Customer Reviews (2)

I never got the book or a refund
Dont try to buy this as you will never get it or get a refund after you waste time trying to get this seller to respond and send the book. Too bad, I would have much rather had the book than a dispute with Amazon. Cheap.

New Mexico History in Maps
My copy of this book is becoming tattered from wear.When I checked Amazon listings I discovered it's now out of print.I'd recommend anyone interested in the history and demographics of New Mexico buy one of these while it's still possible to get it used.

The Contents includes numerous maps under each of the following headings:Natural Environment, Historical Landscapes, Population Characteristics, Economic Characteristics, Cultural Elements and Government.Although the title is several years out of date in some areas, it's still the best document of the kind I've ever seen for the State of New Mexico in a broad-brush quick reference or for an in-depth study of certain aspects of New Mexico history you won't find elsewhere.I'd love to see UNM Press do another run of this one or print it on a book by book POD.It's entirely too good to allow to become unavailable. ... Read more

Product Description

In the two centuries before Columbus, mapmaking was transformed. The World Map, 1300--1492 investigates this important, transitional period of mapmaking. Beginning with a 1436 atlas of ten maps produced by Venetian Andrea Bianco, Evelyn Edson uses maps of the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries to examine how the discoveries of missionaries and merchants affected the content and configuration of world maps.

She finds that both the makers and users of maps struggled with changes brought about by technological innovation -- the compass, quadrant, and astrolabe -- rediscovery of classical mapmaking approaches, and increased travel. To reconcile the tensions between the conservative and progressive worldviews, mapmakers used a careful blend of the old and the new to depict a world that was changing -- and growing -- before their eyes.

This engaging and informative study reveals how the ingenuity, creativity, and adaptability of these craftsmen helped pave the way for an age of discovery.

Customer Reviews (1)

A fine, unusual perspective of world history and cartographic influences.
THE WORLD MAP 1300-1492: THE PERSISTENCE OF TRADITION AND TRANSFORMATION is an excellent choice for any college-level collection strong in cartographic or world history: it investigates the state of maps before Columbus, beginning with a 1436 atlas of ten maps produced by Bianco and using maps of the 14th and 15th centuries to consider how missionaries and merchants changed the state and presentation of the world. Makers and users of maps struggled with both technological change and changing world views brought on by discover, and mapmakers often blended old and new worlds to reconcile tensions between opposing viewpoints. The result is a fine, unusual perspective of world history and cartographic influences. ... Read more

Product Description

This gloss laminated black and white poster of New Mexico is jam-packed with illustrations and notes. The full map of New Mexico is complimented with native flora and fauna, historical personages, and several zooms out to place New Mexico within the entire Universe. The notes cover the full range of the State, from its history, its peoples, its places of interest, and its flora and fauna.

Size: 19" x 25"

Product Description
Atlas of maps of US, Canada, Mexico. Leatherette Bound, Gold Inlay, Gold trim on outer edges. Desk or briefcase accessory. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Needs to be Updated
Well organized, researched, and interesting to read.Keep in mind it was written in the 80s so alot of changes have been made in these areas since. ... Read more

Product Description
Although Cortés conquered the Aztec empire in 1521, imperial Spain knew little about the Mexican territory under its control when Philip II acceded to the throne in 1556. As part of a vast project to learn about its territories in the New World, Spain commissioned a survey--the Relaciones Geográficas--of Spanish officials in Mexico between 1578 and 1584, asking for local maps as well as descriptions of local resources, history, and geography. Offering the most complete contemporary record of what sixteenth-century Mexico looked like, the sixty-nine manuscript maps from this survey also highlight the gulf between colonial and indigenous conceptions of Mexico.

In Mapping New Spain, Barbara Mundy illuminates the complex cultural negotiations that colonists and indigenes undertook in mapping the colony. Her book explains both the Amerindian and the Spanish traditions represented in these early colonial maps, and traces the gradual reshaping of indigene world views in the wake of colonization.

The eight color plates and numerous other illustrations from the Relaciones Geográficas maps reproduced in this volume provide unique insights into how people from different cultural traditions--from Spanish officials to small-town indigenous artists--perceived the landscape of colonial Mexico. The first book to consider both indigenous and Spanish contributions to the mapping of Mexico, Mapping New Spain will interest not only historians of art and cartography, but also scholars and general readers interested in Mexican history.

* Winner of the 1995 Nebenzahl Prize from the Hermon Dunlap Smith Center for the History of Cartography at the Newberry Library. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Great
This is a wonderful glimpse into the development of detailed maps ofCentral America.It expresses the necessity of a country to be aware ofthe resources it possesses and the lengths to which it must go to obtainthis information.Another good book along these same lines is"Mapping and Empire" by Matthew Edney, which describes theprocess of mapmaking the British government undertook in India.Overall,this is a great book. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

A Useful, Well Written Book
This useful and well written book is a staple among students of the history of cartography (HoC) in Texas.It was written as a companion piece to the first major HoC exhibit on Texas maps, put on by the Amon Carter Museum in Fort Worth.The exhibit then went on the road, showing at libraries and other venues throughout the state.The book was greeted with critical acclaim by scholars and lay readers alike, and the first edition quickly sold out.Its resale value shot up due to demand, until the Texas State Historical Society took it under wing and produced this reprint edition.Clearly then, in the view of many readers from diverse backgrounds, this is a very useful and worthwhile book.

When it was first published (1984), there was not much written about the HoC of Texas.The book quickly became the standard reference for HoC scholars and map collectors interested in Texas, a role its authors never foresaw.Indeed, they wrote in their Preface that "...our first goal has been to stimulate further inquiry and to add to the appreciation of the value of historic maps as tools in learning about any place, at any time."The book did just that.It has been one of several catalysts in the intervening years for a tremendous growth in appreciation, study, and publications dealing with Texas antiquarian maps.Unfortunately this has not yet led to a definitive catalogue of Texas maps, so Martin & Martin (as it is commonly known) continues play this role to which it never aspired.

The work is divided into three parts.The first is a series of brief introductory pieces, about 40 total pages.These trace, in terms accessible to the average reader, the evolution of maps and their role in Texas from the earliest period of exploration through the 20th century.While of interest to most readers, for those unfamiliar with the history of either Texas or cartography, they are especially helpful.The second section contains 16 color plates with no commentary.Following that there are 50 black and white plates.Each is a full page, faced by a page of well researched, easy to read commentary.The 16 color plates are repeated here so that commentary can be inserted.This may be puzzling at first, but was undoubtedly done to reduce costs.It was cheaper to place all the color in one "signature" for binding than to intersperse color printing throughout, even at the cost of repeating some pages.This is why this book retails on Amazon for under $30 instead of twice the price.

I hope this helps the prospective buyer appreciate the book and decide more easily whether this is the book you're looking for.

Expected something better
I paid over $45.00 I couldn't afford to spend on this book because I love maps and thought this book was going to be a bonanza of information and would serve as a great reference forever. Well, there are a lot of maps in this book, but not at all useful in the way I'd hoped. The most interesting (to me) thing that I learned from this book was a one-pager about the U.S. Coast Survey and its history. I keep thinking that one day, I will value this book more than I do now. As it is, I wish I'd spent the money having my cat spayed. ... Read more

Product Description

This black and white poster of New Mexico is jam-packed with illustrations and notes. The full map of New Mexico is complimented with native flora and fauna, historical personages, and several zooms out to place New Mexico within the entire Universe. The notes cover the full range of the State, from its history, its peoples, its places of interest, and its flora and fauna.

Size: 19" x 25"