Millennium House brings Earth, Earth Concise to Abu Dhabi

Earth is being brought to Abu Dhabi in response to the enormous interest it has generated among bibliophiles, collectors and cartographic enthusiasts in the region.

Gordon Cheers, Managing Director and co-founder of Millennium House and the man behind Earth, said the company is eager to take part in the Abu Dhabi International Book Fair.

He noted:

"We are proud that through Earth we could bring back the fine art of hand binding, which has almost disappeared from publishing industry. It has also set a new benchmark in cartography and publishing excellence. This rare atlas is now part of some of the most discerning library collections in the UAE and it will lure more book lovers through this fair."

Also owing to the significance of this masterpiece as an educational tool, Millennium House has produced a 'baby' Earth - Earth Concise - with the best collection of world maps available. Earth Concise won the International Map Trade Award (IMTA) for Best Book in 2008.

"Spreading knowledge is the core of our business and by producing Earth Concise we provide public schools and families with an opportunity to help children learn more about Planet Earth," said Mr. Cheers, who believes that every child should grow up with an atlas in their home.

Earth Concise is made affordable at Dhs340 so that every family in the world can own this unique baby Atlas.

The atlas, a time capsule of planet Earth, has been hailed as a publication masterpiece for its vast and accurate coverage, excellent maps, the highest artistic quality of its cartographic works and for the brilliant printing and packaging.

Commenting on Earth's arrival, Claudia Kaiser, General Manager of the Abu Dhabi International Book Fair, said:

"Millennium House's participation in the book fair with its publication marvel will add to the content value of the event. As one of the biggest book fairs in the region we offer book lovers and collectors an excellent opportunity to enjoy the new wonders of the publishing world. The fair is an occasion where Earth comes within the reach of its exclusive customers and we are looking forward to seeing the excitement it will create."

After two years of meticulous creation by a team of international experts, the 20-kg, 580-page atlas made its debut in Sydney in October 2008. Millennium House later took Earth on a world tour, also arriving in the UAE to take part in the Sharjah World Book Fair 2008.

"Most atlases are about space. We created a book about place — in this case, the place is a planet," said Tom Paradise, one of the major contributors to Earth. Paradise, Director of the King Fahd Center for Middle East and Islamic Studies in the J. William Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences, wrote most of the section on North Africa.

Besides its weight and cost, what makes Earth unique is how the many facets of a place are integrated into one volume: physical features, foods and language, agriculture and natural resources, economics and politics, people and culture, climate and geology.

"No other atlas has been able to capture all of these aspects in such an informative, accurate and beautiful manner. Already it's being called the 'must-have Atlas,'" Paradise said.

"Geographic accuracy, spatial visualization, artistic composition and color, high-resolution and fine photography, and regional expertise in describing countries and places have all come together in one extraordinary atlas," said Paradise, who has provided expert advice and help on cartography for numerous atlases, in addition to having authored three himself.

There are only 3,000 copies of Earth available worldwide, targeting a highly exclusive group and priced accordingly. Following the printing, the plates will be destroyed, giving only one in 2.2 million people the honour of having this extraordinary book.

The Earth anthology consists of two editions - Royal Blue and Imperial Gold - each copy numbered and carrying a Certificate of Authenticity signed by Gordon Cheers. The 2,000 copies of Royal Blue Earth are hand bound in royal blue leather with silver-gilded cover and pages.

The Imperial Gold is an enhanced edition with only 1,000 copies, each hand bound in gold leather with gold gilding and foiling, the price of which is undisclosed. It is not available in book shops and can only be viewed by appointment with Millennium House.

The leather bound preservation case enables each copy of Earth to be handed down to generations to remain as an epic cartographic, luxurious, legacy.

Millennium House has redefined cartography and publishing through Earth. A team of over 100 cartographers, oceanographers and geographers produced and collated 355 maps, covering 170 countries. The atlas has four gatefolds, including one titled "Earth from the Sky at Night." Each gatefold extends to over two metres in length. Fifty editors and writers worked on collecting fascinating facts about the planet and carefully selected images from the National Geographic and NASA libraries.

Earth is the fulfillment of a 20-year dream by Gordon Cheers for which he founded the publishing house. Even at this time of global economic downturn, requests for the book have been overwhelming, clearly proving that demand for luxury and collections of significance remains unaffected.