History of the World Map by Map

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This stunning history book for adults starts with the evolution and migration of our oldest ancestors out of Africa. You can then look up maps about the Greece and Persian War, the Mongol Conquests, Medieval Europe's trade routes, and the rise of the Ottomans. Explore maps about the colonisation of North America, the scientific revolution, Napoleon's advances, and Britain's control of India. Then uncover the history of later centuries, such as the Age of Imperialism, the American Civil War, industrialised Europe and the transformation of Japan.

Maps don’t just show us where to go, but also where we’ve been. If you’re interested in finding out more about the biggest events in world history, then this book all about history of the world is perfect for you! No original maps from Geographia survived, but this, the oldest recreation, was constructed in the 14th century according to Ptolemy’s map projection and locations PHAS/Universal Images Group via Getty ImagesAt the top of the map—which faced east, the holiest direction—were pictures showing Adam and Eve tossed out of Eden, and Christ returning on the Day of Judgment. The map wasn’t intended to get you from town to town. It was designed to guide you to heaven. When World War I broke out, maps became powerful weapons. A detailed trench map of the front line allowed for artillery bombardments to be carried out without practice shots, retaining the element of surprise. After the war, aerial photography spread to civilian use and in 1921 the Fairchild Aerial Map of Manhattan ushered maps into pop culture consciousness. New York City entrepreneur Sherman Fairchild, who had been developing new aerial photography techniques for World War I, introduced an aerial camera that automatically snapped photos and turned the roll of film at timed intervals. Please note: By accepting the licence you are agreeing to the terms and conditions listed in the End User Licence Agreement (EULA). Ancient sailors navigated the seas by keeping in sight of land and observing the sun and stars. If clouds rolled in, they pulled in their sails and waited for better visibility.

Indeed, everyday people were realizing that a map was an act of persuasion, a visual rhetoric. In 1553, gentry in Surrey, England, drew a map of the town’s central fields, to prove these were common lands—and that villagers thus should be allowed to graze animals there. The map, they wrote, would allow for “the more playne manifest and direct understondying” of the situation. Maps, says Rose Mitchell, a map archivist at the National Archives of the U.K., were “used to settle arguments.” Meanwhile, educated people began collecting maps and displaying them “to show off how knowledgeable they were,” she adds. Even if you couldn’t read the words on a map from a foreign country, you could generally understand it, and even navigate by it. The persuasive power of a map was its glanceability. It was data made visual.

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You know there were people living throughout North America before Columbus stumbled upon Hispaniola in 1492, but you may be surprised by the maps that show the volume of settlements by a diverse number of native cultures across the current U.S. and Latin America. The Babylonian Map of the World, etched in the 6th century B.C. Fine Art Images/Heritage Images // Getty Images This history book reaching across millennia gives you a broad view of the pivotal events in our past. With 140 maps, complimented with pictures, info boxes, and timelines, there's so much to enjoy and learn about. You will gain a strong understanding of some of the forces and movements across continents that have shaped our world.