Sky Atlas: the Greatest Maps, Myths, and Discoveries of the Universe

Description

The Sky Atlas unveils some of the most beautiful maps and charts ever created during humankind's quest to map the skies above us. This richly illustrated treasury showcases the finest examples of celestial cartography--a glorious art often overlooked by modern map books--as well as medieval manuscripts, masterpiece paintings, ancient star catalogs, antique instruments, and other curiosities. This is the sky as it has never been presented before: the realm of stars and planets, but also of gods, devils, weather wizards, flying sailors, ancient aliens, mythological animals, and rampaging spirits. - Packed with celestial maps, illustrations, and stories of places, people, and creatures that different cultures throughout history have observed or imagined in the heavens - Readers are taken on a tour of star-obsessed cultures around the world, learning about Tibetan sky burials, star-covered Inuit dancing coats, Mongolian astral prophets and Sir William Herschel's 1781 discovery of Uranus, the first planet to be found since antiquity. - A gorgeous book that delights stargazers and map lovers alike With thrilling stories and gorgeous artwork, this remarkable atlas explores our fascination with the sky across time and cultures to form an extraordinary chronicle of cosmic imagination and discovery. The Sky Atlas is a wonderful book for map lovers, history buffs, and stargazers, but also for those who are intrigued by the many wonderful and bizarre ways in which humans have sought to understand the cosmos and our place in it. - A unique map book that expands beyond the terrestrial and into the celestial - A wonderful gift for map lovers, obscure-history fans, mythology buffs, and astrology and astronomy lovers - Great for those who enjoyed What We See in the Stars: An Illustrated Tour of the Night Sky by Kelsey Oseid, Maps by Aleksandra Mizielinska and Daniel Mizielinski, and Atlas of Remote Islands: Fifty Islands I Have Never Set Foot On and Never Will by Judith Schalansky

Edward Brooke-Hitching is a map collector, author, writer for the popular BBC television program QI and a fellow of the Royal Geographical Society. He lives in a dusty heap of old maps and books in London, investigating the places where exploration and mythology meet.

"A beautiful book, just stunning, using star maps to tell the stories of all the myths we once believed about the universe. " --Zoe Ball, BBC Radio 2? "A beautiful new book. There are endless brilliant unforgettable stories in The Sky Atlas. So poetic . . . full of maps and illustrations. " -- Cerys Matthews, BBC Radio 6 Music "A beautiful, beautiful book. The drawings, paintings, maps - just exquisite. So rich with wonderful stories. " --Georgina Godwin, The Monocle "An incredible collection of cosmic maps, paintings and artefacts charting how we have imagined the heavens throughout history. " -- Big Issue "Combining myth and science, this breathtaking book explores our obsession with the sky. It's packed with stunning images, from some of the first cave drawings of star charts to high-resolution photographs." --Daily Mail "Following on from his stunning books The Phantom Atlas and The Golden Atlas, Mr. Brooke-Hitching's latest work matches them with equally sumptuous illustrations and scholarship. " --Diplomat "One for the curio lover in your life. An illustrated treasury of celestial cartography featuring the greatest astronomical discoveries alongside stories about ancient UFO sightings, winged lunar creatures, a sea above the clouds and an Edwardian aristocrat who mapped alien life on Mars. " -- The Herald "So beautiful. How we thought of other planets, aliens, mythology . . . Particularly recommended. " -- Jen Campbell, author of The Bookshop Book "Stunning" --Space.com "This beautifully illustrated volume spans the history of astronomy and celestial cartography . . . Brooke-Hitching does a superb job of making this complex scientific subject accessible and exciting for readers. The art, astral maps, and photographs, many in lush, jewel-like colors, make this book shine. Readers will want to drink in every fine detail. " -- Booklist Holiday Gift Guide selection"Exquisitely illustrated. Maps of earlier centuries are abuzz with fantastical creatures, the sun has a literal face, and the cosmic borderlands are rich with design flourishes. The book is a joy to flip through, every page a visual testament to cartographic artistry." --The Wall Street Journal "The Sky Atlas is a treasury and history of some of humankind's most beautiful maps and charts. Yet this book is more than that, it's a sparkling and glittering array of sky-bound achievements. It's a visual history of what it has felt like over aeons to look up at the heavens in wonder." -Content Catnip "Those of you with an inquiring mind and a love for beauty will cherish this book! [It] attracts with a stunning cover and holds with a wealth of information, maps, and photographs of art and artifacts that covers centuries of the quest to know more about the creation of our universe." -Denton Record-Chronicle