Jerry Brotton

Great Maps takes a close look at the history of maps, from ancient maps such as medieval mappae mundi to Google Earth. Why do we put north at the top of maps? Which maps show us the way to Heaven, and which show the "land of no sunshine" or the land of "people with no bowels"? In Great Maps, author and historian Jerry Brotton tells the hidden story...

Jerry Brotton is the presenter of the acclaimed BBC4 series "Maps: Power, Plunder and Possession". Here he tells the story of our world through maps. Throughout history, maps have been fundamental in shaping our view of the world, and our place in it. But far from being purely scientific objects, world maps are unavoidably ideological and...

from the Silk Road to MichelangeloMore than ever before, the Renaissance stands as one of the defining moments in world history. Between 1400 and 1600, European perceptions of society, culture, politics and even humanity itself emerged in ways that continue to affect not only Europe but the entire world. This wide-ranging exploration of the...

A Very Short IntroductionThis wide-ranging exploration of the Renaissance sees the period as a time of unprecedented intellectual excitement and cultural experimentation and interaction on a global scale. It guides the reader through the key issues that defined the period, from art, architecture, and literature, to advances in science, trade and...