'Fascinating, panoramic, wonderful' Tom Holland

A magical book which explores how the world was seen at twelve points in history, through twelve extraordinary maps and the minds of those who made them

What you see depends on where - and when - you are looking from. As Jerry Brotton's enthralling book shows, maps have shaped our view of the world throughout history, and are themselves shaped by the ideas, prejudices, systems of power and creativity of their age.

Brotton examines twelve world maps from global history - from the mystical representations of ancient civilizations and the fourteenth-century Mappamundi to the satellite-derived imagery of today - to show how, by reading them, we can better understand the worlds that produced them. You will not look at a map in quite the same way again.

'The intellectual background to these images is conveyed with beguiling erudition ... maps prove to be less conveyors of information than theatrical performances ... There is nothing more subversive than a map' Andrew Linklater, Spectator

'Fascinating and thought-provoking ... An achievement of evocation' Anthony Sattin, Literary Review

'Elegant, powerfully argued' David Horspool, Guardian, Books of the Year

'Rich and adventurous' John Carey, Sunday Times

'A highly rewarding study ... you will emerge with a detailed insight into how maps reflect, expose and manipulate the societies in which they are made' Simon Garfield, Mail on Sunday