The Phantom Atlas

The Greatest Myths, Lies and Blunders on Maps

Edward Brooke-Hitching

$59.99

Hardback

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English

Simon & Schuster
01 November 2016

History; General & world history; Cartography, map-making & projections

The 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, 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. Remarkably, some of the errors were still on display in maps published in the 21st century. Throughout much of the 19th century, more than 40 different mapmakers included in their maps the Mountains of Kong, a huge range of peaks stretching across the entire continent of Africa, but in 1889 Louis Gustave Binger revealed the whole thing to be a fake.

For centuries, explorers who headed to Patagonia returned with tales of the giants they had met, some nine feet tall. Then there was Gregor MacGregor, a Scottish explorer who returned to London to sell shares in a land he had discovered in South America. He had been appointed the Cazique of Poyais, and bestowed with many honours by the local king of this unspoiled paradise. Now he was offering others the chance to join him and make their fortune there too, once they had paid him a bargain fee for their passage...

The Phantom Atlas is a beautifully produced volume, packed with stunning maps and drawings of places and people that never existed. The remarkable stories behind them are all brilliantly told by Edward Brooke-Hitching in a book that will appeal to cartophiles everywhere.

By: Edward Brooke-Hitching
Imprint: Simon & Schuster
Country of Publication: United Kingdom
Dimensions: Height: 246mm, Width: 189mm,
ISBN: 9781471159459
ISBN 10: 1471159450
Pages: 256
Publication Date: 01 November 2016
Audience: General/trade , ELT Advanced
Format: Hardback
Publisher's Status: Active

The son of an antiquarian book dealer, Edward Brooke-Hitching became an award-winning documentary director making films that examine the eccentric side of British life. He lives in London.

Reviews for The Phantom Atlas: The Greatest Myths, Lies and Blunders on Maps

'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 * 'Fascinating ... and beautifully illustrated' -- Rosamund Urwin * Evening Standard * `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 * `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 * `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 `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 * `From the magnetic mountain at the north pole to Australia's inland sea, Edward Brooke-Hitching charts five centuries of misrepresentative maps.' * The Guardian * `Unreservedly recommended' * The Monocle * `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 * `Extraordinary' * Historia Magazine * `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 * `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 * `Beautifully illustrated...brain-boggling...an excursion into the minds of men imagining an as yet uncharted world' * Spectator * `A spectacular, enjoyable and eye-opening read... A wonderful book, with beautiful illustrations throughout' -- Jonathan Ross `A bonkers book...Highly recommended' -- Andrew Marr