Taschen makes some great coffee table books, especially the
skinny Icon books both reasonably
priced and pleasing to the eye. I’ve acquired a few here in there
to thumb through when I’m in the mood to look at pictures more so than do any real reading and need a quick kick of
inspiration. Something about their publications gives me an extra nudge to do something exciting, something ground
breaking, and different not only with the day, but with my life. Amazing stuff, huh?
Here’s a new one fresh off the press which isn’t as cheap as the little Icon books, but is worth the investment if
you enjoy maps and cartography of the past.
The Atlas Maior is a
comprehensive baroque atlas originally completed in 1665. The 11-volume Latin edition contained some 594 maps, covering
Artica, Europe, Africa, Asia and America. It is known to be one of history’s finest examples of mapmaking, the work of
Joan Blaeu. The reprint is made from the National Library of Vienna’s complete, colored, gold-heightened copy.
The book runs for $200 and can be purchased at the Taschen website. Christmas is only a stone’s throw away so
consider this for the explorer in your life.