This Earthly Globe

An extraordinary story that reads more like a thriller than a book about history. A dazzling tale, brilliantly told. * Peter Frankopan, author of The Earth Transformed *
Andrea di Robilant takes us on a remarkable voyage of discovery, sharing the story of Giovambattista Ramusio, whose monumental work revolutionised our understanding of the world. The story brims with secrecy and skulduggery, drawing in popes and pirates, and beautifully captures the excitement and tumult of the years when Europeans were filling in the blank spaces on their maps. A great read for history buffs and adventure-seekers alike. * Ross King, author of The Bookseller of Florence *
What happens when the whole world-picture changes rapidly and decisively? Who assembles the critical information needed to construct a radically new understanding of the way things are? Thanks to the digital revolution, we have been living through such a disorienting transformation, but it is not the first time that received wisdom has been shattered and in urgent need of reassembling. The epochal voyages of the late 15th and early 16th century tore up the traditional European map of the globe and its inhabitants. Andrea di Robilant's wonderful book explores a succession of thrilling, often terrifying encounters with the other and reconstructs the career of the visionary collector who gave the public access to knowledge of how profoundly their world had changed. * Stephen Greenblatt, author of The Swerve: How the World Became Modern *
Andrea di Robilant marries the intrigue of Europe's most powerful royal courts with the globe-trotting thrill of adventure and discovery... This Earthly Globe is a wonderful book, told in an easy and propulsive style and carried by its fascinating central character. By bringing together such a wealth of travellers, many unknown to English audiences, di Robilant has reopened a treasury of stories for anyone interested in early European exploration and geography. * The Sunday Telegraph (5*) *
Andrea di Robilant offers a well-written, accessible introduction to the achievements of one of the great geographical collators of the Renaissance... A hugely entertaining account. * Times Literary Supplement *
Packed with travellers' tales and larger-than-life personalities, This Earthly Globe is an engaging read... Andrea di Robilant has triumphantly excavated [the life of Ramusio] * Literary Review *
A treasure trove of exciting tales and adventures, populated by a fascinating cast, that gives a thorough understanding of how Europeans discovered and mapped the other continents * Paul Strathern, author of The Medici *
A saga that grips and enthrals from start to finish. * Sunday Times on Autumn in Venice *
Hemingway [is] an enduringly fascinating character, one whom di Robilant, with his easy-paced style, has sympathetically brought to life. -- Andrew Lycett * Literary Review on Autumn in Venice *
Effortlessly and expertly explores the secret desires, successes, and depressive obstacles that shrouded Ernest Hemingway's final productive years. * New York Journal of Books on Autumn in Venice *
Andrea di Robilant illuminates the geopolitical machinations and heart-pounding voyages of 17th-century explorers... Scrupulously research­ed, This Earthly Globe reveals the riveting foundations of modern geography and cartography. * Scientific American *