A Brief History of the World in 47 Borders: Surprising Stories Behind the Lines on Our Maps

#1 International Bestseller | National Bestseller

Every border tells a surprising story in this uncommonly enlightening history that will change the way you understand the world

“A novel and fascinating perspective on world history.”―Bill Bryson

“By turns surprising, funny, bleak, ridiculous, or all four of those at once.”―Gideon Defoe, The Atlas of Extinct Countries

A single boundary might, upon closer inspection, reveal eons of history―from epic tales of conquest, treaties, and alliances to intimate, all-too-human stories of love, greed, and folly. None of the lines we know today were inevitable, and all might have looked quite different if not for the intricate interplay of chance and ambition. From the very first maps in Egypt to the Roman attempts to define the boundaries of civilization, from the profound shift in meaning of the Mason-Dixon Line to the secret British-French agreement to carve up the Ottoman Empire during the First World War, and from the dark consequences of Detroit’s city limits to the intriguing reason why landlocked Bolivia still maintains a navy, this is a singular look at all of human history―told through its most captivating border stories. 22 B&W maps

From the Publisher

The Local Government Reforms of Emperor Napoleon I

Napoleon’s empire at its greatest extent, c. 1812, overlaid on modern boundaries. The darker line shows the borders of the expanded France; the lighter one, client states. The empire of Austria was sometimes allied, too.

The American Invasion of Mexico

Territorial change in the US–Mexican War of 1846–8, superimposed on a map of the modern United States. The war saw the US capture territory that would form nearly six more states.

The Results of the Scramble for Africa

Buy 1913, the vast majority of the continent was dominated by a handful of European powers, although some areas were in revolt. (For those wondering, Huwan – today’s Ethiopia’s Somali Regional State – was in rebellion against Ethiopia.)

How the World Froze Territorial Claims in Antarctica

The overlapping territorial claims that slice Antarctica up like a pie. Only Marie Byrd Land, in the bottom left, remains unclaimed.

The Local Government Reforms of Emperor Napoleon I

The American Invasion of Mexico

The Results of the Scramble for Africa

How the World Froze Territorial Claims in Antarctica

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ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0DSZ9JXDR
Publisher ‏ : ‎ The Experiment
Publication date ‏ : ‎ September 2, 2025
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Print length ‏ : ‎ 368 pages
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 979-8893030822
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 13.6 ounces
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.6 x 1.1 x 8.3 inches
Best Sellers Rank: #53,119 in Books (See Top 100 in Books) #13 in World Atlases & Maps (Books) #14 in Historical Atlases & Maps (Books) #422 in International & World Politics (Books)
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