WGBH: The Commanding Heights

WGBH, the Boston-based television station, presented a series in 2002. Its broadband online version is Commanding Heights, The Battle for the World Economy. A part of this is the ambitious Time Map, an interactive atlas that tells about an aspect of the process of globalization by depicting the transformation of economic systems from command to liberal regimes during the 20th century around the globe. This necessitated the creation of an accurate series of world maps that show the frontiers around the World as they were at the end of each year from 1910-2002. John C. Nelson provided the cartographic base. He turned to me to ensure the historical reliability of the maps. I reviewed all the state frontiers that he tentatively entered based on easily accessible sources. I approved them when they were correct, but introduced more accurate differently positioned lines when necessary. In many instances it remained for me to compile frontiers, or quasi-frontiers, for situations when boundaries were in an essentially fluid condition at the respective given periods, such as during years that followed the end of WWI.

The Commanding Heights website was honoured subsequently with an award from the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) in their Online Learning category.

(To view my name in the credits scroll down to Design.)