Bosatlas of the Netherlands: the book that had to come: book review
Bosatlas van Nederland: het boek dat er moest komen: book review
- Publication
- Geografie
- Volume
- 17
- Issue
- 1
- Pages
- 37–38
Netherlands · Version 3
2007This review treats De Bosatlas van Nederland as a 560-page national atlas with about 2,400 maps in nineteen thematic chapters, praising its detailed information, explanatory texts, graphs and Bos cartography. The reviewer finds it a beautiful browsing book and useful for geography lessons, while noting that some map choices are too strictly national, sometimes follow available data rather than the appropriate scale, and that chapters such as historical maps, provinces and city-centre plans sit awkwardly within a national atlas; the photographs are valued for beauty more than for explaining the maps. The reviewer calls it a worthy successor to the scientific atlas for a broader public and notes that the first printing sold out within a month and reached first place on the Bestseller 60.
View whole-article summary
This article reviews the historical context of the Dutch national atlas, noting that its predecessor, the Scientific Atlas of the Netherlands, ceased publication fifteen years ago due to limited commercial appeal. It focuses on the newly released Bosatlas of the Netherlands by Wolters-Noordhoff, arguing that while not a direct continuation of the scientific atlas, it successfully brings the national atlas to a broader audience through stunning photography, detailed data, and professional cartography. The author acknowledges its value for education and leisure reading but also points out issues such as time-sensitive content, questionable data scale choices, and stylistic inconsistencies in some chapters. The article concludes by noting the atlas's rapid sell-out and bestseller status, indicating its commercial success exceeded expectations.
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