Great Maps

The world's finest maps explored and explained.

From Ptolemy's world map to the Hereford's Mappa Mundi, through Mercator's map of the world to the latest maps of the Moon and Google Earth, Great Maps provides a fascinating overview of cartography through the ages.

Revealing the stories behind 55 historical maps by analyzing graphic close-ups, Great Maps also profiles key cartographers and explorers to look why each map was commissioned, who it was for and how they influenced navigation, propaganda, power, art, and politics.

Jerry Brotton is Professor of Renaissance Studies at Queen Mary College, University of London. He is the author of Trading Territories: Mapping the Early Modern World and A History of the World in Twelve Maps.