Historical Maps, animated

If you haven't seen it, Maps of War is really worth checking out.

I had some pretty bad history teachers growing up, and it really wasn't until college that I took another look at history. It's a big part of how the world became what it is today, and, as such, is an important thing for anyone with an interest in international affairs to at least have a general awareness of.

That said, one of the hardest things in those early history classes was keeping track of all the maps, all the rising and falling empires, and when that was all happening.

Not to sound like too much of a fanboy, but Maps of War illustrates these beautifully. Granted, they skip on the details, but the trade-off is worth the visual appeal:

See this one, on the spread of Democracy from Rome to the modern day:


Or this one, on the ruling powers in the Middle East throughout history:


Go take a look at the ones they have, and maybe shoot them an email asking them to make more:
Maps of War