A map is something most of us take for granted. When was the last time you marveled at the usefulness of your phone’s GPS? How about the last time you thought about cartography as you Googled “food nearby?”
Understanding how to read a physical map is always important, even if our technology mostly reads maps for us these days. The history of maps is also very important in the context of humanity’s cultural evolution.
Not to mention, anyone who plans to explore the wilderness or travel outside of their cell phone’s range of service should be familiar with maps. It’s easy to forget that there are plenty of situations where a map is your only guide toward safety.
We’re going to list some of the best books on cartography today, offering up a wide selection of texts. We’ll include a range of books to address everyone’s interests. Hopefully, one or two of the books below will find their way into your collection and spark a deep interest in maps.
Let’s take a look.
Check Amazon- Great entrance into the world of map-making
- Covers a wide range, spanning from medieval maps to maps of the moon
- Customers rate it 4.5 out of 5 stars
Check Amazon- Covers 64 maps from everywhere in the world
- Get insights into why maps were created originally and for whom they were made
- 4.8/5-star rating on Amazon
Check Amazon- Teaches the fundamentals of using a compass and reading a map
- Offers a practical guide for putting maps to use
- Four-and-a-half out of five stars on Amazon
Check Amazon- Provides maps from all over the world and their history
- More than 100 beautiful illustrations and images
- Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars on Amazon
Check Amazon- Explores ancient history through the use of modern maps
- More than 140 maps with excellent storytelling
- Has a 4.8/5-star rating on Amazon
Check Amazon- Contains more than 200 maps that detail nearly every inch of the world
- Available in hardcover
- Average score of 4.8/5 on Amazon
A-Z-Animals’ Top Picks for the Best Books About Maps
1. All Over the Map: A Cartographic Odyssey by Betsy Mason and Greg Miller
All Over the Map: A Cartographic Odyssey is a great entrance into the world of map-making. More specifically, it covers the history of maps across different cultures and includes illuminative illustrations to guide the way.
Even those who aren’t familiar with the scope of cartography will leave well-acquainted with details about maps throughout the ages. This book covers a wide range, spanning from medieval maps to maps of the moon. You’ll even get insights into the cartography of pop culture such as the map of Game of Thrones’ “Westeros.“
You’ll also find interviews from world-renowned cartographers who put everything into context for you. All Over the Map is a great book for shaking the dusty stereotype that maps are boring or stale.
It’s 320 pages long, co-written by Greg Miller and Betsy Mason, and available in hardcover.
While the book received 4.7 stars (out of five), there were a few negative reviews. One said, “Great premise but the maps themselves are too small to read. And another felt that it was “a little stale.”
Pros and Cons of All Over the Map: A Cartographic Odyssey by Betsy Mason and Greg Miller
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| This book provides an introduction to the history of maps across different cultures. | It’s only available in hardcover. |
| It includes illuminative illustrations. | The maps may be too small for some people to read. |
| It covers a wide range of maps, including medieval maps to maps of the moon. | One reader felt that the book was “a little stale.” |
| It even provides insights into pop culture maps such as Game of Thrones’ “Westeros.” | |
| The book also includes interviews with world-renowned cartographers to put everything in context. | |
| This 320-page book, coauthored by Betsy Mason and Greg Miller is only available in hardcover. |
- Great entrance into the world of map-making
- Covers a wide range, spanning from medieval maps to maps of the moon
- Customers rate it 4.5 out of 5 stars
2. Great Maps: The World’s Masterpieces Explored and Explained by Jerry Brotton
Great Maps: The World’s Masterpieces Explored and Explained by Jerry Brotton covers 64 maps from everywhere in the world. There are also illuminative aspects such as pull-outs to help illustrate certain points.
The book starts with the first map of the world and finishes in the modern day, examining Google Maps and its function in society. Further, you’ll get insights into why maps were created originally and for whom they were made. Those answers might go deeper than you’d expect.
Expect close-up graphics, cartographer profiles, political insights, and beautiful images that detail the circumference of the earth and beyond. Great Maps is 256 pages long, available in hardcover format, and has a 4.8/5-star rating on Amazon.
A few reviewers said that the maps were difficult to read.
Pros and Cons of Great Maps: The World’s Masterpieces Explored and Explained by Jerry Brotton
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| This book covers 64 maps from around the world. | It’s only available in hardcover format. |
| It features illuminative aspects such as pull-outs to help illustrate certain points. | A few reviewers said that the maps were difficult to read. |
| It begins with the first map of the world and ends with an analysis of Goggle Maps and its function in society. | |
| You’ll experience close-up graphics, cartographer profiles, political insights, and beautiful images that detail the circumference of the earth and beyond. | |
| This hardcover book is 256 pages long. |
- Covers 64 maps from everywhere in the world
- Get insights into why maps were created originally and for whom they were made
- 4.8/5-star rating on Amazon
3. Cartography: Navigating a Year in Iraq by Katherine Schifani
Cartography: Navigating a Year in Iraq by Katherine Schifani is unique from all the others on this list. It takes cartography and places it in the context of a woman in a warzone, doing her best to plot the geography of Iraq in the face of innumerable obstacles.
Cartography: Navigating a Year in Iraq shows us the utility of maps and the difficulty that’s sometimes involved in creating them. Further, it dives into the story of a woman reckoning with her position and its context in a political struggle, one which is heavily dependent on the cartography she’s mapping.
The book is 192 pages long and available in Kindle and paperback formats.
There were no negative reviews for this title.
Pros and Cons of Cartography: Navigating a Year in Iraq by Katherine Schifani
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| This book places cartography in the context of a woman in a warzone doing her best to plot the geography of Iraq in the face of innumerable obstacles. | None |
| It provides a demonstration of the utility of maps and the difficulty that can be involved in creating them. | |
| It also follows the story of a woman who is reckoning with her position and its context in a political struggle that’s heavily dependent on the cartography she’s mapping. | |
| This book is 192 pages long and available in Kindle and paperback formats. |
- Shows us the utility of maps
- Available in Kindle and paperback formats
- 5 Stars on Amazon
4. How to Use a Compass For Kids (And Adults Too!): Your Little Guide to Becoming an Expert Navigator With a Trusty Compass by Henry D. Bridges
How to Use a Compass For Kids (And Adults Too!): Your Little Guide to Becoming an Expert Navigator With a Trusty Compass by Henry D. Bridges is the ideal book for the novice navigator. No matter how old you are, you need to get your bearings with the fundamentals of using a compass, particularly as it relates to reading and using a map.
Instead of learning about the history of maps and how they’re made, How to Use a Compass for Kids offers a practical guide for putting maps to use. If you’re on the fence about learning to read a compass, remember: cell phones break down.
In other words, you won’t always have a trusty GPS in your pocket. Many of us aren’t prepared to navigate out of tricky situations on our own, so it’s a perfect time to learn these ancient and useful skills.
The book is only 96 pages long, available in hardcover, paperback, audiobook and on Kindle, and could more than likely get you out of a jam on your next hike!
A few reviewers said that this book was missing essential information, with one saying that it was, ” Full of technical errors and omissions.
Pros and Cons of How to Use a Compass For Kids (And Adults Too!): Your Little Guide to Becoming an Expert Navigator With a Trusty Compass by Henry D. Bridges
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| This book teaches kids (and adults) how to get their bearings by using a compass, particularly in conjunction with reading a map. | A few reviewers said that this book was missing essential information, with one saying that it was, ” Full of technical errors and omissions. |
| It’s meant to be a practical guide for putting maps to use, while being mindful that someday your cellphone make break, leaving you without key navigational skills. | |
| It’s 96 pages long and available in hardcover, paperback, audio, and Kindle formats. |
- Teaches the fundamentals of using a compass and reading a map
- Offers a practical guide for putting maps to use
- Four-and-a-half out of five stars on Amazon
5. Mapping the World: An Illustrated History of Cartography by Ralph E Ehrenberg
Mapping the World: An Illustrated History of Cartography by Ralph E Ehrenberg is arguably the most comprehensive and expansive book on this list. You’ll find maps from all over the world, learn their histories, and get a deeper appreciation for human history along the way.
Discover maps etched into clay thousands of years ago and explore the dragons and disproportionate continents sketched onto some of humanity’s earliest maps of the earth. Also, expect more than 100 beautiful illustrations and images.
If you’re interested in maps and cartography, this text will find a welcome spot on your bookshelf or on your coffee table for years to come. Mapping the World: An Illustrated History of Cartography is 256 pages long, available in hardcover, and has an excellent 4.5/5-star rating on Amazon.
Pros and Cons of Mapping the World: An Illustrated History of Cartography by Ralph E Ehrenberg
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| This is the most comprehensive and expansive book in this review. | It’s only available in hardcovers. |
| It includes maps from all over the world and their histories. | |
| You’ll find maps etched into clay thousands of years ago and explore the dragons and disproportionate continents featured on some of the earliest maps. | |
| This title includes over 100 beautiful illustrations and images. | |
| This hardcover book is 256 pages long. |
- Provides maps from all over the world and their history
- More than 100 beautiful illustrations and images
- Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars on Amazon
6. History of the World Map by Map by DK (Author) and Smithsonian Institution (Contributor)
The Smithsonian’s History of the World Map by Map looks not at the maps of ancient history but instead explores ancient history through the use of modern maps.
Watch how our ancient ancestors made their way from Africa to Europe, continuing on to branch out through the globe. Learn how Romans conquered vast expanses and see their empire shrink in the face of various forces.
See the face of the world change in the midst of colonization, imperialism, then industrialization. All of these stories are worked into more than 140 maps with excellent storytelling to match.
It’s available only in hardcover, has a 4.8/5-star rating on Amazon with more than 5,450 reviews, and is a total of 440 pages long. The details in this book span over 5,000 years—from 3,000 BCE to the present.
A couple of reviewers said that the graphics were poor and difficult to follow. One said that the print was too small, while another felt that the maps were difficult to read.
Pros and Cons of History of the World Map by Map by DK (Author) and Smithsonian Institution (Contributor)
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| This book explores ancient history through modern maps. | It’s only available in hardcover. |
| It illustrates how our ancient ancestors made their way from Africa to Europe and how the Romans conquered vast expanses only to see their empire shrink. | A couple of reviewers said that the graphics were poor and difficult to follow. |
| See how the face of the world changed through colonization, imperialism, and industrialization. | One reader said that the print was too small. |
| These stories are worked into over 140 maps. | Another buyer felt that the maps were difficult to read. |
| The storytelling is excellent. | |
| This hardcover book includes 440 pages and spans over 5,000 years, from 3,000 BCE to the present. |
- Explores ancient history through the use of modern maps
- More than 140 maps with excellent storytelling
- Has a 4.8/5-star rating on Amazon
7. National Geographic Concise Atlas of the World, 11th Edition, by National Geographic
For those who are familiar with maps, National Geographic’s Concise Atlas of the World will serve as a comprehensive reference for today’s world.
It contains more than 200 maps that detail nearly every inch of the world, its climatological conditions, boundaries, economics, and more. It also includes wonderful graphics and illustrations to enhance your knowledge of the areas described.
The back of the book includes basic facts and flags for each country.
A few reviewers reported that there were some factual errors.
Pros and Cons of National Geographic Concise Atlas of the World, 11th Edition, by National Geographic
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| This atlas will serve as a comprehensive reference for today’s world. | It’s only available in hardcover. |
| It includes over 200 maps with details such as climatological conditions, boundaries, and economics. | A few reviewers reported that there were some factual errors. |
| It also features spectacular graphics and illustrations to enhance your knowledge of each area. | |
| The back of the book includes basic facts and flags for each country. | |
| It’s 448 pages and available only in hardcover. |
- Contains more than 200 maps that detail nearly every inch of the world
- Available in hardcover
- Average score of 4.8/5 on Amazon
How to Choose The Right Book for You
None of the books on our list are overly academic. Some are written by cartographers, but each is written for the average person who is interested in maps.
If you’re interested in the practical use of maps, we suggest starting with How to Use a Compass for Kids (and Adults Too!). For someone looking to learn about the history of maps and explore ancient examples, we suggest Great Maps or All Over The Map. Another excellent option is History of The World Map by Map.
Cartography: Navigating a Year in Iraq is a great option for those who aren’t looking to get too deep into cartography itself, but instead to learn about how maps grow and function under real-world conditions.
Finally, the National Geographic Concise Atlas of The World is the perfect option for someone who’s looking for a detailed exploration of the entire globe.
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