Popescu-Spineni, Marin, Rumänien in seinen Geographischen und Kartographischen Quellen vom Altertum bis an die Schwelle unseres Jahrhunderts. Wiesbaden: Verlag Otto Harrassowitz, 1987. ISBN-3-447-02582-4. 6½ x 9½ inches, xiii, 392pp., illustrated, paper. (Taunusstrasse 14, Postfach 2929, D-6200, Wiesbaden 1, Germany, DM98)

This is a scholarly study of Rumanian cartography, rather than a comprehensive bibliography of all maps showing Rumania.  The work is divided into three sections covering antiquity, the Middle Ages, and modern times.  The first section presents what ancient authorities knew of the region, among them Seneca, Josephus, Emperor Trajan, Origen, and many more obscure sources.  The section on the Middle Ages concludes with the familiar names of Schedel, Münster, Honter, Thevet, and others.  The "modern" section begins with the work of Blaeu, Cluver, Sanson, Danckerts, De Fer, and eventually works its way into what for most will be unfamiliar territory.  One illustration shows the title page of a manuscript geography in Moldavian.  The book consists largely of capsule summaries of the work of each cartographer or historian as it pertains to Rumania.  Unfortunately, if one is interested in, say, Güssefeld, there is no index to find out where his work is discussed.  This can necessitate much page flipping.  I think the book is best read or skimmed straight through, during which time one can make one's own personal index of interesting items.  Despite this drawback, those concerned with the cartography of this region will find many interesting nuggets of data accumulated over the lifetime of the author.

David C. Jolly, 1992