My name is Mike and I am addicted to maps. Mike Parker, host of On the Map on Radio 4, celebrates the rich variety of maps in this fantastic and critically acclaimed book.

On an average day, we consult a map about twelve times, often without even noticing it: maps are a symbol of every aspect of human existence. With a single gesture, they convey precise information about topography, layout, history, politics, and power. They are the unsung heroes of life: Map Addict sings their song.

There are some excellent and dry works on the history and development of cartography: this is not one of them. Combining witty observation with hard facts and significant research, Map Addict explores the unusual and the quirky in a celebration of all things map-related. It blends history, travel, politics, memoir, and orchestrated observation in a highly readable and often very funny way. Mike Parker admits how his own impressive collection of maps was founded on a contagious teenage habit of stealing, ponders how a progressive can be so enthusiastic about the British cartographic empire, and wages a war against the foolish suggestions of the Sat Nav era.

This new edition of the beloved classic has been fully revised and updated, with a new chapter on digital maps: the good, the bad, and Google Street View.

Pages: 368, Dimensions: 12.9x12.9cm