Oxford University Press published The Oxford Map Companion, a collection of 100 maps accompanied by Historian Seed´s scholarly descriptions and commentary. A third of these maps had never before been published, including a Hebrew constellation map from 1360. The collection--which includes many never-before published maps--spans a broad spectrum of human time and cultural diversity. It also features a wide range of map types from every continent, including stick charts, porcelain maps, maps created on sealskin, celestial maps, powder-horn and buckskin maps, silk "escape maps," radio maps, ordnance surveys, subway maps, and maps of the Internet.
Organized both chronologically and cartographically, nearly every historical map is accompanied by a locator map and/or schematic diagram--personally crafted by the author--that helps the reader to see the map in its geographical context and to grasp the meaning of its symbols, labels, and overall layout. A master chronology of world history in the front of the book and timelines at the beginning of each Part set the history of mapping in a global framework. Finally, every map includes a corresponding QR code that will allow readers to instantly explore a Google Earth outline of the area covered in the historical map on their smartphones.To read Business Insider´s review on Seed´s book, which features five of the publication´s most unique ancient maps, please click here.