder of the Philip Lee Phillips Society, the Geography and Map Division's public outreach and support group; a founding member and immediate past president of the Washington Map Society; and vice-president of the Society for History of Discoveries.

He has lectured and consulted widely on cartographic and geographic resources, the history of cartography, and management of cartographic collections. He was an Honorary Scholar in Residence at the Mitchell Library, State Library of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia in 1997.

Major publications include The Mapping of America, with Seymour Schwartz (New York: Harry N. Abrams, Inc., 1980; Wellfleet Press, 2001); Library of Congress Geography and Maps: An Illustrated Guide (Washington, D.C.: Library of Congress, 1996); Scholars' Guide to Washington, D.C. for Cartography and Remote Sensing Imagery (Washington, D.C.: Smithsonian Institution Press, 1987); and Pattern and Process: Research in Historical Geography (Washington, D. C.: U. S. National Archives and Howard University Press, 1975).