When we think of the eponymous and venerable Hudson’s Bay Company, the first thing that comes to mind might be beavers and their luxurious and valuable pelts, the daring exploits of explorers who pushed the boundaries of European geographical knowledge of North America, or perhaps the ruthless and somewhat unsavoury antics of its most famous figurehead and…
Stephen R. Bown
Stephen R. Bown is the author of ten books on the history of science, ideas and exploration, including the early spice trade.
Articles by
Stephen R. Bown
A Glimmer of Globalization
Tracking a merchant map becomes a voyage of tantalizing digression December 2013
But we have got there, to the origin of the map—well, more or less. With an unsigned and undated document such as ours, this is not a bad showing,” Timothy Brook concludes with great understatement near the end of his intriguing new book, Mr. Selden’s Map of China: Decoding the Secrets of a Vanished Cartographer…