Historical atlases offer an understanding of the past which is invaluable to historians, not only because they convey a previous age's sense of space & distance but also because they reveal what historians & educators of those periods thought important to include or omit. This is perhaps the first comprehensive exploration of the role, development & nature of this important reference tool. The author covers everything from mapping of the Classical World to modern, post-Cold War re-mapping of the globe & the way it is perceived.