博客來Every line on a map carries a legacy. Some were carved by conquerors, others negotiated by diplomats, and still others meticulously charted by cartographers who never set foot in the lands they divided. These borders-whether drawn in candlelit chambers or imposed by colonial administrators-became the foundations of nations, the flashpoints of wars, and the boundaries of identity.
Empire Builders: The Men Who Drew Borders traces the global history of border-making, from the earliest land surveys in Mesopotamia and Rome to the partitions of empires, the carving up of Africa, and the modern disputes in the Middle East, the Arctic, and the South China Sea. Through sweeping narrative and sharp detail, it reveals how the pen strokes of statesmen and the lines of mapmakers reshaped entire continents.
This is not just the story of maps-it is the story of power. Borders define who belongs and who does not, who thrives and who is excluded. They outlast the empires that created them, inherited by generations who live with their consequences. By exploring their origins and endurance, this book illuminates why the conflicts, migrations, and identities of today are inseparable from the borders drawn centuries ago.
