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This guide to maps and map-making combines dictionary and encyclopaedia formats to provide a comprehensive, accessible reference to geography and mapping. Over 350 entries are arranged alphabetically for ease of use, and illustrations include maps from all periods, portraits, and drawings or diagrams illustrating technical topics. Biographical entries include colourful details and anecdotes as well as the important facts about each individual's contribution to cartography. Most entries include suggestions for further reading and are cross-referenced to other articles. ... Read more

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An atlas introducing basic map skills through maps ranging from the Adriatic Sea to Zimbabwe. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Thumbs up!
Well and away the most comprehensive source to Canadian fire insurance plans in Ontario collections, bar none.

The definitive source...
This esoteric title has been an invaluable addition to our collection -I'm looking forward to further editions or reprints. ... Read more

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The medieval world view, as expressed in maps, was not simply a matter of measuring space, but of placing the earth in a total philosophical and religious setting. Viewing medieval world maps not as isolated sheets of parchment, but in the context of the manuscripts in which they appear, this book reveals the role maps played in medieval thought and how medieval thought determined their form and content. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Medieval maps in their context
Evelyn Edson invites us to put medieval maps back into their intended context.Too often in past books, medieval maps have been ripped out of their context and lined up one after another in a history of science narrative.In "Mapping Time & Space", Dr. Edson presents the many other diagrams with which maps are regularly found -- letting us view the broader array of medieval schematic diagrams.These diagrams, in turn, teach us more about the maps.

This important book is a must-have for anyone interested in the history of maps.

Fascinating and Engaging Study
I'm currently doing a long paper on the cartography of Matthew Paris, and after slogging through "The History of Cartography vol. 1" this was a pleasure to read.Edson's prose is interesting and engaging, and shecovers a wide range of sources, ranging from from easter tables to alltypes of medieval maps, in her quest to show the linkages between time andspace in cartography of the Middle Ages.One of the best books I've readon the subject.

For the serious student
This is for the serious student of cartography and/or the middle ages, not for the person with a casual interest. The book is different from others in that it also describes the context of the maps - the manuscripts of whichthe maps were usually a small part. Therefore it more clearly shows theintent of the medieval writers and the purpose of the maps (which is quitedifferent to our modern view of maps). It helps dispel the modern view ofthese maps as quaint oddities. The reason why it doesn't get 5 stars: a) itrelies heavily on prior knowledge of the field. I don't think I would haveunderstood many of the references if I hadn't already read "TheHistory of Cartography Vol 1" or "Medieval Maps". b) thereare fewer illustrations than in other books, and those that are includedare not as good as those produced in other works. However, Time and Spacedoes include some that others don't, and it has better and more detaileddescriptions of the features of the maps. If you are starting out in thisfield, or just have a casual interest, I'd recommend "MedievalMaps" or "Mappa Mundi", both by P.D.A. Harvey. They containsplendid illustrations of the key maps of the period, with sufficientinformation to explain, without going into too much theory. Then if youwant to know more, follow up with Time and Space or The History ofCartography. I note that this is the first of a series. I'm looking forwardto seeing the topics to be covered in the rest of the series. ... Read more

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The book has no illustrations or index. It may have numerous typos or missing text. However, purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original rare book from the publisher's website (GeneralBooksClub.com). You can also preview excerpts of the book there. Purchasers are also entitled to a free trial membership in the General Books Club where they can select from more than a million books without charge. Original Publisher: Washington : Govt. Print. Off.; Publication date: 1900; Subjects: Washington (D.C.); Bibliography; Washington, D.C; Reference / Bibliographies ... Read more

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Delving into the origins and development of the Library of Congress, this volume ranges from the first attempt to establish a national legislative library in 1783 to the advent of the Civil War. Carl Ostrowski shows how the growing and changing Library was influenced by and in turn affected major intellectual, social, historical, and political trends that occupied the sphere of public discourse in late eighteenth- and early nineteenth-century America.

The author explores the relationship between the Library and the period's expanding print culture. He identifies the books that legislators required to be placed in the Library and establishes how these volumes were used. His analysis of the earliest printed catalogs of the Library reveals that law, politics, economics, geography, and history were the subjects most assiduously collected. These books provided government officials with practical guidance in domestic legislation and foreign affairs, including disputes with European powers over territorial boundaries.

Ostrowski also discusses a number of secondary functions of the Library, one of which was to provide reading material for the entertainment and instruction of government officials and their families. As a result, the richness of America's burgeoning literary culture from the 1830s to the 1860s was amply represented on the Library's shelves. For those with access to its Capitol rooms, the Library served an important social function, providing a space for interaction and the display and appreciation of American works of art.

Ostrowski skillfully demonstrates that the history of the Library of Congress offers a lens through which we can view changing American attitudes toward books, literature, and the relationship between the federal government and the world of arts and letters. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

this rocks!
ostrowski handles the daunting task of a historical review of the LOC with expert finesse and lucidity.it should be mandatory reading in all middle schools, high schools, undergraduate and graduate institutions. MTSU is lucky to have an erudite such as ostrowski.hollywood beware!i see an epic along the lines of "gone with the wind" brewing. ... Read more