Mapping the Silk Road and beyond : 2,000 years of exploring the East /

Reproducing the images of 80 historical maps, this collection is something to behold for cartography connoisseurs. Chronologically, its selections span a millennium, from diagrams in illuminated manuscripts, to fanciful early modern maps of Prester John's mythical Christian kingdom, to the charts resulting from James Cook's voyages. Spatially, they depict the trade routes connecting Europe to the Orient, and descriptively--well, that's where Nebenzahl arrives with his expertise. To the untutored eye, premodern maps are colorful but confusingly busy. For each map, Nebenzahl describes its features; its degree of geographical speculation and accuracy; and its contexts of trade, exploration, or conquest. The era of exploration inspired the majority of the maps, including, most rarely, diagrams resulting from the voyages of Chinese admiral Zheng He in the early 1400s. As pleasing as Nebenzahl's book will be to map enthusiasts, the caveat to the acquiring library is that Silk Road fans will find their topic, the title notwithstanding, a faint presence in the work. --Gilbert Taylor Copyright 2005 Booklist

Nebenzahl (Atlas of Columbus and the Great Discoveries), a fellow of the Royal Geographical Society, is an authority on antiquarian cartography. Here he has assembled 80 rare and fascinating maps, half of which have never before been published. The maps are faithfully reproduced in full color on high-quality paper and range in date from the 15th to the early 19th centuries. As was the fashion, many of these early maps feature delightful vignettes and illuminations that serve as rich embellishments. The scope of this cartographic corpus goes well beyond the Silk Road of Central Asia and China to include exploration of sea routes to the spice islands of Indonesia and northward to Japan and the Bering Sea. The accompanying texts provide historical context and understanding of the significance of each map as well as information about the cartographers themselves. Bottom Line This handsomely crafted volume is a genuine treat for anyone with an interest in antique maps or the history of exploration. Recommended for all public and academic libraries, particularly those with cartographic collections.-Edward K. Werner, St. Lucie Cty. Lib. Syst., Ft. Pierce, FL (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.