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The Map That Changed the World : William Smith and the Birth of Modern Geology

The Map That Changed the World : William Smith and the Birth of Modern Geology

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The Map That Changed the World : William Smith and the Birth of Modern Geology

by Simon Winchester

  • Used
  • Fine
  • Paperback
Condition
Fine
ISBN 10
0060931809
ISBN 13
9780060931803
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About This Item

New York: HarperCollins / Perennial, August 2002. Trade Paperback. Fine. Pristine inside and out. Not from a library. No remainder mark. Not clipped. xx + 329 pages.

In 1793, a canal digger named William Smith made a startling discovery. He found that by tracing the placement of fossils, which he uncovered in his excavations, one could follow layers of rocks as they dipped and rose and fell -- clear across England and, indeed, clear across the world -- making it possible, for the first time ever, to draw a chart of the hidden underside of the earth. Determined to expose what he realized was the landscape's secret fourth dimension, Smith spent twenty-two years piecing together the fragments of this unseen universe to create an epochal and remarkably beautiful hand-painted map. But instead of receiving accolades and honors, he ended up in debtors' prison, the victim of plagiarism, and virtually homeless for ten years more. Finally, in 1831, this quiet genius -- now known as the father of modern geology -- received the Geological Society of London's highest award and King William IV offered him a lifetime pension.

Synopsis

Following the hugely successful hardback, this extraordinary tale of the father of modern geology looks set to be the non fiction paperback for 2002. Hidden behind velvet curtains above a stairway in a house in London's Piccadilly is an enormous and beautiful hand-coloured map - the first geological map of anywhere in the world. Its maker was a farmer's son named William Smith. Born in 1769 his life was beset by troubles: he was imprisoned for debt, turned out of his home, his work was plagiarised, his wife went insane and the scientific establishment shunned him. It was not until 1829, when a Yorkshire aristocrat recognised his genius, that he was returned to London in triumph: The Map That Changed the World is his story.

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Details

Bookseller
Books of the World US (US)
Bookseller's Inventory #
RWARE0000003004
Title
The Map That Changed the World : William Smith and the Birth of Modern Geology
Author
Simon Winchester
Illustrator
Soun Vannithone
Format/Binding
Trade Paperback
Book Condition
Used - Fine
Quantity Available
1
Binding
Paperback
ISBN 10
0060931809
ISBN 13
9780060931803
Publisher
HarperCollins / Perennial
Place of Publication
New York
Date Published
August 2002
Keywords
biography, William Smith, geology, lithosphere, stratigraphic, history, science, history of science, England, English, Britain, British, Great Britain, United Kingdom, UK
Bookseller catalogs
Science & Technology; History; Biographies; Britain; Textbooks;
Size
8vo

Terms of Sale

Books of the World

30 day return guarantee, with full refund if an item arrives mis-described or damaged.

About the Seller

Books of the World

Seller rating:
This seller has earned a 5 of 5 Stars rating from Biblio customers.
Biblio member since 2017
Arlington, Virginia

About Books of the World

Finding new homes for the library I collected over five decades of travel around the world.

Glossary

Some terminology that may be used in this description includes:

Trade Paperback
Used to indicate any paperback book that is larger than a mass-market paperback and is often more similar in size to a hardcover...
Fine
A book in fine condition exhibits no flaws. A fine condition book closely approaches As New condition, but may lack the...
Remainder Mark
Usually an ink marking of some sort which indicates that the book was designated a remainder. In most cases, it can be found on...

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