The World's Masterpieces Explored and Explained (Dk Smithsonian)

When you plan ahead for a Christmas or Hanukkah gift for a youngster who is learning about the world, this is that book to get. The maps are first class, the book is over sized and makes perusing a pleasure. Now, I am a history buff and learned a lot about Cartography (map making) while reading this book. Maps have been around for centuries and it seems that they were made originally by religious folks to explain areas where they had an interest. This book encompasses the world and does so with reference to all religions and regions. It was interesting to read that many of the discoverers who explored our world could very well have had maps which were drawn before they set out. One such person was Christopher Columbus with a map made 70 years before he discovered America!

Several of the maps have the original map illustration and then are broken down in depth so that you get a close up view of some of the drawings. Fascinating is the binding of this book and the heft of the pages as they are heavy weight and the cover is printed in addition to a overleaf dust cover.

The most outstanding feature is the price! Yes, a book of this quality should sell for 3 times the asking price! In my reviews I see many books printed by colleges and specialty printers who publish these types books for $100 to $200. Snap this one up when you see it and your child or grandchild will have a enriching experience with knowledge which would have to be gleaned from many different sources rather than this book

The map reproductions are fantastic, and each page is filled with historical information that introduces the map's creator and the discoveries or major cultural movements that influenced the maps' design. Each map also has a "visual tour" made up of close-up photos so that readers can better explore and appreciate the details of each map. It's a wonderful resource, inspiring to artists, historians and anyone curious about how our perspective on the world has changed.

As the title says, Great Maps contains beautiful and fascinating photograph of maps.

Great Maps is more than just geographical or navigational maps, it also has vast collections of theological, statistical, astrological and "imaginative" maps. Most maps are from prestigious museums all over the world like Vatican Museum, Bibliothèque Nationale Paris, British Library, and Washington D.C. Smithsonian. Each map has a "visual tour" summarizing key stories and zoomed-in photos.

The most intriguing map of all is the "map of the whole world" circa 1643 created by Joan Blaue, mapmaker of Dutch East India Company or VOC in Dutch. Since the company mission was mostly trade in the Indian Ocean and the Far East, they had no involvement in the Americas and depicted California as a huge island on the map. This mistake was corrected 50 years later.

I think this book is not suitable for children. Young adults? Maybe. This book is for curious peoples who love history, travel, art, and science.

From ante-Ptomely to Google Earth, the world has been mapped out and mapped out. As mankind gains in knowledge of the planet’s geography, the maps improve. Today they include both the deepest oceans and the tallest mountains with pinpoint accuracy in location, and now we are mapping the stars.

This is the story that is told beautifully in words and pictures in “Great Maps – The World’s Masterpieces Explored and Explained.” This oversized, “coffee table book” is a wonderful treat, and will live in easy reach in our living room for many years to come. It is a delight to browse among its pages and consider the maps that coincide so accurately with the evolution of humanity through our conceptions of the “known world,”

While the online world is a wonderful thing, there is something solid about a book and to present a history of maps in a bound volume just seems right. This presentation by DK for Smithsonian is a treasure and a marvelous learning tool as well.

The maps in this book are presented in chronological order. Details given for each map are date of production, material used, author if known, current location, size of map, as well as background information. Beyond that, the book provides zoomed-in close ups of certain sections of the map and explains the details further. A small detail I really enjoyed was seeing the full size of the map given in scale relative to a person's hand or body.

When we think of what a map is, it's far too easy to brush it off as just a tool to help us find locations and make our way to unfamiliar places. Looking through this book, you really expand your notion of what the significance of maps throughout the world's history is. Maps have significance beyond geographical placements. This book will also appeal to those with an interest in exploring different cultural beliefs, political history, archaeology, and technological advancements.

This is an amazing book for anyone who loves maps. It's a coffee-table book, and it should be. It's the kind of book that you'll open when you get near it.

The maps make up the vast majority of the book, which, of course, they should. Each map is accompanied by text that discusses the cartographer, the historical context, and the significance of the map. The maps are arranged in chronological order, and that allows the reader to see the progression of exploration and of the craft and science of cartography. Most of the maps have a "zoom-in" feature, which focuses on particular parts of the map. These are extremely interesting and useful, because they draw attention to something in the maps that might otherwise go unnoticed.

This book is a fabulous resource for anyone interested in history. It's also a beautifully crafted book. I recommend it most highly.

Disappointed in the quality of the book. I saw this book at someone’s else and decided to buy it as a gift for someone who loves maps as it is a beautiful book. I ordered a new one, and it came in bad condition and appearing to be already used. I bought this as a gift and I am embarrassed to wrap it when it looks like I have had it for years before giving it. The gold font on the front cover is all scratched up.

This DK produced, illustrated guide to the history of cartography in conjunction with the Smithsonian Institution is a lavish treat in terms of both visual and informational display. Spanning across the age of humanity the book surveys 55 maps in chronological order from carved petroglyphs, circa 1500 BC, in the Italian Alps to the ubiquitous Google Maps of today. Presentation is nicely balanced with good visual layouts that highlight each map and specific points of interest and a plethora of in-depth information from University of London Professor, Jerry Brotton. The book can be appreciated at a quick pace or digested more slowly, fully absorbing the text and descriptions each page offers.

