The Curious Map Book - Hardcover

Baynton-Williams s interest lies less in maps as geographic tools than as playthings and lampoons. He s put together a hundred board games, allegorical maps, maps in animal forms and other cartographic curiosities, in a fascinating volume that begins with a woodcut of the world from 1493 (wholly excluding the Americas, southern Africa and the Far East), and ending with an Afghanistan map-rug that was made in 2008 for souvenir-hunting American soldiers there. --Joshua Hammer"New York Times Book Review" (12/01/2015)"

Since that ancient day when the first human drew a line connecting Point A to Point B, maps have been understood as one of the most essential tools of communication. Despite differences in language, appearance, or culture, maps are universal touchstones in human civilization.
 
Over the centuries, maps have served many varied purposes; far from mere guides for reaching a destination, they are unique artistic forms, aides in planning commercial routes, literary devices for illuminating a story. Accuracy—or inaccuracy—of maps has been the make-or-break factor in countless military battles throughout history. They have graced the walls of homes, bringing prestige and elegance to their owners. They track the mountains, oceans, and stars of our existence. Maps help us make sense of our worlds both real and imaginary—they bring order to the seeming chaos of our surroundings.
 
With The Curious Map Book, Ashley Baynton-Williams gathers an amazing, chronologically ordered variety of cartographic gems, mainly from the vast collection of the British Library. He has unearthed a wide array of the whimsical and fantastic, from maps of board games to political ones, maps of the Holy Land to maps of the human soul. In his illuminating introduction, Baynton-Williams also identifies and expounds upon key themes of map production, peculiar styles, and the commerce and collection of unique maps. This incredible volume offers a wealth of gorgeous illustrations for anyone who is cartographically curious.