Mercator: The Man Who Mapped the Planet

Biography & Memoir, Reference
Cover of the book Mercator: The Man Who Mapped the Planet by Nicholas Crane, Henry Holt and Co.
View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart
Author: Nicholas Crane ISBN: 9781466880139
Publisher: Henry Holt and Co. Publication: September 2, 2014
Imprint: Henry Holt and Co. Language: English
Author: Nicholas Crane
ISBN: 9781466880139
Publisher: Henry Holt and Co.
Publication: September 2, 2014
Imprint: Henry Holt and Co.
Language: English

An enthralling biography of the man who created the first real map of the world and changed civilization

Born at the dawn of the age of discovery, Gerhard Mercator lived in an era of formidable intellectual and scientific advances. At the center of these developments were the cartographers who painstakingly pieced together the evidence to create ever more accurate pictures of the planet. Mercator was the greatest of all of them-a poor farm boy who attended one of Europe's top universities, was persecuted and imprisoned by the Inquisition, but survived to coin the term "atlas" and to produce the so-called projection for which he is known. Devoutly religious, yet gripped by Aristotelian science, Mercator struggled to reconcile the two, a conflict mirrored by the growing clash in Europe between humanism and the Church.

Mercator solved the dimensional riddle that had vexed cosmographers for so long: How could the three-dimensional globe be converted into a two-dimensional map while retaining true compass bearings? The projection revolutionized navigation and has become the most common worldview.

Nicholas Crane-a fellow geographer-has combined a keen eye for historical detail with a gift for vivid storytelling to produce a masterful biography of the man who mapped the planet.

View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart

An enthralling biography of the man who created the first real map of the world and changed civilization

Born at the dawn of the age of discovery, Gerhard Mercator lived in an era of formidable intellectual and scientific advances. At the center of these developments were the cartographers who painstakingly pieced together the evidence to create ever more accurate pictures of the planet. Mercator was the greatest of all of them-a poor farm boy who attended one of Europe's top universities, was persecuted and imprisoned by the Inquisition, but survived to coin the term "atlas" and to produce the so-called projection for which he is known. Devoutly religious, yet gripped by Aristotelian science, Mercator struggled to reconcile the two, a conflict mirrored by the growing clash in Europe between humanism and the Church.

Mercator solved the dimensional riddle that had vexed cosmographers for so long: How could the three-dimensional globe be converted into a two-dimensional map while retaining true compass bearings? The projection revolutionized navigation and has become the most common worldview.

Nicholas Crane-a fellow geographer-has combined a keen eye for historical detail with a gift for vivid storytelling to produce a masterful biography of the man who mapped the planet.

More books from Henry Holt and Co.

Cover of the book The Shaking Woman or A History of My Nerves by Nicholas Crane
Cover of the book The Goodbye Season by Nicholas Crane
Cover of the book Edward Hopper Paints His World by Nicholas Crane
Cover of the book The Book of Storms by Nicholas Crane
Cover of the book The Sunshine When She's Gone by Nicholas Crane
Cover of the book Marty Frye, Private Eye: The Case of the Busted Video Games & Other Mysteries by Nicholas Crane
Cover of the book A Week without Tuesday by Nicholas Crane
Cover of the book Who Has This Tail? by Nicholas Crane
Cover of the book The Political Fix by Nicholas Crane
Cover of the book George H. W. Bush by Nicholas Crane
Cover of the book Shadow and Bone: Chapters 1-5 by Nicholas Crane
Cover of the book What's Your Favorite Food? by Nicholas Crane
Cover of the book The Supreme Court by Nicholas Crane
Cover of the book Time Sight by Nicholas Crane
Cover of the book Hailey the Hedgehog by Nicholas Crane
We use our own "cookies" and third party cookies to improve services and to see statistical information. By using this website, you agree to our Privacy Policy