Interspersed with these segments are brief historical synopses by notable US historians. The show format follows Unger as he travels to various locations and interviews local people, visits important historical and cultural sites, and provides commentary from behind the wheel of his car as he drives from location to location. It thus tackles the "shapes" of the states in a metaphorical sense as well as a literal sense.Įach episode has a particular theme, such as how the landscape, language, or natural resources contributed to the borders and character of various US states. The show deals with how the various states of the United States established their borders but also delves into other aspects of history, including failed states, proposed new states, and the local culture and character of various US states. It is hosted by Brian Unger and is based on Mark Stein's book, How the States Got Their Shapes. How the States Got Their Shapes is a US television series that aired on the History Channel. Visit us for daily geospatial news, exclusive geospatial industry articles, geospatial technology webinars and all-things-geospatial podcasts.American TV series or program How the States Got Their Shapes The DirectionsMag Geospatial Community Blog is an extension of Directions Magazine.
However, before you dive into those, be sure to read the preface, which offers context to the armchair adventures upon which you will set sail. Some are uplifting others are disturbing. The page-pairs of text and maps are compelling. The text is dramatic and personal, as when an explorer on Macquarie Island off New Zealand "completely disappears into the field of black and white" (he is eaten by the millions of sea-birds on the island) or when describing the displacement of thousands of people to make way for the British military base on Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean. Schalansky divides the chapters geographically by ocean, from the Arctic, to Atlantic, Indian, Pacific and Antarctic. The descriptions tell the story of these islands, not simply in geographic terms but through the unique stories of their human and nonhuman essence. This befits the subtitle, “Fifty Islands I Have Never Set Foot On and Never Will.” As we dive into the page-pairs of text and map, we start to feel the remoteness of these places.
In contrast to the rich colors of the previously reviewed “Atlas of the Invisible,” the maps in Judith Schalansky's “Atlas of Remote Islands” are stark, with only four colors.
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