One of the things I promised myself for the New Year is a world atlas - the type that makes even an adult feel like a child when opening it - one with lots of details, rich lush colors and shading, maybe general country/city stats and photos. I've stopped by a couple bookstores and looked at the various ones here at work and I wonder if any Fodorites have a favorite atlas?

I suggest you head for the map room at a major university library and take a look around. You do not have to be enrolled to look, at least in my experience. <BR>I don't think any one atlas can be all things to all people; it depends on what you want to maximize. For example, I love the newest National Geographic Atlas, but it does not do full justice to the mountains of Nepal. Moreover, it is not much of a highway atlas for anywhere. So it all depends on what you want to have in your collection.

Oxford Atlas Of The World. All the details, history, color you need!

The graphics in the Rand McNally New International Atlas - Twenty Fifth Anniversary Edition are fantastic.

Thanks for the suggestions. I finishing the book "Off the Map - The Curious History of Place-Names" by Derek Nelson. If the history of maps and how places got their names interest you, you'll probably enjopy this book.

Sorry - hit the post reply button by mistake, I meant to proof my post (honestly)

Sorry - hit the post reply button by mistake, I meant to proof my post (honestly)

Last x-mas I promised myself a new atlas after getting some money as a gift. I needed to upgrade from the 1968 Hammond atlas I'd been using. I suggest setting some time aside and going to Borders or any large bookstore and looking through the atlas section. I ended up with another Hammond - its big enough to be satisfying, but not so heavy that my legs fall asleep when I set it on my lap. It has lots of interesting stats and a pretty nice scale on the maps. (Although the 1968 version was even better - although so hopelessly out of date.) I think it was around $40. <BR> <BR>There were some really fantastic large atlases - National Geographic comes to mind, that were around $100+, but were just beautiful. So my favorite, in 1968 would have been the Hammond - current favorite, the 1999 Hammond - and I guess the National Geographic 'big mama' atlas if you have sturdy table.

I recently purchased an atlas as a Christmas gift for someone, and after a lot of research and comparisons, I ended up buying the National Geographic one. It was just over $100, but I really thought it was the best of everything out there.