The first map-makers

I n 1492, Columbus sailed the ocean blue. That, at least, is what the famous rhyme tells us. Memorising such dates is a common experience of being taught history – a cliché superbly lampooned by the w

Like all good things that happen to us, it was an accident I started writing pilots for the Mediterranean. It all began when I was skippering a flotilla around the Saronic and eastern Peloponnese in G

How the Qin forged a great power from the fragments of the Warring States

Relying on digital mapping can erode your traditional navigation skills. Could a refresher course be the answer? Alex Roddie joins an Austrian Alpine Club-organised course in Eryri to find out

A new exhibition explores the enduring artistry of ancient Egypt

In the 17th century, the great maritime nations were vying to solve a puzzle that had confounded philosophers for many centuries: how to determine exact positions on the Earth’s surface. And in Britai