The Map That Changed the World: A Tale of Rocks Ruin and Redemption

THE EXTRAORDINARY TALE OF THE FATHER OF MODERN GEOLOGYHidden behind velvet curtains above a stairway in a house in Londons Piccadilly is an enormous and beautiful hand-coloured map - the first geological map of anywhere in the world. Its maker was a farmers son named William Smith. Born in 1769 his life was troubled: 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.For a geologist this is a must read Amazon ReviewerIt serves to lift a genius from academic semi-obscurity and to award him the acknowledgement he undoubtedly deserves Amazon ReviewerNever realised how seminal this map was Amazon Reviewer About the Author Simon Winchester has had an award-winning 20 year career as Guardian correspondent. He lives in New York and is the Asia-Pacific Editor for Conde Nast Traveler and contributes to a number of American magazines as well as the Daily Telegraph the Spectator and the BBC. He has written numerous books.The River at the Centre of the World (Viking 1997/Penguin 1998) has been shortlisted for the 1998 Thomas Cook/Daily Telegraph Travel Book Award.