Book Reviews: Atlas of Britain

The reviewer praises Bickmore and Shaw's 1963 Atlas of Britain as an exhaustive reference atlas and describes it as the first major national atlas issued as a single complete publication without government subsidy. Its 200 map pages cover physical features, industry, communications, agriculture and fisheries, and demographic and political features, mostly at 1:2,000,000. A removable reference overlay supports comparison; regional thematic maps at 1:1,000,000 and reference maps at 1:500,000 provide greater detail. The reviewer notes that many maps required special compilation and some substantial research, and finds the novel cartographic techniques generally effective. Recommending it for every university library, the reviewer nevertheless questions its $100 American price when it costs the equivalent of $73.50 in Britain.