The Map That Changed the World, Simon Winchester
The Map That Changed the World, Simon Winchester
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The Map That Changed the World
William Smith and the Birth of Modern Geology

Author: Simon Winchester

Narrator: Simon Winchester

Unabridged: 9 hr 59 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Publisher: HarperAudio

Published: 01/13/2004


Synopsis

From the author of the bestselling The Professor and the Madman comes the fascinating story of William Smith, the orphaned son of an English country blacksmith, who became obsessed with creating the world's first geological map and ultimately became the father of modern geology.In 1793 William Smith, a canal digger, made a startling discovery that was to turn the fledgling science of the history of the earth -- and a central plank of established Christian religion -- on its head. He noticed that the rocks he was excavating were arranged in layers; more important, he could see quite clearly that the fossils found in one layer were very different from those found in another. And out of that realization came an epiphany: that by following the fossils, one could trace layers of rocks as they dipped and rose and fell -- clear across England and, indeed, clear across the world. Determined to publish his profoundly important discovery by creating a map that would display the hidden underside of England, he spent twenty years traveling the length and breadth of the kingdom by stagecoach and on foot, studying rock outcrops and fossils, piecing together the image of this unseen universe.In 1815 he published his epochal and remarkably beautiful hand-painted map, more than eight feet tall and six feet wide. But four years after its triumphant publication, and with his young wife going steadily mad to the point of nymphomania, Smith ended up in debtors' prison, a victim of plagiarism, swindled out of his recognition and his profits. He left London for the north of England and remained homeless for ten long years as he searched for work. It wasn't until 1831, when his employer, a sympathetic nobleman, brought him into contact with the Geological Society of London -- which had earlier denied him a fellowship -- that at last this quiet genius was showered with the honors long overdue him. He was summoned south to receive the society's highest award, and King William IV offered him a lifetime pension.The Map That Changed the World is, at its foundation, a very human tale of endurance and achievement, of one man's dedication in the face of ruin and homelessness. The world's coal and oil industry, its gold mining, its highway systems, and its railroad routes were all derived entirely from the creation of Smith's first map.; and with a keen eye and thoughtful detail, Simon Winchester unfolds the poignant sacrifice behind this world-changing discovery.

About Simon Winchester

Simon Winchester is the acclaimed author of many books, including The Professor and the Madman, The Men Who United the States, The Map That Changed the World, The Man Who Loved China, A Crack in the Edge of the World, and Krakatoa, all of which were New York Times bestsellers and appeared on numerous best and notable lists. In 2006, Winchester was made an officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) by Her Majesty the Queen. He resides in western Massachusetts.


Reviews

Goodreads review by Paul on March 15, 2023

The history of geological discovery moves as slowly as ... well, geology! THE MAP THAT CHANGED THE WORLD is the biographical story of William Smith, the father of the modern science of geology and the creator of the world's first geological map of Great Britain. There is no questioning Smith's brilli......more

Goodreads review by Jay on February 15, 2019

This book turned out to be something that I wasn't much interested in after all. But, it was interesting none the less. It was well-researched and well-written and deserved a better rating, maybe by someone interested in geology. It was about Englishman William Smith who was a common man with no weal......more

Goodreads review by Howard on February 21, 2020

5 Stars for The Map That Changed The World (audiobook) By Simon Winchester read by the author. This is one of my favorite nonfiction books. This is the story of the science of geology being discovered. This is about William Smith creating the first geographical map of Britain. And this new science w......more

Goodreads review by Will on October 19, 2008

This is the tale of William Smith, the first guy to create a geologic map. He identified the strata that makes up what comprises the ground for quite a ways down and figured out that it was standard. The story is an interesting one, about a poor bastard beset by the rich types who stole his work and......more