About the Author

Edward Brooke-Hitching is the author of the critically acclaimed and bestselling books The Phantom Atlas (2016), The Golden Atlas (2018), The Sky Atlas (2019), The Madman's Library (2020) and The Devil's Atlas (2021), all of which have been translated into numerous languages; he is also the author of Fox Tossing, Octopus Wrestling and Other Forgotten Sports (2015). He is a writer for the BBC series QI. A fellow of the Royal Geographical Society and an incurable cartophile, he lives surrounded by dusty heaps of old maps and books in Berkshire. 

Reviews

‘A bonkers book…Highly recommended’ 
*Andrew Marr*

‘A spectacular, enjoyable and eye-opening read... A wonderful book, with beautiful illustrations throughout’ 
*Jonathan Ross*

‘Beautifully illustrated…brain-boggling…an excursion into the minds of men imagining an as yet uncharted world’ 
*Spectator*

‘This intriguing book…shows how places that aren’t there can endure, sometimes for centuries, once a map-maker has inked them in’ 
*The Times*

‘Beautiful… Brooke-Hitching [has] an eye for a good story and his book is gloriously illustrated with ancient mistaken maps, each accompanied by a thoroughly researched tale of the men whose errors led to them.’ 
*Daily Express*

‘Extraordinary’ 
*Historia Magazine*

‘Excellent... Arranged alphabetically in fifty-eight short chapters, with lavish deployment of illustrations, the book provides a captivating chronicle of our battle with ignorance’ 
*Literary Review*

‘Unreservedly recommended’ 
*The Monocle*

‘From the magnetic mountain at the north pole to Australia’s inland sea, Edward Brooke-Hitching charts five centuries of misrepresentative maps.’ 
*The Guardian*

‘A rich selection… [that] shows how lively minds made use of limited knowledge, but also how rumour, guesswork and downright lies can persist in the scholarly imagination.’ 
*The Economist*

‘One of the most beautiful books I’ve ever seen in my life…full of fascinating quirky things.’ 
*Jen Campbell, author Weird Things Customers Say in Bookshops*

‘The fascination and beauty of maps both emerge clearly in this well-written, witty and thoughtful book…this is a spirited and enjoyable study’ 
*Standpoint*

‘Exquisitely produced… Gorgeous illustrations of countries and islands that were once thought to exist...For any fans of maps this is a must’ 
*The Australian*

'Fascinating ... and beautifully illustrated'
*Evening Standard*

'The Phantom Atlas describes some 50 "myths, lies and blunders" and illustrates them in delightful detail...deserve[s] a place on the coffee table, but only after it's been read: there is as much to absorb as to see.'
*Country Life*