As you would expect the majority of maps profiled are predominantly 'Western' but there are plenty of surprises to discover ranging from Marshallese stick charts to the intricate artistry of a Jain cosmological map. The physical construction of the book is also deserving of praise as the large coffee table format (12 x 10 inches) in conjunction with thick, glossed pages really does justice to the spectacular imagery of the maps themselves. For a reasonably priced volume the book looks and feels like something that could easily be priced 2-3 times higher.

This book is beautiful. It has a very pretty cover and is quite substantial in weight. It has 256 pages of very high quality paper.

It has a table of contents, a preface, maps divided into 5 segments (classical, discovery, new directions and beliefs, thematic aned modern mapping), an index and acknowledgements.

Each map has a date (or range), type of material the map is on, size, and current location of map. If the author of the map is know, it is shown or the word unknown will be there. It also has a nice explanation of the map with figures depicting the map. this is followed by a couple of pages, they call a visual tour. This section emphasizes certain areas of interest in the map.

Overall this is a beautiful book. It can be very productive learning experience for children. The price of this book is very reasonable for the quality and content it has.

Most beautiful book this year. This is absolutely gorgeous. As a point of curiosity we looked to see where it was actually printed thinking at such a great price such a beautiful book had to be printed in China. Hong Kong. The maps are fascinating, with the ones most ancient, the only one I especially already was familiar with was the Fra Mauro map - which I have a large framed copy on my office wall. But this book also explains cultural, historical elements behind the maps and their theological, philosophical, representations. And now we have digital maps including Google Earth, which topic ends the book. You may want to read In the World Interior of Capital: Towards a Philosophical Theory of Globalization for an interesting insight into the importance of the Weltanschaung on all of this. Fantastic find. Kids will love it as well as adults.

Wonderful coffee table book on maps. There is a lot of maps described, and for each map you have a big picture of the map itself, size/material of the map - I like it that there is a tiny size comparison picture there next to a person or to a hand - some of the original maps are huge! Then there is a story where and how the map came to be. Then there is a visual tour - close-up pictures of some interesting parts of the map with some notes of why those are interesting. There are quite a few maps that I was aware of, and there are ones that are new to me.
The book is very beautiful (and big and heavy) with lots and lots information on maps and map making, from petroglyphs to ancient times to google maps.

Globetrotters and arm chair travelers will enjoy journeying through time and place with this book. Charting the history of maps, this book features impressive art and reproductions along with fascinating facts. From ancient times to modern days, the art of cartography is represented. The profiles of the explorers and cartographers gives a glimpse into the challenges, political and otherwise, of their times. It made geography class come alive. Impressive enough for display, this is a book that will whet the curiosity of anyone who has dreamed of exploring the world.

DK Smithsonian great maps is a marvelous trip down the world's history. This coffee table book is filled with beautiful maps. Starting from the classical maps down to Google Earth, this is a map lovers dream. Include with each map is a visual tour that zeros in on certain areas of interest. If you love maps or are just interested in seeing how culture and history evolved over the centuries, this book is certainly for you. Beautiful pictures and highly recommended.

Maps are (or can be) fascinating things. There is so much interesting information set down on a piece of paper - and now, with things like Google Earth, you can check out a place without ever leaving your living room.

This book covers the best of the best in the map world, starting from some of the oldest known maps on Earth and ending with - yes - Google Earth. Complete with full-color photos, and LOTS of information about where each map came from, its creator, and in-depth discussions of the map itself, this book is a fascinating look at man's desire to record the known world. Each map has at least a two-page spread, with several photos and an explanation of each picture.

This is a terrific book for any classroom, or for anyone just interested in learning more about our history of mapmaking. I highly recommend it.

LOVE this book. Nice, hardcover coffee table book. If you are interested in maps, history and the world you will like this book. It has beautiful maps, is easy to read and is just beautiful. We love it and guests always pick it up. It is a great conversation starter and would be a great gift for anyone who travels.

Really great coffee table reference. The maps are beautiful as you would expect. I do keep it on my coffee table and it is always a hit with whoever picks it up. Best for map lovers, but good for people who just like pretty old things.

as usual DK books are beautifully illustrated. it is well organized & full of information. however, i think the content goes beyond that for a common reader & is rather esoteric to maybe map fanatics. i was expecting just a time line of maps as we know them but this has all kinds of maps beyond what i care to know. it's an absolutely beautiful book, nice to browse but not for me to read.

From ante-Ptomely to Google Earth, the world has been mapped out and mapped out. As mankind gains in knowledge of the planet’s geography, the maps improve. Today they include both the deepest oceans and the tallest mountains with pinpoint accuracy in location, and now we are mapping the stars.

This is the story that is told beautifully in words and pictures in “Great Maps – The World’s Masterpieces Explored and Explained.” This oversized, “coffee table book” is a wonderful treat, and will live in easy reach in our living room for many years to come. It is a delight to browse among its pages and consider the maps that coincide so accurately with the evolution of humanity through our conceptions of the “known world,”

While the online world is a wonderful thing, there is something solid about a book and to present a history of maps in a bound volume just seems right. This presentation by DK for Smithsonian is a treasure and a marvelous learning tool as well.