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A Community Devoted to the Preservation and Practice of Celestial Navigation and Other Methods of Traditional Wayfinding
The Mapmakers--I need more!
From: Tim Whelan
Date: 2002 Nov 26, 07:52 -0800
From: Tim Whelan
Date: 2002 Nov 26, 07:52 -0800
Hello, I have lurked on this list for a couple years now. A lot of the topics have gone over my head, but I have greatly enjoyed reading many of the discussions. I haven't had time to practice using my sextant much lately (nor have I ever come close to mastering it), but the discussions on this list have inspired me to pull it out and experiment. Thank you! Anywho... I am just finishing a book called The Mapmakers, by John Noble Wilford. Wow! What a great book! I am sure many of you on this list have already read it, but I thought I would recommend it for the relative novice like myself. The 500+ page book covers Ptolemy, Magellan, Mercator, Beaufort, Harrison, Cook, Vancouver (my hero), Lewis & Clark and much, much more. I think it is written in a manner that the layperson can understand. Great bang for the buck--$11.20 at Amazon. The problem with this book is that it left me wanting more! Specifically, I would love to find a book that focuses more on the history of nautical charts (The Mapmakers is probably 3/4 about maps and 1/4 about nautical charts). The Mapmakers teases one with preliminary information about the UK Hydrographic Office, NOAA and the DMA, but doesn't go into much detail about those organizations. I would love to read more about about how nautical charts are created/surveyed and who was instrumental in making it all happen. Can anyone recommend a book like The Mapmakers, but is more focused on nautical charts? Thank You, Tim Whelan --------------------------------------------------------- Tim Whelan _/) Internet: http://www.tgw.net ---------------------------------------------------------
