Reviews
Praise for On the Map "A vivid foray into the romance of maps. [...] A fine, fun presentation of the brand of cartography that continues to whet our imaginations." --Kirkus "Delightful... If maps be the fuel of wanderlust, read on." -- From the foreword by Dava Sobel, author of Longitudes "There couldn't be anyone better to write about our love for maps than Simon Garfield, who is a master at unearthing strange facts and mixing them with a lively personal narrative...fascinating." -- Giles Foden, Condé Nast Traveller (UK) 'Completely enthralling.' - -Daily Mail (UK) 'Garfield has a genius for being sparked to life by esoteric enthusiasm and charming readers with his delight.' -- Times (UK) 'Simon Garfield's new book is a rollicking sweep through map history, packed with curiosities and written with verve . . . On the Map will inspire you to take a trip to somewhere new, buy an antique globe to chart the rise and fall of empires, or just dig out a tatty orange Ordnance Survey Explorer map and let its filigree of contour lines evoke a long-forgotten walk in the rain . . . a great book.' --Independent on Sunday (UK) "A pub quizzer's dream . . . Rather than over-romanticise the experience of map-reading, Garfield allows his varied, expertly researched stories to speak for themselves, and in so doing helps us see that there are fewer things in life more useful, rewarding and beautiful than a map that does what it's supposed to. Perhaps if Apple had read the book a few months ago, today's iPhone users would have a much better idea of where they're going." --Daily Telegraph (UK) , Praise for ON THE MAP: "A vivid foray into the romance of maps. [...] A fine, fun presentation of the brand of cartography that continues to whet our imaginations.", "Mr. Garfield uses cartography as a springboard to similar explorations of how we have viewed not only the world around us, but ourselves." - New York Journal of Books "His droll humor and infectious curiosity will keep readers engrossed as he uncovers surprising ways in which maps chart our imaginations as much as they do the ground underfoot." - Publishers Weekly "A fine, fun presentation of the brand of cartography that continues to whet our imaginations." - Kirkus Reviews "Mr. Garfield's book serves an immense need, connecting the latest geocacher with both the ancient art and modern science of the cartographer. Each may benefit from learning how the other approaches maps. Mr. Garfield uniquely provides that bridge." Pittsburgh Post Gazette "Deep research and descriptive intensity. [Garfield] regales us with tales of such wonders as Britain's medieval Mappa Mundi… On the Map offers a world of revelation." USA Today "There is a great deal that is good and charming and fun about this book." Washington Post "Delightfully meandering." NPR.org "Garfield has a knack for creating high-spirited, erudite and user-friendly books on subjects that may seem crashingly dull to all but a few fanatics. . . . Garfield is a terrific guide. . . . "On the Map" is a treasure: exhilarating, witty, compulsively readable and just plain fun." The Seattle Times "Engaging …full of little conversation pieces" Janet Maslin, New York Times "Garfield is a wonderful writer who deploys suspense to excellent effect, making each chapter read like a delightful short story or mini-mystery; what might appear a dusty subject sparkles under his clear-eyed and witty writing." Smithsonian Magazine "engrossing, endlessly fascinating… enlightening and impossible to put down… The length and breadth of his scholarship are staggering, while the witty tone makes for the most convivial of literary guides...an irresistible invitation to see the world, and delivering on his promise of "the map as story, the map as life." Booklist Starred Review "Vastly entertaining." -- Bookpage, Praise for ON THE MAP: "Delightful… If maps be the fuel of wanderlust, read on." --From the foreword by Dava Sobel, author of Longitude, "Delightful… If maps be the fuel of wanderlust, read on." --From the foreword by Dava Sobel, author of Longitude, "Mr. Garfield uses cartography as a springboard to similar explorations of how we have viewed not only the world around us, but ourselves." - New York Journal of Books "His droll humor and infectious curiosity will keep readers engrossed as he uncovers surprising ways in which maps chart our imaginations as much as they do the ground underfoot." - Publishers Weekly "A fine, fun presentation of the brand of cartography that continues to whet our imaginations." - Kirkus Reviews 'Completely enthralling.' -Daily Mail (UK) 'Garfield has a genius for being sparked to life by esoteric enthusiasm and charming readers with his delight.' - Times (UK) 'Simon Garfield's new book is a rollicking sweep through map history, packed with curiosities and written with verve . . . On the Map will inspire you to take a trip to somewhere new, buy an antique globe to chart the rise and fall of empires, or just dig out a tatty orange Ordnance Survey Explorer map and let its filigree of contour lines evoke a long-forgotten walk in the rain . . . a great book.'- Independent on Sunday (UK) "A pub quizzer's dream . . . Rather than over-romanticise the experience of map-reading, Garfield allows his varied, expertly researched stories to speak for themselves, and in so doing helps us see that there are fewer things in life more useful, rewarding and beautiful than a map that does what it's supposed to. Perhaps if Apple had read the book a few months ago, today's iPhone users would have a much better idea of where they're going." - Daily Telegraph (UK)
