According to the back cover blurb of this new edition of The Routledge Atlas of British History, Martin Gilbert has written no less than 82 books. One of the preeminent historians of our time, he is probably best known as the biographer of Churchill and as a prolific writer on twentieth century history, especially both world wars, as well as for books on Israel and the Holocaust. Gilbert has also been prolific in the production of historical atlases, latterly under Taylor & Francis imprint Routledge, this being one of nine books carrying The Routledge Atlas title. Other recent atlases include the eighth edition of The Routledge Atlas of Jewish History (Gilbert, 2010) (RR 2011/146), the sixth edition of The Routledge Atlas of American History (Gilbert, 2009a) (RR 2010/350) and the first edition of The Routledge Atlas of the Second World War (Gilbert, 2009b) (RR 2009/293). Although not as frequently updated as some of its siblings, this British history atlas is actually the senior member of the Routledge Atlas family, first published in 1968 by Weidenfeld & Nicolson under the title British History Atlas. The fourth edition appeared as recently as 2007 and eluded Reference Reviews, as indeed did earlier editions.
While we may not have reviewed this title previously, this edition and its predecessors closely resemble Gilbert's other history atlases. The familiar black and white maps are the dominating feature, 214 being provided, 41 more than in the fourth edition. Each map is enhanced by generous textual commentary, usually positioned in several insert boxes. Indeed, the text probably conveys as much information as the cartography, and this title, like its counterparts, provides a significant quantity of facts and commentary, especially for the maps dealing with more recent history. The maps are arranged chronologically and are listed for convenience in the opening pages. This makes navigation simple enough but the work could be enhanced by the provision of an index, as in the new first edition of The Routledge Atlas of the Second World War. Other supporting matter is also minimal: apart from Gilbert's preface (dated 1993 and reproduced from an earlier edition) and a short paragraph of notes on the features of this edition, nothing is offered besides the maps. One cannot help but form the impression that Gilbert and the publisher update this and some of the companion atlases as a routine, providing new editions with fairly minimal input and effort in order to maintain sales.
This view tends to be confirmed when one delves more closely into the contents. As far as can be ascertained, the 173 maps from the fourth edition are reproduced without amendment the only change being a very minor juggle in the order of presentation. The new content consists entirely of the 41 maps added at the end of the chronological sequence. Many of these are topical and useful, examples including Northern Ireland: Agreement and Renewed Troubles, 2007‐2010 (Map 179), British Humanitarian Aid Overseas 2008‐2010 (Map 187), British Forces Overseas 2010 (Map 199) and The British General Election of 6 May 2010 (Map 211). However, some of the topics covered seem somewhat marginal to an understanding of British history, for example, The National Gardens Scheme Gardens Open for Charity (Map 189). One has the feeling that, while some of Gilbert's chosen topics give a fresh perspective and contain information unlikely to be presented in a cartographical format elsewhere, there is almost an element of padding, a need to find some fresh material to justify the production of a new edition after just four years. Moreover, the retention of unaltered maps from the previous editions alongside newer material gives the atlas something of a disjointed feel. The maps United Kingdom Exports, Global 2003 (Map 158) and Visitors to Britain 2000 (Maps 148 and 149) may provide a useful view of the data 8 and 11 years ago respectively, but most users would surely prefer more up to date statistics. Granted, this is a “history” atlas, so historical information is to be expected, but it would be a far more coherent and useful reference tool if some of the maps relating to recent years were either updated with new material or had new versions provided for comparative purposes.
In making these criticisms, I do not wish to detract from the value of either this atlas or its companions. Gilbert and Routledge have provided an unrivalled family of atlases which provide a wealth of information in a convenient and easily digestible format. The cartography and text is generally reliable (the only error I spotted in this edition was the figure of only 8,992 for the annual number of passengers at Edinburgh airport in Map 188 British Airports and Their Passengers 2008 (it should be 8,992,000)) and the presentation, if the inevitable drabness of purely black and white maps is ignored, generally clear and straightforward. The boxed information which provides so much useful contextual facts and figures should also not be overlooked. However, libraries that have the earlier edition of this atlas should carefully consider whether this new edition is needed. Do the 41 additional maps with their mixed content that sometimes sits uneasily alongside those from the earlier editions justify purchase? Admittedly, the paperback version is modestly priced, but at £65 the hardback is an expensive proposition. What is not in question is the place of this atlas in the armoury of basic reference sources on British history, one particularly suited to smaller libraries serving non‐advanced history students. More debatable is whether this new edition adds much value to its predecessors; libraries that have the fourth, or even earlier editions (the third edition was published as recently as 2002), should not regard this as a mandatory purchase.
