Description
Book SynopsisA STUNNINGLY ILLUSTRATED BOOK REVEALING THE GREATEST MYTHS, LIES AND BLUNDERS ON MAPS
'Highly recommended' - Andrew Marr
'A spectacular, enjoyable and eye-opening read' - Jonathan RossThe Phantom Atlas is
an atlas of the world not as it ever existed, but
as it was thought to be. These marvellous and mysterious phantoms - non-existent islands, invented mountain ranges, mythical civilisations and other fictitious geography - were all at various times presented as facts on maps and atlases. This book is a collection of striking antique maps that display the most erroneous cartography, with each illustration accompanied by the story behind it.
Exploration, map-making and mythology are all brought together to create
a colourful tapestry of monsters, heroes and volcanoes; swindlers, mirages and murderers. Sometimes the stories are almost impossible to believe, and remarkably, some of the errors were s
Trade Review‘A bonkers book…
Highly recommended’ -- Andrew Marr
‘A spectacular, enjoyable and eye-opening read...
A wonderful book, with beautiful illustrations throughout’ -- Jonathan Ross
‘
Beautifully illustrated…brain-boggling…an excursion into the minds of men imagining an as yet uncharted world’ * Spectator *
‘
This intriguing book…shows how places that aren’t there can endure, sometimes for centuries, once a map-maker has inked them in’ * The Times *
‘
Beautiful… Brooke-Hitching [has] an eye for a good story and his book is
gloriously illustrated with ancient mistaken maps, each accompanied by
a thoroughly researched tale of the men whose errors led to them.’ * Daily Express *
‘
Extraordinary’ * Historia Magazine *
‘Excellent... Arranged alphabetically in fifty-eight short chapters, with lavish deployment of illustrations, the book provides a
captivating chronicle of our battle with ignorance’ * Literary Review *
‘
Unreservedly recommended’ * The Monocle *
‘From the magnetic mountain at the north pole to Australia’s inland sea, Edward Brooke-Hitching charts five centuries of misrepresentative maps.’ * The Guardian *
‘
A rich selection… [that] shows how lively minds made use of limited knowledge, but also how rumour, guesswork and downright lies can persist in the scholarly imagination.’ * The Economist *
‘One of the
most beautiful books I’ve ever seen in my life…full of
fascinating quirky things.’ -- Jen Campbell, author Weird Things Customers Say in Bookshops
‘The fascination and beauty of maps both emerge clearly in this well-written, witty and thoughtful book…this is
a spirited and enjoyable study’ * Standpoint *
‘
Exquisitely produced… Gorgeous illustrations of countries and islands that were once thought to exist...For any fans of maps this is a must’ * The Australian *
'
Fascinating ... and beautifully illustrated' -- Rosamund Urwin * Evening Standard *
'
The Phantom Atlas describes some 50 "myths, lies and blunders" and illustrates them in
delightful detail...deserve[s] a place on the coffee table, but only after it's been read: there is as much to absorb as to see.' -- John Ure * Country Life *
