Books by Philip Parker

The Atlas of Atlases: Exploring the most important atlases in history and the cartographers who made them (Liber Historica)

by Philip Parker

This beatutiful book is a lavishly illustrated look at the most important atlases in history and the cartographers who made them.

Atlases are books that changed the course of history. Pored over by rulers, explorers, and adventures these books were used to build empires, wage wars, encourage diplomacy, and nurture trade.

Written by Philip Parker, an authority on the history of maps, this book brings these fascinating artefacts to life, offering a unique, lavishly illustrated guide to the history of these incredible books and the cartographers behind them.

All key cartographic works from the last half-millennium are covered, including: The Theatrum Orbis Terrarum, considered the world’s first atlas and produced in 1570 by the Dutch, geographer Abraham Ortelius, The 17th-century Klencke — one of the world’s largest books that requires 6 people to carry it, The Rand McNally Atlas of 1881, still in print today and a book that turned its makers, William H Rand and Andrew McNally into cartographic royalty. This beautiful book will engross readers with its detailed, visually stunning illustrations and fascinating story of how map-making has developed throughout human history.

50 Things You Should Know About The Vikings

by Philip Parker

Known for their vicious raids, love of treasure, and fierce warriors: the vikings were the most feared invaders of the Medieval period. For 300 years, they terrorized the world in their hunt for land and power, but they also had a rich culture in art, literature, and law. Packed with facts, maps, infographics, and photos, this is the perfect introduction to the most feared invaders of the Middle Ages. Covering where they came from and who they conquered, their commerce and culture (including their bloodthirsty stories), their travel and trade, and the reasons behind their demise, this complete guide provides a comprehensive exploration of who these peoples were – and who they were not. For while there is no doubt that some Vikings launched bloodthirsty attacks in this period, pillaging communities and plundering treasure, many more were peaceful traders and settlers. Going beyond the fearsome warriors, battles, and adventures we associate with Vikings, this detailed book provides an insight into the everyday life of the people, to examine how and what they traded, what Viking village life was like, and how they made and sailed their famous long ships. It explores the rich culture of the Vikings, including the beautiful art they created, the legendary stories they told, and the complex law systems they built to maintain a civilized society as well as how their culture and influence lives on in the world today.

Revolution

by Philip Parker

The twentieth century was an age of revolutions. As the pace of social and economic change quickened and the savagery of technological warfare destabilized societies, intolerable pressures were created which exploded into violent political movements. These overthrew long-standing regimes and radically reshaped social orders, beginning with the monarchies in China and Russia, the latter transformed into a communist society which sought to export its revolution abroad. Towards the century's end, the collapse of the Soviet Union fed new movements, which sought to throw off the choking legacy of earlier revolutions that turned out to have merely replaced one form of oppression with another. Revolution examines all the key revolutions of the twentieth century, from the Xinhai Revolution of 1911, through the 1917 October Revolution, which overthrew the Tsarist regime in Russia, to those which accompanied the collapse of the Soviet Union at the century's end. It also encompasses the democratic revolutions that overthrew a string of dictatorships from the 1980s onwards. Following the narrative thread through 18 revolutionary movements and illustrated with contemporary photographs and documents, this is an indispensable guide to a phenomenon that shaped and overshadowed much of the twentieth century.

History of Cities in Maps

by Philip Parker

The city: a concept nearly as old as history itself, it is a paradox of human innovation and intervention, order and conflict. From ancient civilizations to modern-day metropolises, maps have played a crucial role in urban progress. This book explores the development of cities through more than 70 captivating maps.

Each map in this beautifully designed volume gives a unique visual representation of and historical context to the city it surveys. Spanning more than 9,000 years, this book expertly curates more than 70 historical maps which tell the fascinating story of human civilization: from cities founded on sacred places, ideas and power, to early examples of town planning and later innovations such as skyscrapers and urban transport.

