The finest and most comprehensive baroque atlas was Joan Blaeu's exceptional "Atlas Maior", completed in 1665. The original eleven-volume Latin edition, containing 594 maps, put Blaeu ahead of his staunch competitor, mapmaker Joanes Janssonius, whose rivalry inspired Blaeu to produce a grandiose edition of the largest and most complete atlas to date. Covering Arctica, Europe, Africa, Asia, and America, Blaeu's "Atlas Maior" was a remarkable achievement and remains to this day one of history's finest examples of mapmaking. This reprint, including all 63 maps of Belgium and Holland (known in 1665 as the Republic of the United Netherlands and the Spanish or Royal Netherlands), is made from the National Library of Vienna's colored, gold-heightened copy, thus assuring the best possible detail and quality. Alongside original quotes from Joan Blaeu relating to the individual maps, the new text by Peter van der Krogt explains the historical and cultural associations and introduces the reader into the fascinating world of early modern cartography.