Best Historical Atlases & Maps

Marking the 100th anniversary of National Geographic cartography, this prestigious reference is the essential guide to understanding today's interconnected world. A portion of all National Geographic proceeds is used to fund exploration, conservation, and education through ongoing contributions to the work of the National Geographic Society.

His authoritative chronicle of what he considered the greatest war of all time is rigorous and meticulous, yet omits the many aids to comprehension modern readers take for granted—such as brief biographies of the story's main characters, maps and other visual enhancements, and background on the military, cultural, and political traditions of ancient Greece. Based on the venerable Richard Crawley translation, updated and revised for modern readers, The Landmark Thucydides includes a vast array of superbly designed and presented maps, brief informative appendices by outstanding classical scholars on subjects of special relevance to the text, explanatory marginal notes on each page, an index of unprecedented subtlety and depth, and numerous other useful features. He has added descriptive paragraph-by-paragraph synopses, topic headers on every page, numerous maps keyed to the adjoining text, explanatory footnotes, an extensive index, an excellent introduction by Victor Davis Hanson (California State Univ.

In 35 innovative views created especially for this book the key moments of major Civil War battles are pinpointed by National Geographic s award winning cartographers using satellite data to render the terrain with astonishing detail In this one of a kind atlas both archival and newly created maps trace the battles political turmoil and great themes of the nation s most pivotal conflict Eighty five rare period map examples many seen here for the first time track the Civil War s development campaign maps laying out the field of battle commercial maps produced for a news hungry public charts commissioned by Union and Confederate generals to record troop movements for posterity Thirty five new views focus on key moments in major battles as diagrammed by National Geographic s award winning cartographers using satellite data for precise representation of terrain Spanning from the prewar years through every major engagement to Reconstruction National Geographic s Atlas of the Civil War reveals at least one eye opening map and a gripping self contained story on every spread Compelling text guides readers through the maps in a unique way bringing them to life and infusing them with personal dramas that highlight the human side of war Timelines list social political and military milestones biographies share little known stories of soldiers and civilians caught up in the devastating conflict Documentary photographs and art offer rare glimpses of 19th century life prewar images of Abraham and Mary Lincoln a white child in the care of an enslaved African American young recruits confident of a quick resolution unflinching scenes of the war s aftermath Completing the coverage two comprehensive Theater of War maps in the Appendix highlight battles in the East in the West and on the water helping readers visualize at a glance how the years and events progressed In this one of a kind atlas scores of archival maps and dozens of newly created m. Eighty-five rare period maps, many seen here for the first time, offer the cartographic history of a land at war with itself: from 19th-century campaign maps surveying whole regions and strategies to vintage battlefield charts used by Union and Confederate generals alike, along with commercial maps produced for a news-hungry public, and comprehensive Theater of War maps.

Marking the 100th anniversary of National Geographic cartography, this prestigious reference is the essential guide to understanding today's interconnected world. A portion of all National Geographic proceeds is used to fund exploration, conservation, and education through ongoing contributions to the work of the National Geographic Society.

His authoritative chronicle of what he considered the greatest war of all time is rigorous and meticulous, yet omits the many aids to comprehension modern readers take for granted—such as brief biographies of the story's main characters, maps and other visual enhancements, and background on the military, cultural, and political traditions of ancient Greece. Based on the venerable Richard Crawley translation, updated and revised for modern readers, The Landmark Thucydides includes a vast array of superbly designed and presented maps, brief informative appendices by outstanding classical scholars on subjects of special relevance to the text, explanatory marginal notes on each page, an index of unprecedented subtlety and depth, and numerous other useful features. He has added descriptive paragraph-by-paragraph synopses, topic headers on every page, numerous maps keyed to the adjoining text, explanatory footnotes, an extensive index, an excellent introduction by Victor Davis Hanson (California State Univ.

Marking the 100th anniversary of National Geographic cartography, this prestigious reference is the essential guide to understanding today's interconnected world. A portion of all National Geographic proceeds is used to fund exploration, conservation, and education through ongoing contributions to the work of the National Geographic Society.

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. Jerry Brotton is Professor of Renaissance Studies at Queen Mary College, University of London.

A New York Times Bestseller A timely collection of speeches by David McCullough, the most honored historian in the United States—winner of two Pulitzer Prizes, two National Book Awards, and the Presidential Medal of Freedom, among many others—that reminds us of fundamental American principles. Fundamentally Mr. McCullough loves the American story and its most illustrious characters.” (Robert W. Merry The Wall Street Journal ). Insightful and inspirational, it summons a vexed and divided nation to remember - and cherish - our unifying ideas and ideals.” (Jay Strafford Richmond Times Dispatch ). Happily, the same qualities that inform McCullough’s histories and biographies also shape his speeches. He is, whether at his desk or a lectern, a consummate storyteller.”. (Danny Heitman Christian Science Monitor ). “Very few among us possess the encompassing and informed perspective on America’s past and present that historian and best-selling author McCullough has gained over decades of research. “A carefully crafted, well-reasoned, heartfelt testament to what this nation can be — past, present, and we must believe — future.”. “Acclaimed historian David McCullough’s The American Spirit is as inspirational as it is brilliant, as simple as it is sophisticated. It will at the same time make you laugh and give rise to tears of despair. He sees his nation with all its warts, beginning with its indelible birthmark of slavery and continuing through to today’s government dysfunction and political polarization.

