“A massive, gorgeous art book tracing the history of globes.”
— Cory Doctorow, Boing Boing
“A beautifully photographed tour of the British Library’s collection of globes, most of which date from the early sixteenth century to the nineteenth century. There are terrestrial globes, celestial globes, pocket globes, globes of the moon, and a decadent blue globe made in China in the early 1600s. Most of the globes were made with a scientific purpose, to aid navigation, or to demonstrate the parallax of the moon. But together, they suggest something beyond precision: a reverent effort to make sense of the mysterious place we plant our feet.”
— Boston Globe Brainiac Blog
“This fully illustrated book, centered around the British Library’s outstanding collection of globes, provides a clear and authoritative introduction to some of the world’s most sought-after and artistic cartographic creations—including the captivating and little known miniature globes, which were a particular English specialty. The author has an unparalleled familiarity with globes through her work as one of the world’s most expert globe restorers. It has given her a surely unique perspective. While most experts look at globes from the outside, she looks at them from the inside outwards. In the process, and in simple language, she skillfully guides the reader through the complexities of their construction and use as well as provides an overview of the fascinating story of their development over the centuries.”
— Peter Barber, British Library
“All you ever wanted to know about the history of globes and how they have been made. See inside them as well as admire their geographical and astronomical exteriors in this beautifully illustrated book by a real expert, Sylvia Sumira. Some of the most famous globes in the world and those from the British Library’s rarely displayed collection are revealed in their various guises; as symbols of power and mathematical instruments of geography and astronomy, as well as teaching aids and games for young people. A book not to be missed.”
— Sarah Tyacke, University of London and the Society for the History of the Map
“In her lavishly illustrated new book, Globes: 400 years of Exploration, Navigation, and Power, Sumira traces the history and making of globes and showcases dozens of fine examples drawn largely from the collection of the British Library.”
— Greg Miller, Wired Map Lab Blog
“Globes, by professional globe-restorer Sylvia Sumira, is a history of globe-making from the late-15th through the late-19th centuries, when globes were used as educational tools, scientific instruments and status symbols. It is also breathtakingly beautiful. . . . Certainly worth a spin, Globes will grab the imagination of anyone fascinated by maps.”
— Shelf Awareness
"Beautifully illustrated."
— CHOICE
"What is here is, for readers already familiar with the history of cartography, an attractive and illuminating reference tool; for those new to the subject, it is an informative and authoritative introduction.”
— Imago Mundi: The International Journal for the History of Cartography