First published in 1966 as one of the first such books to consider the maps of a specific county in terms of mapping history: this new 2nd edition retains the emphasis and principles of the first edition. The sections have been extended on contributing map makers from the end of the 16th Century to the mid 19th Century where decorative maps decline and are superseded by the cleaner lines of the Ordnance Survey.

The maps shown in this new edition come from a number of sources. They have been selected in order to give a story both over the span of these maps as they are drawn and also an analysis of how they reflect the history of cartography in the terms of the county of Cornwall.

The process of creating maps evolved at a stunning rate in the 280 years covered here and we have endeavoured to provide the reader with some analysis between maps as well as versions of the same map. Maps depict the lay of the land: there are instances where amendments to maps show changes in the physical geography on the ground thus fulfilling the role of the geographer and his map. This is the accurate depiction on paper of observed elements in the field.
In addition to the maps of Cornwall are charts generated for navigation of the treacherous seas around the Isles of Scilly. These notorious shores have proven fatal and the need for accurate maps around the coast drove some of the earliest maps of the area.

Presented with many full colour illustrations and extensively expanded from the 1966 edition, this book will aid the budding collector, the confused auction-goer as well as console the exile and, we hope, will be of interest to anyone keen in the mapped history of Cornwall.

Back in in the 1960's I was fortunate to buy my first set of atlases by Joan Blaeu. It was in fact an incomplete set of seven volumes all bound in contemporary Dutch cream calf decorated with gold. The colouring was superb and in a way unique in that if I see any Blaeu maps now I would be able to identify whether they came from this same set. I bought the atlases at a well know London auction house having set off early that morning on the train from Chester. These were the days before the hated buyer's premium arrived. In fact if you were able to buy the atlases today at auction the buyer's premium alone would probably be about the price I paid for the set. I remember struggling back to Euston station with the volumes and was so protective that I would not even let the porter help me along the platform and onto the train. The atlases were later split and brought a lot of pleasure to a lot of my customers.