More than two hundred maps, diagrams, and reconstructions assist in tracing the geology of the Earth from the Big Bang to the evolution of humans

This pioneering work documents cultural and religious sites across the Tibetan Plateau and its bordering regions from the Paleolithic Era to today. Western fascination with Tibet has soared in recent decades, yet this historic and globally celebrated region has barely been mapped. With this groundbreaking atlas, Karl E. Ryavec sweeps aside the image of Tibet as Shangri-La, offering a comprehensive vision of the region as it really is. The product of twelve years of research and eight more of mapmaking, the results are absolutely stunning. A Historical Atlas of Tibet ranges through the five main periods in Tibetan history, offering introductory maps of each followed by details of western, central, and eastern regions. It beautifully visualizes the history of Tibetan Buddhism, tracing its spread throughout Asia, with thousands of temples mapped, both within Tibet and across North China and Mongolia, all the way to Beijing. There are maps of major polities and their territorial administrations, as well as of the kingdoms of Guge and Purang in western Tibet, and of Derge and Nangchen in Kham. There are town plans of Lhasa and maps that focus on history and language, on population, natural resources, and contemporary politics. Extraordinarily comprehensive and absolutely gorgeous, this volume makes a major contribution in the realms of cartography, Asian studies, and Buddhist studies.

This pioneering volume traces the history of the region which became Indonesia, from early times to the present day, in over three hundred specially drawn full-colour maps with detailed accompanying text. In doing so, the Atlas brings fresh life to the fascinating and tangled history of this immense archipelago. Beginning with the geographical and ecological forces which have shaped the physical form of the archipelago, the Historical Atlas of Indonesia goes on to chart early human migration and the changing distribution of ethnic groups. It traces the kaleidoscopic pattern of states in early Indonesia and their gradual incorporation into the Netherlands Indies and eventually into the Republic of Indonesia.

About AD 800, mysterious long-ships made their first appearance along the North Sea coast of Britain. From Shetland to the Thames, these raiding ships appeared out of the sea mists, carrying warriors so fierce that no one could stand against them. By the middle of the 9th century, these raiders began to establish settlements, and the raids continued, from Norse bases in Orkney, Ireland, and the Isle of Man. The raiders eventually became rulers, creating Scandinavian colonies in Normandy, England, and Ireland. Around the same time, a few Viking explorers ventured across the Atlantic to America, while others sailed south to Africa, into the Mediterranean, and through the European river systems deep into Russia. This book chronicles their achievements, drawing on archaeological evidence as well as the rich source of Norse Sagas and mythology.

The Penguin Historical Atlas of Ancient Civilizations explores the world's earliest cultures, from the farming settlements of Mesopotamia to the Americas and Polynesia, via the birth of Greek city states and the foundation of Rome. It examines the development of civilizations in the Near East - Babylonian, Assyrian, Persian - as well as those in Europe - the Minoans, Etruscans and Celts. Across the continents of Africa, Asia and America, it covers such subjects as Egypt from its pre-dynastic roots to the age of the Pharaohs, China during the Shang and Zhou dynasties, and the great cities of the Incas and Aztecs. Vivid descriptions of civilizations are complemented by discussion of such key topics as colonization, agriculture and technology, and the rise of empires and city states. Richly illustrated with timelines, photographs, artwork re-creations and full-colour maps, this is an illuminating and multi-faceted one-volume introduction to early peoples and the worlds they created. - Back cover.