GREAT EMPIRES: An Illustrated Atlas

WASHINGTON (Sept. 25, 2012)—Trace the path of power around the globe and across centuries with National Geographic’s GREAT EMPIRES: An Illustrated Atlas (National Geographic Books; ISBN 978-4262-0829-4; Nov. 20, 2012; $40 hardcover). This unique book, by Stephen G. Hyslop and Patricia Daniels, illustrates what life was like when pharaohs erected the majestic pyramids, when Hannibal commanded Carthage’s 40,000 troops, when Charlemagne was crowned Holy Roman Emperor and when the quest for territorial expansion defined the destiny of leaders and the lives of ordinary people.

The atlas chronicles three eras — the Ancient World, the Middle Ages and Modern Empires — and includes an epilogue on the Collapse of Modern Empires. The Ancient World (2600 B.C-A.D. 500), delves into ancient Middle East; Egypt; Greece, Carthage and Rome; and India and China. The Middle Ages (500-1500) traces Byzantium and the Arab World; medieval Asia and the Khmer, Mongols and Ming; the Christian and Muslim dynasties of medieval Europe and Africa; and Native American empires of the Toltec, Aztec and Inca. Modern Empires (1500s-1900s) focuses on the Spanish American and British empires and the Imperial Tribes of North America; the Ottoman and Asante empires in the Mediterranean and Africa; and the Mughals, Qing and Romanovs in the east. The epilogue outlines the end of the Age of Imperialism, which began at the close of World War l and was solidified by the aftermath of World War ll.

GREAT EMPIRES explores a total of 31 empires across the globe, including storied powers such as the Qin and Han dynasties and Babylonian empires that helped shape our world as we know it. Nearly 40 full-color new and archival maps customized by National Geographic cartographers show the extent of territory; major trade routes; paths of military campaigns; significant roads, walls and buildings; and sites of pivotal battles. Select maps juxtapose the ancient and modern landscapes by illuminating changes in physical geography.

GREAT EMPIRES also features sidebars and fact boxes that offer insights into rulers such as Alexander the Great and Genghis Khan, and shed light on the people, ideas and innovations of each empire. Captivating images feature the traditions, art and culture of the times.

About the Authors

Stephen G. Hyslop has written extensively for National Geographic and Time-Life Books, including “Almanac of World” (with Patricia Daniels), “Eyewitness to the Civil War,” “Atlas of the Civil War,” “Bound for Santa Fe” and “Chroniclers of Indian Life.”

Patricia Daniels has written, edited or contributed to many National Geographic books on history, science and geography, most recently “Almanac of World History,” “New Solar System,” “Eyewitness to History” and “National Geographic Encyclopedia of Space.”

About National Geographic Books

National Geographic Books is a global publisher of 125 new books annually in Adult and Children’s combined, as well as a publisher of digital content and services with more than 50 partners who translate our books.

The National Geographic Society is one of the world’s largest nonprofit scientific and educational organizations. Founded in 1888 to “increase and diffuse geographic knowledge,” the Society’s mission is to inspire people to care about the planet. It reaches more than 400 million people worldwide each month through its official journal, National Geographic, and other magazines; National Geographic Channel; television documentaries; music; radio; films; books; DVDs; maps; school publishing programs; live events; interactive media; merchandise; and travel programs. For more information on National Geographic Books, visit facebook.com/NatGeoBooks and nationalgeographic.com/books.

###

View the original article here

GREAT EMPIRES: An Illustrated Atlas

WASHINGTON (Sept. 25, 2012)—Trace the path of power around the globe and across centuries with National Geographic’s GREAT EMPIRES: An Illustrated Atlas (National Geographic Books; ISBN 978-4262-0829-4; Nov. 20, 2012; $40 hardcover). This unique book, by Stephen G. Hyslop and Patricia Daniels, illustrates what life was like when pharaohs erected the majestic pyramids, when Hannibal commanded Carthage’s 40,000 troops, when Charlemagne was crowned Holy Roman Emperor and when the quest for territorial expansion defined the destiny of leaders and the lives of ordinary people.

The atlas chronicles three eras — the Ancient World, the Middle Ages and Modern Empires — and includes an epilogue on the Collapse of Modern Empires. The Ancient World (2600 B.C-A.D. 500), delves into ancient Middle East; Egypt; Greece, Carthage and Rome; and India and China. The Middle Ages (500-1500) traces Byzantium and the Arab World; medieval Asia and the Khmer, Mongols and Ming; the Christian and Muslim dynasties of medieval Europe and Africa; and Native American empires of the Toltec, Aztec and Inca. Modern Empires (1500s-1900s) focuses on the Spanish American and British empires and the Imperial Tribes of North America; the Ottoman and Asante empires in the Mediterranean and Africa; and the Mughals, Qing and Romanovs in the east. The epilogue outlines the end of the Age of Imperialism, which began at the close of World War l and was solidified by the aftermath of World War ll.

