The three books you need to read this July

Our pick of the arts and culture titles to dip into this summer

THE SEA JOURNAL: SEAFARERS’ SKETCHBOOKS

Huw Lewis-Jones

A place of nostalgia, adventure, mystery and terror, the sea has inspired generations of artists and explorers. Bringing together private journals, log books, letters and drawings, this book delves into the exploits of voyagers, pirates and hydrographers, as they journey to frozen wildernesses and far-flung islands. Uncover the stories of Jeanne Baret, who disguised herself as a man to join the first French circumnavigation of the world, and the experiences of Tupaia, a Polynesian high priest who joined Captain Cook’s first voyage. Other highlights include Kumataro Ito’s intricate illustrations of nautical creatures, and Piri Reis’s Kitab-i Bahriye(book of maritime matters). Authored by seafarer Huw Lewis-Jones, The Sea Journalis a visual feast for historians and culture lovers.

Published by Thames & Hudson, £29.95

TALKING MAPS

 Jerry Brotton and Nick Millea

Not just tools for orientation, maps have been bound up with knowledge, identity and power throughout history. Written by Jerry Brotton, Professor of Renaissance Studies at Queen Mary University of London, and Nick Millea, Map Librarian at the Bodleian Libraries, this book highlights the changing role of maps. From allegorical guides to administrative documents, the book contains wonders including a 16th-century map of the Aztec capital of Tenochtitlan and an 11th-century representation of the Mediterranean from the Arabic Book of Curiosities. It also looks at the fictional world of J. R. R. Tolkien’s Middle-earth, Grayson Perry’s 21st-century tapestry map and digital population cartograms.

Published by Bodleian Library Publishing, £35.00

Talking Maps; until 8 March 2020; Bodleian Library, Oxford University; bodleian.ox.ac.uk

In Montparnasse: The Emergence of Surrealism in Paris, from Duchamp to Dalí

Sue Roe

From arguments and affairs to successes and scandals, this book captures the heady world of 1920s Montparnasse. A hotbed for artistic creativity, this Parisian neighbourhood welcomed artists including Man Ray, Marcel Duchamp and Salvador Dalí. Written by cultural writer Sue Roe, the book charts how the area witnessed the development of art movements including Surrealism and Dada.

Published by Fig Tree, £10.99