In 1400 Europe was almost entirely without maps, but by 1650 had witnessed an explosion in cartography that was to change the course of European history. This book shows how Europe managed to overtake the pre-eminent countries in early map-making, such as China and Japan, to become the world leader in the quest for accurate maps. Buisseret explores these advances and the major implications that maps had for Europe, from the growth of cities to t he development of the countryside; ovreseas exploration to the control of armies; and from politics to war. The excitement about the possibilities of map-making not only engaged the attention of famous artists and architects such as Albrecht Durer, Leonardo da Vinci, and Christopher Wren, but also launched the careers of cartographers like Gerard Mercator, Abraham Ortelius, and Christopher Saxon. Buisseret reveals the influence of classical antiquity, new styles in painting, the European monarchs, and emerging economic forces, arguing that these elements came together to forge an astonishingly powerful new type of imagery, whose influence can still be felt today...