A three-part series produced by BBC 4 

In a series about the extraordinary stories behind maps, Professor Jerry Brotton, British historian, Professor of Renaissance Studies, Queen Mary University of London uncovers how maps aren't simply about getting from A to B, but are revealing snapshots of defining moments in history and tools of political power and persuasion.

Maps: Power, Plunder and Possession – Episode 1:

Windows on the World | (60 min; 2010; English) | ( Click here to watch )
Director: Rosie Schellenberg

Professor Jerry Brotton explains the creation and importance of maps, discovering the latest technology being used to improve the cartographer's art and revolutionise mankind's knowledge of the world. On a visit to the oldest known map, etched into a hillside 3,000 years ago, he considers how different cultures have approached map-making over millennia, often as a tool for expansionism and political control.