| Edition |
First edition. |
| Description |
xix, 329 pages, 2 unnumbered pages of plates : illustrations, maps (some color) ; 22 cm |
| Bibliography |
Includes bibliographical references (pages [311]-316) and index. |
| Contents |
Escape on the Northbound stage -- Land awakening from sleep -- Mystery of the Chedworth bun -- Duke and the Baronet's widow -- Light in the underworld -- Slicing of Somerset -- View from York Minster -- Notes from the swan -- Dictator in the drawing room -- Great map conceived -- Jurassic interlude -- Map that changed the world -- Ungentlemanly act -- Sale of the century. |
| Summary |
The fascinating story of William Smith, the orphaned son of an English country blacksmith, who became obsessed with creating the world's first geological map and ultimately became the father of modern geology. The Map That Changed the World is, at its foundation, a very human tale of endurance and achievement, of one man's dedication in the face of ruin and homelessness. The world's coal and oil industry, its gold mining, its highway systems, and its railroad routes were all derived entirely from the creation of Smith's first map; and with a keen eye and thoughtful detail, Simon Winchester unfolds the poignant sacrifice behind this world-changing discovery. |
| Subject |
Smith, William, 1769-1839.
|
|
Geology, Stratigraphic -- History.
|
|
Geologists -- Great Britain -- Biography.
|
| Added Author |
Vannithone, Soun.
|
| ISBN |
0060193611 alkaline paper |
|
