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The Atlas of Atlases

Philip Parker
£28.00

Free standard UK delivery £10+
Free Express next day for orders over £75

Atlases are books that changed the course of history. Pored over by rulers, explorers and adventures these books were used to build empires, wage wars, encourage diplomacy and encourage trade. Written by an authority on the history of maps, this book brings these fascinating artefacts to life, offering a unique, lavishly illustrated guide to the history of these incredible books and the cartographers behind them.

All key cartographic works from the last half-millennium are covered, including:

  • The Theatrum Orbis Terrarum, considered the world’s first atlas and produced in 1570 by the Dutch, geographer Abraham Ortelius.
  • The 17th-century Klencke – one of the world’s largest books that requires 6 people to carry it
  • The Rand McNally Atlas of 1881, still in print today and a book that turned its makers, William H Rand and Andrew McNally into cartographic royalty.

About the author

Philip Parker is a writer, consultant and publisher specializing in ancient and medieval political and military systems. He studied history at Trinity Hall, Cambridge, and is the author of A History of Britain in Maps (2016), the DK Eyewitness Companion Guide to World History (2010), The Atlas of Atlases (2022) and many more.

Delivery times

Order before 4pm weekdays for:

  • Free standard delivery on orders over £10 in up to five working days
  • 1st Class delivery in 1-2 working days
  • Priority Express Next Day delivery on the next working day

Custom Made map orders will take one extra day for printing. Framed and canvas products are handmade and usually take 10-12 working days to dispatch. If you order on a bank holiday we'll start on your order on the next working day.

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The Atlas of Atlases £28.00