National Geographic Atlas of the World, Eighth Edition | National Geographic

National Geographic Atlas of the World, Eighth Edition | National Geographic | Fantastic, but doesn't live up to all advertisements

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	National Geographic Atlas of the World, Eighth Edition National Geographic National Geographic, 2004 - 416 pages average customer review:based on 26 reviews view larger image
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highly recommended

Best general atlas

I have both the 7th and 8th editions of this book, as well as recent editions of most of the other major world atlases.

In my opinion, this latest (8th) edition blows away the competition (_and_ the National Geographic's own 7th edition).

Having bought and owned world atlases for almost 50 years, I strongly recommend this atlas for home, school, or library use. I find this latest edition exceedingly accurate, especially in the areas of the Middle East (*despite* the protestations from certain _very_ organized political factions ).

Magnificent satellite photos, along with revised and improved political and geo-physical maps, set this one apart from the rest. Much of the "supplemental" map sections of the previous edition are expanded.

Regarding the reviewer who indicated that the 7th edition is "cloth-bound": well, the 7th edition (that I own) actually has a *cloth-textured* dark blue *paper* overlay on hardboard. The internal hinges are "binders' mull" (cloth) _but_ so are those of the plastic-coated covers of the 8th edition! Both editions should hold up very well. The main difference in the covers is the aesthetics, and the 8th edition is indeed quite pleasing in that department.

I most highly recommend the 8th edition of this atlas, and you certainly won't go wrong if you purchase it from Amazon.
A great addition to the panoply of atlases, and a huge treat for addictive map lovers!

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Fantastic, but doesn't live up to all advertisements

With a limited number of printings and a three-digit price, you expect great things from National Geographic's Altas of the World. And, for the most part, the book delivers. In lieu of a long review, I though I'd just come up with some pros and cons to explain why I gave the book the rating I did.

Pros: amazing quality of pictures/maps, city maps, intresting nation and political information, wealth of information, built-in bookmark.

Cons: not 400 pages like amazon claims (137 pages sans index), index is almost as long as rest of book, will not fit in any bookcase you own, poor binding for such an expensive book, hard to fit back in cover.

The last atlas I owned was a child's atlas from 1987. I bought the National Geographic version because I took it to be the diffinitive atlas. And it is. I'm happy with the 8th edition and I'm sure it will be a usefull reference for years to come. But given how few pages it is and how much money it cost, I'm not sure I would buy the 9th edition.

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Great maps

I looked at a lot of different atlases before I purchased this one. I loved this one because it had the most maps and best colour. I didn't want an atlas that had too much encyclopedic information. If you are after an atlas with fabulous maps, then this is the one for you!

CHEAPER THAN A TRIP AROUND THE WORLD ... AND JUST AS NICE

Map out your academic studies or armchair travels with this incredible book --- without a doubt, the most up-to-date, comprehensive atlas we have ever seen. This seventh edition puts a changing world, in 140,000-plus entries, in everyone's hands, and boasts state-of-the-art satellite imagery and the work of more than 50 cartographers, designers, editors, researchers and indexers. (The mountain, valleys and other landscape features were digitally painted over a period of a yea by one staff artist!) Expensive? You bet. But much cheaper than a trip around the world. But if you have to go, just don't try and pack it in your luggage; the book weighs close to 15 pounds!

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Not as good at the 7th Edition

The 8th edition is not as well organized as the 7th. In the previous edition, information about countries and states were in their respective continent section. The 8th edition has grouped them all together at the end of the atlas in alphabetical order. Someone at National Geographic has determined that the new edition no longer needed separate maps for England and Wales, Scotland and Ireland, just an overall map of Britain and Ireland, which was also in the previous edition. What happened to all of the city maps, temperature data and and major cities of the world? Finally 8th edition has a cover that is inferior to the other 7 editions, paper vs cloth. I think I will keep my 7th edition.

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reviews: 1, page 2, 3, 4, 5, 6

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