Klappentext

List of Figures AcknowledgmentsIntroductionPart One: Geography's CrisisOne: The Nature of Eighteenth-Century Geography: Cartographic and Textual DescriptionTwo: Geography's Loss of Direction and StatusPart Two: Reaction and ContinuityThree: Universal DescriptionFour: The Powerful Mapping MetaphorFive: Handmaiden to PowerPart Three: Innovation on the MarginsSix: Explaining the Social RealmSeven: Innovation in Natural GeographyEight: Tough-Minded Historical GeographyConclusionNotesReferencesIndexGodlewska/Geography Unbound-contents1

Zusammenfassung
At the end of the 18th century, French geographers faced a crisis, they were unable to adapt their descriptive focus to the emphasis on theory/explanation. This text presents a portrait of this period in the development of modern geography through the careers of individuals from Cassini to Volney.

Inhalt
Part 1 Geography's crisis: the nature of 18th-century geography - cartographic and textual description; geography's loss of direction and status. Part 2 Reaction and continuity: universal description; the powerful mapping metaphor; handmaiden to power. Part 3 Innovation on the margins: explaining the social realm; innovation in natural geography; tough-minded historical geography.