Master and Cartographer
A Life of Captain Greenvile Collins, the Man who Charted Britain and Helped Change the Course of History
Published on 12. March 2026
304 pages
978-1-83705-113-7 (ISBN)
Description
This is a book about maps and map-making, about power and class, and about war, seamanship and navigation. It is a study of wealth, patronage and money, in an England riven by religious disorder and toxic politics.
Greenvile Collins (1643-94) was a naval warrant officer who caught the attention of a King. His seagoing career took him from Patagonia to the Arctic, into battles against Dutch men of war and Barbary corsairs, and to the slave markets and Silk Road ports of the Mediterranean. A scientific navigator, his professional drive drew him to Shetland, the Scilly Isles and all points in between, as he undertook the most ambitious hydrographic survey of the British coastline yet attempted.
Then, even as he laboured to complete his monumental sea atlas, he was summoned yet again to the service of the Crown. The Glorious Revolution was a campaign of crisis for a deeply conflicted Royal Navy, and a crucial test of loyalty for Greenvile Collins and his fellow officers.
Greenvile Collins (1643-94) was a naval warrant officer who caught the attention of a King. His seagoing career took him from Patagonia to the Arctic, into battles against Dutch men of war and Barbary corsairs, and to the slave markets and Silk Road ports of the Mediterranean. A scientific navigator, his professional drive drew him to Shetland, the Scilly Isles and all points in between, as he undertook the most ambitious hydrographic survey of the British coastline yet attempted.
Then, even as he laboured to complete his monumental sea atlas, he was summoned yet again to the service of the Crown. The Glorious Revolution was a campaign of crisis for a deeply conflicted Royal Navy, and a crucial test of loyalty for Greenvile Collins and his fellow officers.
Reviews / Votes
'Fascinating and elegantly written, Master & Cartographer introduces a largely-forgotten naval hero of Stuart England' -- N.A.M. Rodger, author of <i>The Safeguard of the Sea</i>, <i>The Command of the Ocean</i> and <i>The Price of Victory</i> 'Greenvile Collins emerges as a sympathetic hero, who served three kings while compiling invaluable charts and navigational data for his fellow sailors. Not since Patrick O'Brian's Aubrey-Maturin novels have I enjoyed such rollicking armchair adventures at sea' -- Dava Sobel, author of <i>Longitude</i> 'A triumph. Far more than just the man who charted Britain, Greenvile Collins developed faster survey techniques, commanded ships, fought in battle, and ended his career as the leading hydrographer of the Navy. Alan Harper's major contribution places Collins in a critical series of events, linking charts and navigation with wars and the fast-paced transitions that occurred after 1688, adding a significant new dimension to the naval side of that tumultuous year' -- Andrew Lambert, Laughton Professor of Naval History, Kings College, London 'Very worthwhile - the author has an excellent grasp of his material, writes well, and his seagoing experience adds colour and interest to a compelling narrative' -- Dr David Davies, author of <i>Pepys's Navy</i> and <i>Kings of the Sea</i>, chair of the Society for Nautical ResearchMore details
Language
English
Place of publication
Stroud
United Kingdom
Illustrations
8 Plates, color; 13 Illustrations, color; 25 Illustrations, black and white
File size
32,49 MB
ISBN-13
978-1-83705-113-7 (9781837051137)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions
Alan Harper
Master and Cartographer
A Life of Captain Greenvile Collins, the Man who Charted Britain and Helped Change the Course of History
Book
approx. 03/2026
The History Press Ltd
€31.50
Not yet published
Person
Alan Harper is a yachting journalist, writer and editor. He gained his Yachtmaster Offshore qualification over 30 years ago and learned navigation the old way, with pencils, charts and parallel rules, similar techniques to Greenvile Collins' time, giving him a unique ability to relate to Collins' struggles and to analyse his cartography with an understanding of the issues of seamanship and navigation. His previous books include Waiting For Buddy Guy, which won the ASCAP Foundation Award and was a Living Blues book of the year.
