Jerry Brotton
Four Points of the Compass : The Unexpected History of Direction...
“Refund was approved and back in my account the same day.” - Deliver+ customer
A sparkling exploration of direction, by the acclaimed author of A History of the World in 12 MapsNorth, south, east and west almost all societies use the four cardinal directions to orientate themselves, to understand who they are by projecting where they are. For millennia, these four directions have been foundational to our travel, navigation and exploration and are central to the imaginative, moral and political geography of virtually every culture in the world. Yet they are far more subjective and various sometimes contradictory than we might realize. The Four Points of the Compass takes the reader on a journey of directional discovery. Jerry Brotton reveals why Hebrew culture privileges east why Renaissance Europeans began drawing north at the top of their maps why the early Islam revered the south why the Aztecs used five colourcoded cardinal directions and why no societies, primitive or modern, have ever orientated themselves westwards. He ends by reflecting on our digital age in which we, the little blue dot on the screen, have become the most important compass point. Throughout, Brotton shows that the directions reflect a human desire to create order and that they only have meaning, literally and metaphorically, depending on where you stand.
Binding: Paperback;208 pages; Publisher: TBS-Penguin Random House Wholesale; Classification: HBG; Weight: 304 g; Dimensions: 129 x 198 x 17
Extended returns Orders placed after 29th October 2026 can be returned until 5th January 2027
Something not quite right? You have 21 days from the day you receive it, to send something back. When you purchase Debenhams Deliver+, you will have an extra 14 days on top of our standard 21-day window to initate a return.
Please note, we cannot offer refunds on fashion face masks, cosmetics, pierced jewellery, adult toys, and swimwear or lingerie if the hygiene seal is not in place or has been broken.
Items of footwear and/or clothing must be unworn and unwashed with the original labels attached. Also, footwear must be tried on indoors. Items of homeware including bedlinen, mattresses, and toppers, and pillows must be unused and in their original unopened packaging. This does not affect your statutory rights.
Click here to view our full Returns Policy.
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A sparkling exploration of direction, by the acclaimed author of A History of the World in 12 MapsNorth, south, east and west almost all societies use the four cardinal directions to orientate themselves, to understand who they are by projecting where they are. For millennia, these four directions have been foundational to our travel, navigation and exploration and are central to the imaginative, moral and political geography of virtually every culture in the world. Yet they are far more subjective and various sometimes contradictory than we might realize. The Four Points of the Compass takes the reader on a journey of directional discovery. Jerry Brotton reveals why Hebrew culture privileges east why Renaissance Europeans began drawing north at the top of their maps why the early Islam revered the south why the Aztecs used five colourcoded cardinal directions and why no societies, primitive or modern, have ever orientated themselves westwards. He ends by reflecting on our digital age in which we, the little blue dot on the screen, have become the most important compass point. Throughout, Brotton shows that the directions reflect a human desire to create order and that they only have meaning, literally and metaphorically, depending on where you stand.
Binding: Paperback;208 pages; Publisher: TBS-Penguin Random House Wholesale; Classification: HBG; Weight: 304 g; Dimensions: 129 x 198 x 17
Extended returns Orders placed after 29th October 2026 can be returned until 5th January 2027
Something not quite right? You have 21 days from the day you receive it, to send something back. When you purchase Debenhams Deliver+, you will have an extra 14 days on top of our standard 21-day window to initate a return.
Please note, we cannot offer refunds on fashion face masks, cosmetics, pierced jewellery, adult toys, and swimwear or lingerie if the hygiene seal is not in place or has been broken.
Items of footwear and/or clothing must be unworn and unwashed with the original labels attached. Also, footwear must be tried on indoors. Items of homeware including bedlinen, mattresses, and toppers, and pillows must be unused and in their original unopened packaging. This does not affect your statutory rights.
Click here to view our full Returns Policy.
Jerry Brotton
Four Points of the Compass : The Unexpected History of Direction...
“Refund was approved and back in my account the same day.” - Deliver+ customer
We Think You'll Like
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