Authors Electric

 An atlas was once considered an essential reference book for anyone’s bookcase. Remember that beautiful scene in the Ang Lee’s adaptation of Sense and Sensibility where young Margaret Dashwood sits under the table, perusing an oversized atlas, planning her adventures? Later it is given to as a gift to her by the very handsome Edward Ferrers played Hugh Grant. While searching for an apt literary quote, I discovered that scene was never actually written by Miss Austen, but added to the film to flesh out Edward’s character. Nevertheless, I think my premise still stands, that once upon a time a world atlas was an important tome in almost every household. Along with a family Bible, dictionary and perhaps the complete works of Shakespeare. Nowadays they become obsolete almost as quickly as they are printed. Few of us rely on road atlases in our cars any more as they have been superseded by satnavs and Goggle maps, much less fiddly to use en route , potentially causing less argum...