The Mapmakers is a history of cartography. It explains the technical innovations of mapmaking in the context of the contemporary worldviews and the adventures of discovery. It nicely balances concise scientific explanations with personal tales about the innovators to tell a compelling story of progress. The prose is classic technical writing: clear presentation that you never notice.
The book becomes less interesting once it reaches the 20th century. The advances are almost purely technological at that point, so the story loses the momentum and interest that came from the adventures of early explorers. The loss of narrative balance makes you notice the incompleteness of the technical explanations.
The book becomes less interesting once it reaches the 20th century. The advances are almost purely technological at that point, so the story loses the momentum and interest that came from the adventures of early explorers. The loss of narrative balance makes you notice the incompleteness of the technical explanations.
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