Early Mapping of the Pacific

Book Description
This book traces the exploration and charting of the Pacific Ocean through rare maps of Japan and the varied islands of Oceania from the 1700s. It follows the story from classical times through the turn of the 20th century, telling the tales of seafarers who ventured eastward from Asia and were the Pacific's greatest explorers. Through dozens of vintage maps, you'll learn how Portuguese mariners added major islands in the Southwest Pacific to the map in the early 16th century while Spanish explorers plotted vague specks of land in the vast center of the map. Witness as Dutch discoveries in Australia add significantly to the evolving image of the ocean, while the known islands of Oceania remained few, scattered, and so poorly charted as to be impossible for others to find.


From the Publisher
With Krakatoa proving to be a volcanic event in publishing, interest in Pacific Ocean maps is higher than ever before. But while current maps are useful, the antique maps truly fascinate. Ancient maps of Oceania hold mysteries as old as time - were these early guides molded as much by fantasy as fact? Why did mapmakers take liberties with some of their subjects? Early Mapping of the Pacific bravely delves into these questions.


About the Author
Thomas Suarez is a well-known authority on early maps whose previous books include Early Mapping of Southeast Asia (Periplus, 2000), which has become a standard work in the field. He has served as curator and advisor for collections and exhibitions dealing with the history of cartography, and has been an important source for early maps for the past twenty-five years.


Buy from Amazon     Compare Prices

The Pacific Ocean remained largely mysterious until the latter part of the eighteenth century, when a series of monumental voyages brought most of its heretofore unknown archipelagos to the mapmaker's pen. Until then, the evolving image of the ocean had been molded as much by the cartographer's whimsy as by the explorer's survey. Using a cornucopia of rare and beautiful maps, this book traces the exploration and charting of the Earth's largest ocean, weaving an odyssey stretching from Japan and the Philippines on the west, Australia and New Zealand on the south, and east through the varied islands of Oceania, including Tahiti, Hawaii, and even the "island" of California. The story of the maps was often the story of the explorers and islanders themselves.


Buy from Barnes & Noble     Compare Prices