After a lengthy but fascinating introduction full of insight we are treated to a multitude of island each arranged by ocean. Judith has produced a blindingly brilliant and different atlas that combines what we carto-nerds love in maps with stories from history. When she was in her teenage years the Berlin wall fell, Germany was reunited and Judith was faced with infinite possibilities to travel to these strange lands that had filled her imagination. Judith still managed to get her small hands on a children's world atlas and went on imaginary trips like the rest of us. So her primary school years were filled with communist propoganda and maps on walls that showed a world that was unavailable to most East German citizens. Judith grew up in East Germany during the late 80's and early 90's. While Judith Schalansky proves to be another of my fellow map nerds along with Simon Garfield and Ken Jennings, Judith's history has a unique slant on the usual type of nerdery. On a wonderfully warm and cloudless winter solstice day I took this volume on a picnic and was engrossed for a few hours with the beautiful maps and the equally beautiful stories that accompanied them.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |