Reviews: (by author)

Ross, Val. The Road to There: Mapmakers and Their Stories. Toronto: Tundra, 2003. $19.95. ISBN 0-88776-621-8.

Val Ross knows how to tell a story. While providing massive amounts of information in this handsome, well-illustrated book, she presents the material very readably. Mini-biographies of fascinating characters like Captain Cook (not to be confused with Captain Hook) highlight their map-making contributions in the context of their times and the longitudinal development of map-making itself. Discussions such as why China during the Ming Dynasty fell behind in exploration just when the Europeans were beginning to sail far and wide is one of the quirks of history, as is the often tricky relationship between the Church and mapmakers. The sophisticated concept that maps do reflect the biases of their makers is explained clearly and with many examples throughout the book. I read this through, I found it so engrossing. It's a good book for smart kids or for the classroom.

Alida Allison, January 2004

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