Rand McNally Historical Atlas of the World

Book cover: 'Rand McNally Historical Atlas of the World'
Number of pages: 
112 pages
Copyright: 
1997
Publisher: 
Rand McNally
Binding: 
Softcover
Subject(s): 
Setting: 
Grade / Age level: 
Resource Type: 
Review: 
This is a full-color, reasonably priced booklet of historical maps from every major age and civilization. It would be a worthwhile to every library - public or private. Here is a complete list of the larger two-page maps contained in this book (there are numerous smaller maps as well):

  • Human Emergence on the Changing Face of the Earth: Growth of Civilization to 200 A.D.
  • Alexander's Empire 336-323 B.C.
  • Roman Republic 31 B.C.
  • Roman Empire about 120 A.D.
  • Roman Empire about 400 A.D.
  • Easter and Southern Asia About 750 A.D.
  • Islamic World c. 800 A.D.
  • International Trade 1350 A.D. - 1450 A.D.
  • Europe and the Crusader States about 1140
  • Asia at the death of Kublai Khan (1294)
  • Europe (about 1360)
  • European Civilization during the Renaissance
  • Europe's Age of Discovery 15th-17th Centuries
  • The Ottoman, Safavid and Mughal Emipres in the 16th and 17th centuries
  • East Asia 16th Century
  • Eastern and Southern Asia about 1775
  • The Holy Roman Empire after the Peace of Westphalia 1648
  • Europe in 1721
  • Native America
  • Revolutions in the Atlantic World 1776-1826
  • Westward Expansion 1800-1850
  • Latin America about 1790
  • Latin American 1800-1900
  • Latin America after Independence: 1821-1929
  • Expansion of Russia in Europe
  • Languages of Europe in the 19th Century
  • European Partition of Africa: 19th Century
  • Resistance to European Colonialism: 1870-1917
  • The World about 1900
  • Asia 1900
  • Europe 1922-1940
  • World War II
  • Easter Mediterranean Area: 1945-1990
  • and Current World and Political and Physical Maps
There is a great deal of fascinating and informative details in many of the maps, including such things as: routes of exploration, trade, crusades and conquest; information about significant battles in various wars (including American Revolution, Civil War etc.); major products of trade; languages; birthplace of major historical figures and the positions of various countries at a particular time (such as Europe in 1810 at the Height of Napoleon's Power). I could spend hours and hours poring over these maps. It is a good resource to pull out during family or classroom discusssions of history and a good way of getting a better picture of what was going on in the world at specific periods of history.

Reviewed by: 
First reviewed: 
7-19-04