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Exploration Map by Map: From Migrations and Encounters to Voyages and Discoveries
Discover the epic history of human exploration and migration, and the stories of fearless pioneers the world over, with this stunning tour of history - map by map.
Charting everything from the movement of early Homo species out of Africa some 50,000 years ago to the astonishing voyages of Polynesian sailors across the Pacific from 4,000 BCE, and from the California Gold Rush to the Race for Space, entries explain the movements of people and cultures who set off into the unknown - in search of adventure or a better life.
Specially commissioned maps show the key driving factors of each journey, and why certain routes were chosen over others - whether due to climate, terrain, or territory - while stunning contemporary examples offer fascinating insights into the unique world-views and political motivations of the people who commissioned them, and the cartographers who created them.
The voyages of history’s greatest explorers - from Zheng He to Ibn Battuta and Marco Polo - are brought to vivid life with accompanying photos, illustrations, and original artefacts, along with recent missions to chart the depths of the oceans and the surface of Mars. And entries also explore the experiences of established indigenous groups and the impact of settler populations.
Packed with fascinating detail and bursting with lavish illustrations, Map by Map is a must-have title for anyone who loves maps, history, or the pioneering spirit.
Charting everything from the movement of early Homo species out of Africa some 50,000 years ago to the astonishing voyages of Polynesian sailors across the Pacific from 4,000 BCE, and from the California Gold Rush to the Race for Space, entries explain the movements of people and cultures who set off into the unknown - in search of adventure or a better life.
Specially commissioned maps show the key driving factors of each journey, and why certain routes were chosen over others - whether due to climate, terrain, or territory - while stunning contemporary examples offer fascinating insights into the unique world-views and political motivations of the people who commissioned them, and the cartographers who created them.
The voyages of history’s greatest explorers - from Zheng He to Ibn Battuta and Marco Polo - are brought to vivid life with accompanying photos, illustrations, and original artefacts, along with recent missions to chart the depths of the oceans and the surface of Mars. And entries also explore the experiences of established indigenous groups and the impact of settler populations.
Packed with fascinating detail and bursting with lavish illustrations, Map by Map is a must-have title for anyone who loves maps, history, or the pioneering spirit.
288 pages, Hardcover
Published January 1, 2025
About the author
D.K. Publishing
10.2k books2,231 followersDorling Kindersley (DK) is a British multinational publishing company specializing in illustrated reference books for adults and children in 62 languages. It is part of Penguin Random House, a consumer publishing company jointly owned by Bertelsmann SE & Co. KGaA and Pearson PLC. Bertelsmann owns 53% of the company and Pearson owns 47%.
Established in 1974, DK publishes a range of titles in genres including travel (including Eyewitness Travel Guides), arts and crafts, business, history, cooking, gaming, gardening, health and fitness, natural history, parenting, science and reference. They also publish books for children, toddlers and babies, covering such topics as history, the human body, animals and activities, as well as licensed properties such as LEGO, Disney and DeLiSo, licensor of the toy Sophie la Girafe. DK has offices in New York, London, Munich, New Delhi, Toronto and Melbourne.
Source: Wikipedia.
Established in 1974, DK publishes a range of titles in genres including travel (including Eyewitness Travel Guides), arts and crafts, business, history, cooking, gaming, gardening, health and fitness, natural history, parenting, science and reference. They also publish books for children, toddlers and babies, covering such topics as history, the human body, animals and activities, as well as licensed properties such as LEGO, Disney and DeLiSo, licensor of the toy Sophie la Girafe. DK has offices in New York, London, Munich, New Delhi, Toronto and Melbourne.
Source: Wikipedia.
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
xx-dnf-skim-reference
December 13, 2025Currently skimming. It's just, ack, too much. And at the same time not enough... not enough narration or cohesion or explanation... I'm 'at sea' trying to learn anything but scraps of the most tiny & useless bits of trivia.
I did learn that the Celts are by no means native to Ireland & Scotland. I might decide to look elsewhere to actually learn more about them....
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Further. A more charitable & helpful way to approach this is as a sampler or springboard to further research. It does a good job of noting the involvement of the female & indigenous explorers & guides, which means there's a lot more people of interest than the famous ones... I will look to see if there are biographies of some of these individuals:
Zheng He
Sake Dean Mahomed
Bungaree
Woollarawarre Bennelong
Ynes Mexia
Florence Baker
Marianne North
(There is a 'Directory' at the back of the book with mini bios of lots of explorers.)
Humboldt is, of course, a white male, but I definitely do plan to read a biography of him. The 'map' he drew that is included here is, alone, worth viewing the book for.
"A royal inquiry found that Columbus had engaged in torture and mutilation.... Columbus was arrested, sent back to Spain, and jailed for six weeks.... The Crown did not restore his governorship of Hispaniola."
Forced schooling for the indigenous, just like US and Canada, led to the 'Rabbit-Proof Fence adventure.'
Ok, I can't quite recommend this. It took me much too long to try to learn anything, and I don't think that anything I did read will stick. December 2025
I did learn that the Celts are by no means native to Ireland & Scotland. I might decide to look elsewhere to actually learn more about them....
---
Further. A more charitable & helpful way to approach this is as a sampler or springboard to further research. It does a good job of noting the involvement of the female & indigenous explorers & guides, which means there's a lot more people of interest than the famous ones... I will look to see if there are biographies of some of these individuals:
Zheng He
Sake Dean Mahomed
Bungaree
Woollarawarre Bennelong
Ynes Mexia
Florence Baker
Marianne North
(There is a 'Directory' at the back of the book with mini bios of lots of explorers.)
Humboldt is, of course, a white male, but I definitely do plan to read a biography of him. The 'map' he drew that is included here is, alone, worth viewing the book for.
"A royal inquiry found that Columbus had engaged in torture and mutilation.... Columbus was arrested, sent back to Spain, and jailed for six weeks.... The Crown did not restore his governorship of Hispaniola."
Forced schooling for the indigenous, just like US and Canada, led to the 'Rabbit-Proof Fence adventure.'
Ok, I can't quite recommend this. It took me much too long to try to learn anything, and I don't think that anything I did read will stick. December 2025
June 3, 2025
This is actually a good reference book.
I enjoyed stories and seeing the travels and the timeframe in proper scale.
I enjoyed stories and seeing the travels and the timeframe in proper scale.
August 23, 2025
Beautiful.
January 5, 2026
Notes in activity
April 8, 2026
The raw information is really good, but the book is too preachy.
April 10, 2026
This seems like the book for me but I ran out of time and am just too busy right now to read it. I'll pick it up later. It is at Mililani
August 14, 2026
If you can get past the eurocentrism it’s pretty good!
August 25, 2026
An interesting reference detailing migrations and trade routes from the earliest times.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews