Scan barcode
ewaradz's review
funny
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
slow-paced
3.25
I like the way the book is written, I enjoyed the humour in there and especially the history of map making was fascinating to learn about. However, sometimes the book tends to drag on at a tangent. There is no main story which is to be expected from a book like this so perhaps tangents are the point of the book, but nevertheless sometimes the side stories keep going for a bit too long and made me have to push through to the next chapter.
I learned a lot and enjoyed the majority of it - it's a good humoured book, has plenty of fun facts, and has inspired me to be a little old fashioned and appreciate the art in maps. At the same time it definitely could have cut some 50+ pages off the count.
I learned a lot and enjoyed the majority of it - it's a good humoured book, has plenty of fun facts, and has inspired me to be a little old fashioned and appreciate the art in maps. At the same time it definitely could have cut some 50+ pages off the count.
anastasiadreaming's review against another edition
Horrific introduction; he described sl!tting wrists as a ‘way people pass their time’.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicide
royvdb's review against another edition
1.0
I really disliked it. I don't know what the goal was. It's not funny, it's barely entertaining or informing, there's no tension or deeper thought. I counted every page...
finlaaaay's review against another edition
3.0
This had been sitting on my shelf for the best part of six years before I finally got around to reading it properly. Well, I didn't actually have it the whole time, I guess, as I left it back home for some of that time, but this is part of a larger problem I have with books, and finishing them. Oops.
I like maps, as some of my friends will attest. So this was an obvious choice for me to buy. It's mostly a memoir by the author. We're quite similar in many ways - the main difference is our age. I'm much more comfortable with digital maps, while he is obsessed with the Ordnance Survey and considers their maps the best in the world. He reveals that he's gay and has a male partner about halfway through the book - I liked him better after he revealed that, I think. I think his life in central Wales with his boyfriend and some sheep seems idyllic and enviable.
His attitudes do come across as parochial sometimes, though - but he embraces this outwardly, and I had only minor qualms with it ultimately.
Nice book overall, and the inset example maps make it definitely worth buying the paperback and not an ebook version of this!
I like maps, as some of my friends will attest. So this was an obvious choice for me to buy. It's mostly a memoir by the author. We're quite similar in many ways - the main difference is our age. I'm much more comfortable with digital maps, while he is obsessed with the Ordnance Survey and considers their maps the best in the world. He reveals that he's gay and has a male partner about halfway through the book - I liked him better after he revealed that, I think. I think his life in central Wales with his boyfriend and some sheep seems idyllic and enviable.
His attitudes do come across as parochial sometimes, though - but he embraces this outwardly, and I had only minor qualms with it ultimately.
Nice book overall, and the inset example maps make it definitely worth buying the paperback and not an ebook version of this!
peterp3's review against another edition
3.0
The first half of this book is very good. There’s a great mix of well-written humour and interesting info. Mike Parker’s enthusiasm for OS maps is infectious. I especially liked his list of the 5 best and 5 worst landranger map sheets.
But sad to say, chapters 6, 7, 8 and 9 are feeble in comparison.
I’d recommend reading 1-5, then skipping straight to chapter 10 to round off the book.
But sad to say, chapters 6, 7, 8 and 9 are feeble in comparison.
I’d recommend reading 1-5, then skipping straight to chapter 10 to round off the book.
midlifehedgewitch's review against another edition
4.0
Totally delicious! If you're a hiker, lover of maps, natural history or even British history, you'll enjoy this book. I imagine Americans will miss or simply not get a lot of the nuances and humour in this book and to that I say: tough.