Tuesday, August 7, 2018

London: A History in Maps (London Topographical Society Publication) Hardcover – September 1, 2012 by Peter Barber (British Library Publishing)



With each page, we witness London’s horizontal and vertical expansion. The collected work of London’s cartographers shows urban mass as a living entity, pushing forever outward. In its entirety, Mr. Barber’s book captures this energy and sense of organic growth. . . . This is a coffee table book that deserves to be read and studied. .Creatively designed and copiously illustrated, this beautiful and informative coffee table publication replicates an exhibition that was displayed at the British Library from November 2006 to March 2007. This handsome publication will be a delightful and useful resource for a variety of audiences, including the general public; map collectors and bibliophiles; local and urban historians; and scholars interested in historical geography, urban geography and planning, and the history of cartography.

Over the past 2000 years, London has developed from a small town, fitting snugly within its walls, into one of the world's largest and most dynamic cities. London: A History in Maps illustrates and helps to explain the transformation using over 400 examples of maps. Side-by-side with the great, semi-official, but sanitized images of the whole city, there are the more utilitarian maps and plans of the parts—actual and envisaged—which perhaps present more than topographical records. They all have something unique to say about the time when they were created. Peter Barber's book reveals the "inside story" behind one of the world's greatest cities.

"The entire volume exceeds the author’s expressed aspirations to present an honest and inclusive representation of London. I particularly appreciated the author’s perspectives on the history of mapping, which includes analysis and documentation of the highly selective nature of maps and mapping throughout history. The analysis of the motives of cartographers and publishers in particular is outstanding, being something few other books of this type include and a worthwhile addition to any publication discussing the history of cartography.

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