Featuring maps of renowned capital cities as well as lesser-known urban areas, including:

• Mohenjo-Daro, c. 2500 BC
• Babylon, c. 600 BC
• Rome, c. 210 AD
• Baghdad, 762 AD
• Constantinople, 1422
• Tenochtitlan, 1524
• Dublin, 1610
• Kyoto, 1626
• New Amsterdam, 1660
• Edinburgh, 1780
• Adelaide, 1838
• Lagos, 1885
• Los Angeles, 1908
• Brasilia, 1957
• Chongqing, 2016
• Dubai, 2020

An ideal book for map and history lovers. For more in this series try History of World Trade in Maps (9780008409296) and History of War in Maps(9780008506490).

Knowledge Encyclopedia Myths and Legends

by Philip Parker, Andrea Mills, Sam Atkinson, Phil Hunt ((Author at DK Publishing, Inc.)), Zaina Budaly

DK's best-selling illustrated encyclopedia series explores the fantastical world of myths and legends.

Discover stories from myth and legend as you've never seen them before through incredibly detailed 3D illustrations in this encyclopedia for children aged 9+.

Knowledge Encyclopedia's clear explanations, illustrations, photographs, and 3D images will engage children in complex subjects. Find yourself transported to a realm of myth and legend with this perfect gift for anyone who loves stories of gods, monsters, and heroes.

This all-encompassing myth encyclopedia for kids offers:

• An impressive collection of facts, charts, timelines, and illustrations.
• A visual approach using illustrations, photographs, and extremely detailed 3D CGI images.
• Clear explanations and retellings of different myths and legends from around the world.

Children can explore mythology in a new and exciting way through spectacular computer-generated images of key heroes, gods, monsters, and locations. This new book in the Knowledge Encyclopedia series will inspire children with vivid depictions of scenes from the stories, and their retellings and explanations of the myths.

Bringing tales from mythology and folklore to life, Knowledge Encyclopedia: Myths and Legends! lets children peer inside legendary buildings such as the Slavic Baba Yaga's chicken-legged hut, and get up close to their favorite animal heroes, from China's irrepressible Monkey King to West Africa's spider trickster Anansi.

More in the series

Knowledge Encyclopedia Myths and Legends! is part of DK's visual and hugely successful Knowledge Encyclopedia series. Complete the collection and dive into the deep with Knowledge Encyclopedia Ocean!, take a trip to the solar system with Knowledge Encyclopedia Space!, and travel back to prehistoric times with Knowledge Encyclopedia Dinosaur!

Science Year by Year The Ultimate Visual Guide to the Discoveries That Changed the World

by Mary Gribbin, Giles Sparrow, Jack Challoner, John Farndon, Philip Parker, Derek Harvey, Marcus Weeks

This epic journey of scientific discovery starts in ancient times and travels through centuries of invention before fast forwarding into the future.

From simple machines to modern-day marvels, you'll follow incredible illustrated timelines that plot the entire history of science and highlight the most momentous discoveries. A jaw-dropping collection of more than 1,500 photographs, illustrations, maps, and graphics charts the evolution of science year by year, century by century.??

You'll meet influential inventors and famous faces from the past, including Aristotle, Leonardo da Vinci, Isaac Newton, Charles Darwin, Marie Curie, and Stephen Hawking. You'll visit places of scientific importance, such as prehistoric cave art, Stonehenge, Hiroshima and the first atomic bomb, the Moon landings, and the Higgs boson particle. These huge events are made simple thanks to eye-catching images, helpful timelines, and accessible, informative text.??

Landmark people and periods are combined in this one stunning volume for children, showcasing the ideas, experiments, and technologies that have shaped our daily lives and transformed the world today.??

Aspiring scientists, get ready for a time traveling trip like no other.

World History From the Ancient World to the Information Age

by Philip Parker

Take a trip through the defining moments of our global story and see the thinkers, leaders, ideas, and inventions that have shaped the world. 

Presented in a beautiful slipcase, World History is an essential guide for anyone who loves history or wants to broaden their knowledge. This accessible book covers over 350 of the world’s most important turning points, from our earliest human ancestors of prehistory to political events of the modern world. 

Follow detailed maps showing the continuous movement of humans across the Earth, and examine fascinating paintings illustrating the events and individuals that took them there. Beautiful photography throughout the book will carry you back in time to see the people and places of the stories – along with stunning artifacts from every historical period.

From magnificent buildings like the Colosseum to magnificent words like “I have a dream!”, this guide brings history’s most significant events to life for every reader to discover and enjoy.