Livre - The phantom atlas

910 BRO

Description

Livre

Simon and Schuster

Brooke-Hitching Edward

Presentation materielle : 1 vol. (256 p.)

Dimensions : 26 cm

THIS IS THE WORLD – not as it ever existed, but as it was thought to be. A world where California is an island paradise drifting free from North America, where monstrous creatures terrorise the Nordic waters, and lost cities of gold shimmer in the depths of jungles and oceans. From invisible mountain ranges to vast spectral seas, this unique atlas presents the greatest cartographic `phantoms’ ever to haunt the maps of history, and uncovers the fascinating stories behind their invention. The weirdest fictions once depicted as truth on maps – ghost islands, mythical races, ship-snatching beasts – are here meticulously assembled, culled from the entire history of cartography. These are the most bizarre tales from the chronicles of exploration, compelling narratives of murderous polar explorers, deranged buccaneers, seafaring monks and a whole host of other curious characters. This brilliant collection leads the reader on an enthralling journey through our ancestors’ fears, fantasies and misconceptions of the world, revealing how these illusions and confusions came to be, why they were drawn as fact on maps for so long – in many cases, for centuries – and their surprising influence on modern geography. Vividly written and filled with extraordinary images, The Phantom Atlas is an unmissable anthology of mystery and adventure that navigates a world recognisable, yet infinitely stranger than the one we know today. EDWARD BROOKE-HITCHING is the author of Fox Tossing, Octopus Wrestling and Other Forgotten Sports (2015) and an incurable cartophile. The son of an antiquarian book dealer, he lives in a dusty heap of old maps and books in London Nine-foot giants were once thought to stalk the Patagonian landscape. The Island of California was known to drift off the coast of North America. The Mountains of Kong were believed to stretch across the continent of Africa. With fascinating stories and beautiful illustrations, this unique atlas gathers together the wildest misbeliefs ever drawn on maps, revealing the world as it existed purely in the imaginations of our ancestors

Introduction, p. 8 Strait of Anian, p. 12 Antillia, p. 18 Atlantis, p. 24 Aurora Islands, p. 30 Australia’s inland sea, p. 34 Bermeja, p. 38 Bradley Land, p. 42 Buss Island, p. 46 City of the Caesars, p. 50 Sea monsters of the Carta Marina, p. 54 Island of California, p. 64 Cassiterides, p. 68 Crocker Land, p. 70 Croker’s Mountains, p. 76 Davis Land, p. 80 Isle of Demons, p. 84 Dougherty Island, p. 88 Earthly paradise, p. 92 El Dorado, p. 98 Flat earth, p. 102 Fonseca, p. 106 Formosa (of George Psalmanazar), p. 110 Fusang, p. 114 Gamaland and Compagnies Land, p. 118 Great Ireland, p. 122 Great River of the west, p. 124 Groclant, p. 128 Hy Brasil, p. 130 Java La Grande, p. 134 Juan de Lisboa, p. 140 Lost city of the Kalahari, p. 142 Mountains of Kong, p. 146 Korea as an island, p. 150 Lost continents of Lemuria and Mu, p. 152 Maria Theresa Reef, p. 156 Mayda, p. 158 Mountains of the moon, p. 162 Lands of Benjamin Morrell, p. 166 Norumbega, p. 170 Creatures of the Nuremberg Chronicle Map, p. 174 Patagonian giants, p. 182 Pepys Island, p. 186 Territory of Poyais, p. 190 Kingdom of Prester John, p. 194 Rhipaean Mountains, p. 198 Rupes Nigra, p. 200 St. Brendan’s Island, p. 202 Sandy Island, New Caledonia, p. 206 Sannikov Land, p. 208 Satanazes, p. 210 Saxenburgh Island, p. 212 Sea of the West, p. 216 Taprobana, p. 220 Terra Australis, p. 224 Thule, p. 230 Sunken city of Vineta, p. 234 Wak-Wak, p. 238 Phantom lands of the Zeno Map, p. 240 Select Bibliography, p. 246 Index, p. 248 Acknowledgmenst and Credits, p. 255

Bibliogr. p. 246-247. Index