The sun is setting on the Western world. Slowly but surely, the direction in which the world spins has reversed: where for the last five centuries the globe turned westwards on its axis, it now turns to the east...For centuries, fame and fortune was to be found in the west - in the New World of the Americas. Today, it is the east which calls out to those in search of adventure and riches. The region stretching from eastern Europe and sweeping right across Central Asia deep into China and Indi...

At the heart of University College London, nestled in the centre of Bloomsbury, lies a room that had remained undisturbed for decades. When Professor James Cheshire stumbles upon it, he set about exploring its contents in the hope of saving them. For three years, he sifted through the countless dusty drawers and was stunned to discover some of the most significant maps and atlases from the last two centuries - many of which have not seen the light of day since they were created.

Maps...