In Rhumb Lines and Map Wars; Mark Monmonier offers an insightful; richly illustrated account of the controversies surrounding Flemish cartographer Gerard Mercator's legacy. He takes us back to 1569; when Mercator announced a clever method of portraying the earth on a flat surface; creating the first projection to take into account the earth's roundness. As Monmonier shows; mariners benefited most from Mercator's projection; which allowed for easy navigation of the high seas with rhumb lines—clear-cut routes with a constant compass bearing—for true direction. But the projection's popularity among nineteenth-century sailors led to its overuse—often in inappropriate; non-navigational ways—for wall maps; world atlases; and geopolitical propaganda.Because it distorts the proportionate size of countries; the Mercator map was criticized for inflating Europe and North America in a promotion of colonialism. In 1974; German historian Arno Peters proffered his own map; on which countries were ostensibly drawn in true proportion to one another. In the ensuing "map wars" of the 1970s and 1980s; these dueling projections vied for public support—with varying degrees of success.Widely acclaimed for his accessible; intelligent books on maps and mapping; Monmonier here examines the uses and limitations of one of cartography's most significant innovations. With informed skepticism; he offers insightful interpretations of why well-intentioned clerics and development advocates rallied around the Peters projection; which flagrantly distorted the shape of Third World nations; why journalists covering the controversy ignored alternative world maps and other key issues; and how a few postmodern writers defended the Peters worldview with a self-serving overstatement of the power of maps. Rhumb Lines and Map Wars is vintage Monmonier: historically rich; beautifully written; and fully engaged with the issues of our time.
#4040335 in Books 2000-11-15Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 9.00 x 1.30 x 6.00l; 1.48 #File Name: 0226394786276 pages
Review
4 of 13 people found the following review helpful. Every American Should Read This BookBy A CustomerJasper has convinced me that we move around too often; losing contact with nature and with people in the process. The U.S. would be a better place if we followed his advice.