GREAT EMPIRES explores a total of 31 empires across the globe, including storied powers such as the Qin and Han dynasties and Babylonian empires that helped shape our world as we know it. Nearly 40 full-color new and archival maps customized by National Geographic cartographers show the extent of territory; major trade routes; paths of military campaigns; significant roads, walls and buildings; and sites of pivotal battles. Select maps juxtapose the ancient and modern landscapes by illuminating changes in physical geography.

GREAT EMPIRES also features sidebars and fact boxes that offer insights into rulers such as Alexander the Great and Genghis Khan, and shed light on the people, ideas and innovations of each empire. Captivating images feature the traditions, art and culture of the times.

About the Authors

Stephen G. Hyslop has written extensively for National Geographic and Time-Life Books, including “Almanac of World” (with Patricia Daniels), “Eyewitness to the Civil War,” “Atlas of the Civil War,” “Bound for Santa Fe” and “Chroniclers of Indian Life.”

Patricia Daniels has written, edited or contributed to many National Geographic books on history, science and geography, most recently “Almanac of World History,” “New Solar System,” “Eyewitness to History” and “National Geographic Encyclopedia of Space.”

About National Geographic Books

National Geographic Books is a global publisher of 125 new books annually in Adult and Children’s combined, as well as a publisher of digital content and services with more than 50 partners who translate our books.

The National Geographic Society is one of the world’s largest nonprofit scientific and educational organizations. Founded in 1888 to “increase and diffuse geographic knowledge,” the Society’s mission is to inspire people to care about the planet. It reaches more than 400 million people worldwide each month through its official journal, National Geographic, and other magazines; National Geographic Channel; television documentaries; music; radio; films; books; DVDs; maps; school publishing programs; live events; interactive media; merchandise; and travel programs. For more information on National Geographic Books, visit facebook.com/NatGeoBooks and nationalgeographic.com/books.

###

View the original article here

SPACE ATLAS

WASHINGTON (Sept. 4, 2012)—National Geographic presents a new one-stop guide to the planets, stars and outer reaches of the universe in the new book SPACE ATLAS (National Geographic Books; ISBN 978-1-4262-0971-0; on sale Nov. 6, 2012; $50; hardcover), by James Trefil and with a foreword by astronaut Buzz Aldrin. By combining the unparalleled cartographic power of National Geographic and the breathtaking imagery from the Hubble telescope and other space probes, SPACE ATLAS maps the final frontier with detail and splendor in the most up-to-date atlas of its kind.

The book uses clear, nontechnical text that explains the nature of planets, stars, galaxies and exotic objects such as black holes alongside photos and art that illustrate the strange beauty of outer space. In addition to the latest imagery coming from space telescopes and diagrams explaining key astronomical concepts, this atlas also includes more than 90 pages of detailed maps, many of them brand new and specially created for this book.

The galactic getaway starts close to home within the first domain, our own solar system. This section meticulously maps out the surfaces of the planets and major moons — from the sun-scorched face of Mercury to the Kuiper Belt beyond Pluto — using the most up-to-date information from NASA and other key sources. Many of the features shown on these maps — mountains, craters, poles, plains and landing sites of vehicles from Earth — have never been mapped in an atlas before.

Fact boxes provide details on each planet’s discoverer, discovery date, mass, volume, radius, surface temperature, length of day and year and number of moons. Readers will also learn about the birth of the solar system and will explore the Oort Cloud and planet-size worlds discovered beyond Pluto that have helped astronomers begin to see the inner planets as just a small part of the entire system. It was this new understanding that led to Pluto’s well-publicized “demotion.”

The second section of SPACE ATLAS is devoted to the Milky Way and explores the stars and structures that make up our galaxy. Detailed information is provided on the sun, exoplanets, supernovae, neutron stars and pulsars, black holes, dark matter and SETI (the Search for Artificial Intelligence).

The third section delves into the large-scale structure of the universe, of which the galaxies are building blocks. It explores the big issues of cosmology: the structure of the universe, how it began and how it will end. An epilogue, “Mysteries,” explores some of the hottest topics in modern physics — string theory and the possibility of a multiverse — as it leaves the realm of hard data and enters the speculative world of the theoretical physicist.

In his foreword, Aldrin writes, “This National Geographic ‘Space Atlas’ has special meaning for me. It is an enduring honor to have been one of the few humans to have stood on the moon…The moon to me is not a distant object in space but a real place where I spent time, and a real landscape that I remember in my mind’s eye. Looking at the maps of Earth’s moon on these pages is for me a little like retracing a vacation on the map that was carried along. … A book like this is so exciting because it refines our sense of the frontiers of space by taking the surge of information coming to us from space explorations and translating all of that new data into graceful text, remarkable imagery, and elegant maps.”

