'I remember how well I liked to turn the pages of my childhood atlas and travel the world to find out where countries and cities were. But there was never anything about why the maps were created - or who drew them. Theatre of the World was my big chance to tell the stories of all those men and women map makers whose amazing work deserves to be celebrated.' (Thomas Reinertsen Berg)

Beautifully written and rich in detail, Theatre of the World reignites our curiosity with the world both ancient and modern.

Before you could just put finger to phone to scroll Google Maps, in advance of the era of digital mapping and globes, maps were being constructed from the ideas and questions of pioneering individuals.

From visionary geographers to heroic explorers, from the mysterious symbols of the Stone Age to the familiar navigation of Google Earth, Thomas Reinertsen Berg examines the fascinating concepts of science and worldview, of art and technology, power and ambitions, practical needs and distant dreams of the unknown.