Glad to see your interest SW. A couple of options for you. First the website,http://www.maphistory.info/ provides quite a bit of information on just that, the history of maps and mapmaking...of course, for me, it's a case of information overload.

Also, if you are looking to "donate" your money for a great tome, the University of Chicago Press published the multi-volume http://www.press.uchicago.edu/books/HOC/index.html. Volume One, on prehistoric, Old World, Ancient Europe, Africa, and Middle Eastern cartography is $260 for the coffee table version, but it's also free as a PDF.

Hope that helps you some.