• A New Republic Best Book of the Year • The Globalist Top Books of the Year • Winner of the Maine Literary Award for Non-fiction • Particularly relevant in understanding who voted for who in this presidential election year, this is an endlessly fascinating look at American regionalism and the eleven “nations” that continue to shape North America. —The Wall Street Journal “[ American Nations ] sets itself apart by delving deep into history to trace our current divides to ethno-cultural differences that emerged during the country’s earliest settlement.” —The New Republic , Editors’ Picks: Best Books of 2011 “Provocative reading.” —News and Observer “In American Nations , [Colin Woodard] persuasively reshapes our understanding of how the American political entity came to be. [A] fascinating new take on history.” —The Christian Science Monitor “ American Nations by journalist-historian Colin Woodard is a superb book. There is much to grapple with in this well-written book.” —The Portland Press Herald “[F]or people interested in American history and sociology, American Nations demands reading. Louis Dispatch “[I]f you want to better understand U.S. politics, history, and culture American Nations is to be required reading. By revealing this continent of rivals, American Nations will revolutionize the way Americans think about their past, their country, and themselves and is sure to spark controversy.” —The Herald Gazette “Woodard persuasively argues that since the founding of the United States, eleven distinct geographical ‘nations’ have formed within the Union, each with its own identity and set of values.” —Military History Quarterly “Colin Woodard offers up an illuminating history of North America that explodes the red state-blue state myth. Woodard’s American Nations is a revolutionary and revelatory take on America’s myriad identities, and how the conflicts between them have shaped our country’s past and mold its future.” —MaineBusiness.com “One of the most original books I read in the last year. During my five years as an Ambassador in the United States, I spent a lot of time studying the voting patterns of different states and reading American history, and I have to say I find Woodard’s thesis to be fully borne out by my own observations.” —John Bruton, former Prime Minister of Ireland “Woodard offers a fascinating way to parse American (writ large) politics and history in this excellent book.” —Kirkus (starred review) “Provocative.” —Publishers Weekly “[W]ell-researched analysis with appeal to both casual and scholarly readers.” —Library Journal.

The Pulitzer Prize–winning biography of Harry S. Truman, whose presidency included momentous events from the atomic bombing of Japan to the outbreak of the Cold War and the Korean War, told by America’s beloved and distinguished historian. In this compelling saga of America's greatest common-man president, McCullough adds luster to an old-fashioned historical approach...the sweeping narrative, filled with telling details and an appreciation of the role individuals play in, shaping the world." "Remarkable....you may open it at any point and instantly become fascinated, so easy, lucid, and energetic is the narrative and so absorbing the sequence of events."

Now in its third edition, this much-loved classic has been revised and updated to bring today's current events into wider context and includes all new material on the global recession, green technologies, and the Internet and social media. This fully revised and updated third edition of History includes: Taking a broad-themed approach, acknowledging varied factors at work, from climate, ecology, disease, and geology and their roles in the human story, this visual celebration makes history accessible and relevant, putting events in their wider context and showing how they have shaped the world we live in.

This updated and revised edition of the American Book Award-winner and national bestseller revitalizes the truth of America’s history, explores how myths continue to be perpetrated, and includes a new chapter on 9/11 and the Iraq War. James W. Loewen is the bestselling author of Lies My Teacher Told Me and Lies Across America.

In 1940, swashbuckling journalist Theodore Morde returned from the rainforest with hundreds of artifacts and an electrifying story of having found the Lost City of the Monkey God-but then committed suicide without revealing its location. Venturing into this raw, treacherous, but breathtakingly beautiful wilderness to confirm the discovery, Preston and the team battled torrential rains, quickmud, disease-carrying insects, jaguars, and deadly snakes. Suspenseful and shocking, filled with colorful history, hair-raising adventure, and dramatic twists of fortune, THE LOST CITY OF THE MONKEY GOD is the absolutely true, eyewitness account of one of the great discoveries of the twenty-first century. An Amazon Best Book of January 2017: In 2012, author Douglas Preston joined a team of explorers searching for Ciudad Blanca (“The White City”), a legendary ruin hidden in the dense jungle of eastern Honduras. The fledgling Honduran government, having gained power through a military coup, sought to use the discovery to bolster its status with the population, while the academic community ripped the expedition with accusations of Indiana Jones-style exploitation and shoddy scientific methods, cries which could be uncharitably interpreted as sour grapes.