The graphic above has been called the best statistical graphic ever drawn. It is Charles Minard's infographic of Napoleon's failed invasion of Russia in 1812-1813. It is ultimately a map overlaid with key facts about the campaign. Amazingly, it was published in 1869 - well before the term 'infographic' was created.
The beige line is Napoleon's advance to Moscow and the black line is his retreat. The thickness of the beige and black lines indicate the number of....