Demand for world’s biggest atlas defies credit crunch

Given the perfect storm encircling the economy right now, it’s comforting to know there is still demand out there in at least a few sectors - including, it seems, the market for luxury atlases.
Despite a price tag of £2,400, up from £2,000 on its initial release, interest remains healthy in the world’s biggest and most expensive atlas.
Dubbed the “ultimate book about our world”, the limited-edition Earth weighs in at more than 66lbs, heavier than most airlines allow for individual baggage allowances.
Lying closed, it takes up a third of a square metre with four gatefolds opening out to two square metres each.
There are 355 maps and 800 photos across 580 pages, all contained in a hand-bound leather cover with gilded edges and silver plated corners.
More than 100 cartographers worked on the project over two years using detail from a continuously updated world database of digital mapping.
The core audience here includes private collectors, libraries, map enthusiasts and armchair travellers. The print run is only 3,000 copies with just 200 earmarked for the UK. It is already proving a good investment opportunity with a copy selling at an auction in Dubai recently for nearly £5,000.
Earth is being distributed here by the Northamptonshire firm Global Mapping whose cartographic experts were part of the worldwide production team. The company have done well with trade marketing through the Frankfurt Book Fair and pitching to consumer media via a launch led by TV presenter and environmental campaigner David Bellamy. His words sum up the appeal of the atlas: “It is a fantastic production. The book shows that we live in a wonderful world and serves as a reminder that we must stop trashing our soils, rivers and fisheries. If we don’t, what are we going to hand on to our children? The atlas presents a detailed picture of what our planet’s natural beauty could continue to look like. It tells me that nations should speak peace and conservation to each other.”