Discovery and Exploration: An Atlas-History of Man's Wanderings; Atlas Istorii Geograficheskikh Otkrytiy i Issledovaniy

Summary

Wilbur Zelinsky compares Frank Debenham’s Discovery and Exploration with the 1959 Soviet Atlas of the History of Geographical Discoveries and Explorations. He praises Debenham’s production quality, historical illustrations, and readable prose, recommending it as an introduction for general readers and younger students. He nevertheless criticizes its original maps for excessive color and relief shading, inadequate labeling and exploration data, the use of the Gall projection, and coverage of territorial knowledge ending in 1900. The Soviet atlas primarily uses route maps to document itineraries, explorers, nationalities, and dates, combining extensive information with clear symbolization. Its strongest coverage concerns Eurasia, polar regions, and ocean exploration. Zelinsky particularly commends its recognition of Asian peoples’ explorations and its presentation of changing geographical conceptions. His criticisms include uneven regional coverage, insufficient explanation of disputed routes and their uncertainty, the absence of bibliographical or source commentary, and the omission of non-Soviet Arctic exploration after 1948.