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Atlas der erfundenen Orte : die größten Irrtümer und Lügen auf Landkarten by Edward Brooke-Hitching
tanyarobinson's review against another edition
3.0
The Phantom Atlas: The Greatest Myths, Lies and Blunders on Maps represents a large body of research, and is filled with beautifully reproduced full-color maps. I won this attractive oversize hardcover book on a Goodreads giveaway, and have been excited to read it. After having spent several hours between its covers I can say that it is visually pleasing, and has a lot of interesting information, but Brooke-Hitching could have been much more effective in presenting his findings.
This book is presented as a series of 2-6 page entries on all the misidentified, legendary, and imaginary places that were perpetuated for centuries on maps. There is no thematic organization. Rather, there are just disassociated alphabetical listings, which make for terrible reading. For example, pages 54-75 cover "Sea Monsters of the Carta Marina (a medieval map of Scandinavia showing mythical creatures), "Island of California"(16th and 17th century misrepresentations of California as an island), "Cassiterides" (legendary tin islands written about by Strabo in the first century B.C.), and "Crocker Land" (a 20th century mirage in the Arctic). All interesting, but presented in such a way that nothing connects to anything else.
If I were Brooke-Hitching's editor, I would tell him to put in more effort and created some sort of narrative arc, whether that be through a chronological approach or geographical organization. He could have a section on myths perpetuated by classical writers, another on wishfully-thought New World islands identified by Spanish and Portuguese explorers, one about legends in the Far East, yet another detailing explorations in the Arctic, and so on. As it was, I just took in a whole bunch of unconnected information, jumping all around the globe and through millennia of time, and will remember very little of it.
So... The Phantom Atlas is very pretty, but could have been so much better had Edward Brooke-Hitching not taken the easy way out. 3 stars.
This book is presented as a series of 2-6 page entries on all the misidentified, legendary, and imaginary places that were perpetuated for centuries on maps. There is no thematic organization. Rather, there are just disassociated alphabetical listings, which make for terrible reading. For example, pages 54-75 cover "Sea Monsters of the Carta Marina (a medieval map of Scandinavia showing mythical creatures), "Island of California"(16th and 17th century misrepresentations of California as an island), "Cassiterides" (legendary tin islands written about by Strabo in the first century B.C.), and "Crocker Land" (a 20th century mirage in the Arctic). All interesting, but presented in such a way that nothing connects to anything else.
If I were Brooke-Hitching's editor, I would tell him to put in more effort and created some sort of narrative arc, whether that be through a chronological approach or geographical organization. He could have a section on myths perpetuated by classical writers, another on wishfully-thought New World islands identified by Spanish and Portuguese explorers, one about legends in the Far East, yet another detailing explorations in the Arctic, and so on. As it was, I just took in a whole bunch of unconnected information, jumping all around the globe and through millennia of time, and will remember very little of it.
So... The Phantom Atlas is very pretty, but could have been so much better had Edward Brooke-Hitching not taken the easy way out. 3 stars.
jveevers's review against another edition
Very interesting, but I think I might have enjoyed it more had it been arranged thematically, rather than alphabetically
monique3's review against another edition
adventurous
informative
inspiring
mysterious
medium-paced
4.0
frogggirl2's review against another edition
3.0
Basically the problem of this book is that it's pretty redundant. It seems like a failing of the topic and not the author but basically most map errors are either caused by: someone trying to make up a story for financial gain/fame/glory or a simple accident of navigation.
missdaisyanna's review against another edition
informative
slow-paced
3.5
The physical production of this book is stunning, the illustrations and the dust cover are immaculate, and I particularly loved the discussions of the weird and strange creatures explorers claimed to have met on their travels. I will say, however, that after a while this book got very repetitive - someone claimed this island was here, oh no, it turns out it wasn't there. And repeat.
caroni's review against another edition
5.0
Really loved The Phantom Atlas. The book is divided in small chapters of a couple of pages enumerating all the pieces of land which were invented, misplaced or have since disappeared in maps throughout the centuries. Really fascinating and a gorgeous edition.