Dating back to classical times, globes are the oldest continuous technique for picturing the Earth and heavens. Globes have been used as classroom and philosophical aids, tools for navigation, compendiums for geographical and astronomical information, and even high-status furniture. Before the onset of modern industrial techniques, their construction required great skill. The National Maritime Museum at Greenwich has one of the world's largest and finest collections of globes, with over 300 items including terrestrial and celestial examples, armillary spheres and planispheres; the collection includes important early collections by Barberini, Landau and Gabb. This volume is a complete catalogue of the collection by one of the leading authorities on Western globes. It includes full descriptions, numerous illustrations, nine introductory essays, and an integrated section on the Museum's Islamic globes.