Just as this volume brings Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin’s journey to the moon back into focus, SPACE ATLAS will give readers a clearer vision of distant worlds and the outer limits of space.

About the Author

James Trefil is a physicist and author of more than 30 books, including “The Laws of Nature and Other Worlds: The Solar System and Beyond.” He is co-author of an influential textbook, “Science Matters: Achieving Scientific Literacy,” and was a contributor to National Geographic’s “Encyclopedia of Space.” He is the Robinson Professor of Physics at George Mason University and regularly gives presentations to judges and public officials on the intersection of science and law.

About National Geographic Books

National Geographic Books is a global publisher of 125 new books annually in Adult and

Children’s combined, as well as a publisher of digital content and services with more than 50 partners who translate our books.

The National Geographic Society is one of the world’s largest nonprofit scientific and educational organizations. Founded in 1888 to “increase and diffuse geographic knowledge,” the Society’s mission is to inspire people to care about the planet. It reaches more than 400 million people worldwide each month through its official journal, National Geographic, and other magazines; National Geographic Channel; television documentaries; music; radio; films; books; DVDs; maps; school publishing programs; live events; interactive media; merchandise; and travel programs. For more information on National Geographic Books, visit facebook.com/NatGeoBooks and nationalgeographic.com/books.

###

View the original article here

National Geographic Compact Atlas of the World and National Geographic Concise Atlas of the World 3rd Edition

WASHINGTON (July 2, 2012)—NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC COMPACT ATLAS OF THE WORLD (National Geographic Books; ISBN 978-1-4262-0935-6; on sale July 3, 2012; $14.95 trade paperback) and NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC CONCISE ATLAS OF THE WORLD 3RD EDITION (National Geographic Books; ISBN 978-1-4262-0951-2; on sale Aug. 28, 2012; $26.95 trade paperback) are the two newest atlases from National Geographic, world renowned for its innovative technology and cartography expertise.

Complex political, cultural and environmental realities of the day make it increasingly important to have a clear vision of the world. NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC CONCISE ATLAS OF THE WORLD, 3rd EDITION includes the latest geopolitical developments and changes and brings to light important, relevant topics that grip the planet. This new edition features more than 450 maps, charts and graphs and information on religions, economy, trade, environmental stresses and more. There is detailed coverage on world population, including growth, density, distribution, fertility, urbanization, life expectancy and migration. Among the up-to-date population facts are: 367,000 people are born every day, mostly in poor African, Asian and South American countries; the most crowded place is Monaco, with a population density of 47,350 people per square mile, while Greenland, by contrast, has less than one person per square mile; the lowest life expectancy is in Afghanistan (44 for men and women) and Zimbabwe (44 for women, 45 for men), and the highest life expectancy is in San Marino (86 for women, 81 for men) and Japan (86 for women, 80 for men).
The atlas also presents new world thematic spreads on:

Health and educationConflict and terrorNatural disastersEnergyClimate and weather

NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC COMPACT ATLAS OF THE WORLD is the smallest atlas National Geographic has ever produced, sized at a mere 4 x 6 inches. Produced using the most advanced mapping technologies, this pocket-sized atlas serves as a valuable, anytime, anywhere reference. It features more than 100 brand-new maps that reflect the latest changes in the world — from geologic to geographic, political to population — including the newest countries, Kosovo and South Sudan. It highlights the latest in world climate; land cover; water availability; natural hazards such as earthquakes, tsunamis, fires and volcanic activity; and more. It offers exceptional and innovative navigation for quick information retrieval, and despite its small size, it provides exceptional readability.

National Geographic cartographers bring nearly a century of mapmaking experience and cutting-edge technology to bear on every atlas produced. Over the last decade, techniques used in digital mapping have undergone remarkable changes. Today, satellite and digital imaging technology, GPS and GIS provide cartographers with new tools to map and animate the Earth and its myriad regions. National Geographic builds its functional and informative atlases by leveraging these emerging technologies.

About National Geographic Books
National Geographic Books is a global publisher of 125 new books annually in Adult and Children’s combined, as well as a publisher of digital content and services with more than 50 partners who translate our books.

The National Geographic Society is one of the world’s largest nonprofit scientific and educational organizations. Founded in 1888 to “increase and diffuse geographic knowledge,” the Society’s mission is to inspire people to care about the planet. It reaches more than 400 million people worldwide each month through its official journal, National Geographic, and other magazines; National Geographic Channel; television documentaries; music; radio; films; books; DVDs; maps; school publishing programs; live events; interactive media; merchandise; and travel programs. For more information on National Geographic Books, visit facebook.com/NatGeoBooks and nationalgeographic.com/books.

###

View the original article here