Map Stories

Seasoned traveller Francisca Mattéoli tells twenty surprising stories about our world's geography, and, using unexpectedly beautiful vintage maps, introduces the most magical places on Earth.

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Through this magnificent collection of historical maps, travel writer Francisca Mattéoli takes us on a geographical adventure, telling the stories of twenty-three places and voyages that inspired her, as they inspired the creation of these fascinating charts.

Discover some of the world's most magical places and how they revealed themselves, from the lost trails of the first colonies of the American West to Amundsen's exploration of the South Pole, and the rediscoveries of Petra and Angkor Wat. This unexpected volume will let the curious mind roam the contours of the planet, and discover how the world we know today was made, and un-made.

Map stories include:
The incredible rediscovery of the lost city of Petra
The mystery of Machu Picchu
The search for the source of the Nile
The pioneers of the North American West
The untamed island of Madagascar
The footsteps of T. E. Lawrence 'of Arabia'
The first adventure of the Orient Express