The Map That Changed the World: A Tale of Rocks, Ruin and Redemption - Softcover

Winchester, Simon

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0140280391 ISBN 13: 9780140280395

Publisher: Penguin, 2002

Synopsis

THE EXTRAORDINARY TALE OF THE FATHER OF MODERN GEOLOGY

Hidden behind velvet curtains above a stairway in a house in London's Piccadilly is an enormous and beautiful hand-coloured map - the first geological map of anywhere in the world. Its maker was a farmer's son named William Smith. Born in 1769 his life was troubled: he was imprisoned for debt, turned out of his home, his work was plagiarised, his wife went insane and the scientific establishment shunned him.

It was not until 1829, when a Yorkshire aristocrat recognised his genius, that he was returned to London in triumph: The Map That Changed the World is his story.

'For a geologist, this is a must read' Amazon Reviewer

'It serves to lift a genius from academic semi-obscurity and to award him the acknowledgement he undoubtedly deserves' Amazon Reviewer

'Never realised how seminal this map was' Amazon Reviewer

About this title

About the Author

Simon Winchester has had an award-winning 20 year career as Guardian correspondent. He lives in New York and is the Asia-Pacific Editor for Conde Nast Traveler and contributes to a number of American magazines, as well as the Daily Telegraph, the Spectator and the BBC. He has written numerous books. The River at the Centre of the World (Viking 1997/Penguin 1998) has been shortlisted for the 1998 Thomas Cook/Daily Telegraph Travel Book Award.

Edition details

• Publisher: Penguin
• Publication date: 2002
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0140280391
• ISBN 13: 9780140280395
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 352