"synopsis" may belong to another edition of this title.
The book has all the usual attributes of a pacy historical read: a self-educated, unrecognised scientist spends years roaming the British countryside, compiling a map of the geological layers beneath the surface, only to have his ideas ripped off and to wind up homeless and penniless in Yorkshire with a wife who is going bonkers. And it gets better: in a bizarre Dickensian twist, Smith finally gets his just accolades when he is recognised by a kindly liberal nobleman and is reintroduced to London society as the geologist par excellence. Of itself, the story would be more than enough recommendation but there is a subtext running though the book that is in many ways just as compelling--namely, how some parts of history get written in stone and others in dust. Most secondary-school students get to learn of Charles Darwin and The Voyage of the Beagle. Yet how many people could stick their hands up and say they had heard of Smith? But is evolution any more important a field as geology? Is history ultimately an exercise in who has the best PR? Winchester may not have the answer, but he'll certainly make you think.--John Crace
"About this title" may belong to another edition of this title.
Shipping:
£ 3.86
Within U.S.A.
Book Description Condition: New. Seller Inventory # JT-0Y6B-V5PO
Book Description Paperback. Condition: new. Paperback. Following the hugely successful hardback, this extraordinary tale of the father of modern geology looks set to be the non fiction paperback for 2002. 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 beset by troubles- 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. 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 beset by troubles. This title tells his story. Shipping may be from multiple locations in the US or from the UK, depending on stock availability. Seller Inventory # 9780140280395
Book Description paperback. Condition: New. Language: ENG. Seller Inventory # 9780140280395
Book Description Condition: New. pp. xiv + 338. Seller Inventory # 7125049
Book Description Paperback. Condition: New. BRAND NEW ** SUPER FAST SHIPPING FROM UK WAREHOUSE ** 30 DAY MONEY BACK GUARANTEE. Seller Inventory # 9780140280395-GDR
Book Description Soft Cover. Condition: new. Seller Inventory # 9780140280395
Book Description Paperback / softback. Condition: New. New copy - Usually dispatched within 4 working days. 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 beset by troubles. This title tells his story. Seller Inventory # B9780140280395
Book Description Condition: New. In eng. Seller Inventory # ria9780140280395_new
Book Description Paperback. Condition: Brand New. 352 pages. 7.72x5.08x0.94 inches. In Stock. Seller Inventory # __0140280391
Book Description Condition: New. 2002. New Ed. Paperback. 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 beset by troubles. This title tells his story. Num Pages: 352 pages, illustrations, facsimiles, maps, glossary, bibliography, index. BIC Classification: BGH; HBTP; RGV; WNW. Category: (G) General (US: Trade). Dimension: 197 x 130 x 24. Weight in Grams: 254. . . . . . Books ship from the US and Ireland. Seller Inventory # V9780140280395