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#47 in Books > Science & Nature > Earth Sciences & Geography > Geography > Historical
#71 in Books > History > Reference > Historical Atlases & Maps

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Product Description

This is a new edition of an atlas published in Britain in 1611 under the title "The Theatre of Great Britaine". The cartographer John Speed had been preparing the individual maps since 1596 and they were issued individually before being collected to form "The Theatre" which was intended as the topographical section of Speed's "The History of Great Britaine". When this was completed, it became the earliest published atlas of the British Isles. It was the first to show all the counties of Britain as well as towns, villages and boundaries as they were at the end of the reign of Elizabeth I and contains the first known maps of many English towns and is embellished with a wealth of heraldic decoration, illustrations of battles, antiquities and royal portraits. In his introduction, Nigel Nicolson presents a biography of Speed, outlines the craft of Tudor map-making and puts Speed's atlas into context. Alasdair Hawkyard, Archivist at Harrow School, provides captions to the individual maps, describing topographical and other aspects and enabling the reader to identify how the landscape of Britain has undergone dramatic changes during the past four centuries.

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9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent value for money - a must for map lovers, 3 Dec 2000

By A Customer

So much book for so little money. Considering that an original Speed map of just one county is likely to set you back anything from about �300 to a couple of thousand, this publication puts John Speed's classic cartography in the reach of everyone. Based on a rare coloured copy of his atlas at the British Museum the illustrations are both beautiful and filled with great detail. Add to this, the commentary on each map which helps us to put them in their correct historical perspective. I have a copy already and am now ordering another for my parents. If you love old maps, this is the greatest bargain you can find

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5.0 out of 5 stars An beautiful book of incredible maps, 8 Feb 2007

By	Sheffielder - See all my reviews

Speed's maps are strikingly beautiful, and this reproduction is excellent. There's the usual problem of maps appearing on double-page spreads (you can't see the places down the spine of the book very easily), but that's to be expected. Incredibly cheap, and a joy just to hold, let alone own.

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