The Penguin Atlas of World History

978-0-14-101263-6

The Penguin Atlas of World History is a two-volume, paperback-sized historical atlas first published by Penguin Books in 1974, with the latest edition published in 2004.^[1] It was translated from a German atlas, dtv-Atlas Weltgeschichte [de] by Hermann Kinder and Werner Hilgemann [de], originally published by Deutsche Taschenbuch Verlag ten years prior to the first English edition, in 1964.^[2]

Volume 1 encompasses pre-history to the eve of the French Revolution, and Volume 2 includes the Revolution itself and extends to the Iraq War. The book is formatted such that maps appear on the left-hand page with accompanying textual notations on the right, as opposed to most larger-format atlases that feature irregular and mixed formatting of text and maps.^[2] However, time lines, such as one tracing the development of life, and organizational charts, such as a graphic depicting the workings of the United Nations according to its charter, are occasionally featured as well.^[2]

The Atlas is also notable for Werner Hilgemann's unique cartographical style, which treats city and state names on maps as political/governing entities, allowing them to be graphically linked with other labels to show alliances and treaties, thereby adding an extra informational dimension.

References

^ "The Penguin atlas of world history. Vol. 2, From the French Revolution to the present / Herman Kinder and Werner Hilgemann ; translated by Ernest A. Menze with maps designed by Harald and Ruth Bukor ; additional material by John Haywood and Simon Hall". sfu-primo.hosted.exlibrisgroup.com. Retrieved 2022-12-12.
^ ^a ^b ^c Robinson, I. S. (1977). "The Penguin atlas of world history. Vol i. By Hermann Kinder and Werner Hilgemann. Translated by E.A. Menze. Pp 299. Harmondsworth: Penguin Books. 1974. £1.00". Irish Historical Studies. 20 (79): 369–370. doi:10.1017/S0021121400024433. ISSN 0021-1214.