Notes et comptes rendus: The Oxford Atlas of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

Summary

This is an academic review of The Oxford Atlas of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (1963), edited by D. P. Bickmore and M. A. Shaw. Compiled over ten years and comprising 200 map pages, the atlas represents the first comprehensive inventory of Britain's physical and human geography between 1950 and 1960. The review notes that while the atlas shows limited technical innovation and some statistical data are already outdated with no possibility of updating, it impresses with its clarity, careful presentation, and abundance of information. The author evaluates thematic maps on geology, climate, land use, industry, and transport, while pointing out shortcomings such as non-metric climate data, absence of regional migration and unemployment statistics, and insufficient coverage of new towns. Overall, the atlas fills a long-standing gap and serves as a valuable reference work.