Jemimah Crawford
Atlas of World History ; Children’s Atlas; GUIDE TO SPACE (Dorling Kindersley)
Dorling Kindersley has made an art, and a fortune, out of publishing irritating adult books with a paint/travel/cook-by-numbers approach. They’re the kind of books you’d give to your gran on Mother’s Day, but hide from your pretentious friends.
They’re also filled with tons of useful, well-researched information but, lacking the hip Wallpaper magazine aesthetic, are inevitably relegated to the bottom of the coffee table pile. Sometimes just sometimes they redeem themselves with books that are so startlingly desirable, so eminently displayable, that you have to bite back your criticism and just fork out. But it’s wise to explore the terrain in advance.
The weighty Atlas of World History is a gem, filled with all the useful sorts of information you wish you had at hand during drunken dinner parties and episodes of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? Okay, so it’s not remotely academic, in the pure sense of the word; yet it inspires an almost childlike awe in the world around you as it moves from prehistory to empires, from crusades to colonisation each with the predictable (and somehow appropriate) maps and visuals that are DK’s hallmark. If you’re looking to nurture your inner child but can’t afford the therapy, start here.
In contrast, the Children’s Atlas is a pallid publication despite its colourful visuals. It’s really just another one of those meaningless Eurocentric picture books that feature Africa right at the back, and makes an attempt to gloss over Southern Africa’s history in 100 words or less. Perfect for school projects and expats who still remember England as the centre of the known universe, it speaks unintended volumes about the way things are. Something about all things to all people, I suppose.
On less earthly matters DK again excels without depth, perhaps, but with great vision (or, at least, visuals). The Guide to Space is a slender stellar guide to the outer limits, complete with Hubble photographs, lovingly reproduced, and entry-level explanations about life and the universe (don’t go looking for meaning here). It’s the perfect gift for a science fiction-mad toddler, or an ageing Asimov fan with dreams of travelling to the Red Planet.