Taking in cartography from all over the globe, Visions of the World charts the exploration and mapping of the planet - from before the age of printing to modern satellite imaging - telling the stories of the cartographers, explorers, inventors and surveyors who have mapped it. Illustrated with colour reproductions of the most important maps and charts from around the world, this book explores the way that maps have been used: to distort knowledge; to fool enemies; to build and administer empires; to show the world from different perspectives; and to map the rapidly changing face of the planet in the modern world.