A History of Roads in 100 Maps

The major form of travel throughout history has been roadways. And while humanity has traversed these roadways on foot, by horse or in mechanical vehicles, there is the common theme of a particular route; a right of way differentiating the roadway from adjoining countryside. This book provides the first unique survey of the mapping of roads, exploring the development of these most essential of societies’ arteries.

Taking as its principal research source one of the world’s greatest historical map collections at the British Library, this volume commences with Konrad Peutinger’s celebrated map of 4th Century Roman roads but, as the print revolution develops, we are soon transported along pilgrim routes, across conqueror’s maps, along early Modern post-roads and via the beautiful cartography of Japan’s 1666 Tōkaidō map. A History of Roads in 100 Maps also explores the early maps of Automobile Clubs, heralding the dramatic revolution motorised transport brought to roads, and concludes with a similarly seismic shift, a century later, as the birth of the information superhighway reinvented the road map for ever.

• Publication date: 8 October 2026
• Page count: 288
• Dimensions: Height 289 mm; Width 232 mm; Thickness 30 mm
• Publisher: British Library Publishing
• Format: Hardback
• ISBN-13: 9780712369367