Atlas of Improbable Places: A Journey to the World's Most Unusual Corners (Unexpected Atlases)

Product Information

Travis Elborough writes about a wide range of subjects with originality, learning and charm.Atlas of the Unexpected...is seductively beautiful: an inspiring, dream-inducing guideto almost four dozen “haphazard discoveries, chance places and unimaginable destinations”..."David Kynaston, New Statesman–‘best books of 2018’ With beautiful maps and stunning photography, Atlas of Improbable Places is a fascinating voyage to the world’s most incredible destinations. These curious places are not just extraordinary sights but reflections on man’s own relationship with the world around us. The RRP is the suggested or Recommended Retail Price of a product, set by the publisher or manufacturer. Even though I found the book fascinating, it is shallow when talking about most places. In some cases, places I found more interesting, I felt the need to search for more pictures and info. I believe that a deep description of places was not the purpose of the book, though. Travis Elborough goes in search of the obscure and bizarre, the beautiful and arcane. His unique atlas shows you the modern world from surprising new vantage points. Discover the secret Soviet city of Zheleznogorsk and the church tower of San Juan Parangaricutiro, miraculously still standing as the sole survivor of a town sunk by lava. Explore the underground realms of Beijing and Berlin, dug for refuge and espionage, and the floating worlds of remote Palmerston and the macabre Island of Dolls.

The truths and myths behind these hidden lairs, forgotten cities and improbable wonders are as varied as the destinations themselves. These curious places are not just extraordinary sights but reflections on our relationship with the world around us. Acclaimed author and social commentator, Travis Elborough, is a marvellous travel guide to the world's most unusual corners. With beautiful maps and stunning photography illustrating each destination, Atlas of Improbable Places is a fascinating voyage to the world's most incredible destinations. As the Island of Dolls and the hauntingly titled Door to Hell — an inextinguishable fire pit - attest, mystery is never far away. The truths and myths behind their creation are as varied as the destinations themselves. Standing as symbols of worship, testaments to kingships or even the strange and wonderful traditions of old and new, these curious places are not just extraordinary sights but reflections on man's own relationship with the world around us. The chapter headings give a suggestion of the sorts of places covered, although sometimes that’s a stretch.

This engrossing book traverses the heights and depths, the beauty and terror, of our world.’ - THE OBSERVER The author offers a great variety, from formerly closed soviet cities and other deserted military places over utopian places like Christania and villages abandoned after wars or other incidents to modern creations like the artificial island “The Palm” and underground ways which were never meant to be discovered. In a time when exploring the world is something to look forward to but due to pandemic restrictions not easily doable, travel books are a great way to discover new places and stir up anticipation for the time after. Travis Elborough has found places which are not on the average agenda for a trip. In the subtitle, he calls them “the world’s most unusual corners” and I couldn’t agree more with that. First, my expectations. I expected more photographs and/or drawings/maps. I was thinking more along the lines of a coffee table or end table book, which usually means visually attractive as well as informative. This fell far short of what I would call visually appealing, though for a book that isn't supposed to be aesthetically pleasing it functions just fine. Atlas of the Unexpected is a journey tofar-off lands, obscure discoveriesand unimaginable locations, with45 beautiful, uniquemaps and evocative photography.

Visit beautiful Norwich Department store in the Heart of Norwich, or one of our branches in NorfolkTravis Elborough has been a freelance writer, author and cultural commentator for more than a decade now. His book include The Bus We Loved, a history of the Routemaster bus;The Long Player Goodbye, a hymn to vinyl records; and Wish You Were Here, a survey of the British beside the seaside. Elborough is a regular contributor to the Observer and the Guardian but has written for the Times, Sunday Times, New Statesman, the Oldie, TATE etc., BBC History magazine and Kinfolk among others and frequently appears on BBC Radio 4 and Five Live.