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

Product Information

Inspiring urban explorers and armchair travellers alike to consider a new way of understanding the world we live in, this unique atlas shows you the modern world from surprising new vantage points. 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. Travis Elborough goes in search of the obscure and bizarre, the beautiful and estranged. From the church tower of San Juan Parangaricutiro, that miraculously stands as the sole survivor of a town sunk by lava, to the underground realms of Beijing and Berlin dug for refuge and espionage, the incredible stories of hidden lairs, forgotten cities and improbable wonders are told. 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. 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.

And Subterranean Realms - I did not know there was an underground railway in London dedicated to mail delivery.It is perhaps the eighth wonder of our world that despite modern mapping and satellite photography our planet continues to surprise us. I have been to only two; Colma City just South of San Francisco which is home to over 1,000,000 million graves and whose moto is “It’s great to be alive!” and Aokigahara near Mt. Fuji Japan that has the 2nd highest number of suicides just behind the Golden Gate Bridge. Architectural Oddities - did you know that the London Bridge built in 1831 today stands in Arizona? 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. 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’

WINNER OF THE EDWARD STANFORD TRAVEL ILLUSTRATED BOOK OF THE YEAR AWARD FOR Atlas of Vanishing Places. 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. The chapter headings give a suggestion of the sorts of places covered, although sometimes that’s a stretch. 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. Atlas of Improbable Places shows the modern world from surprising new vantage points that will inspire urban explorers and armchair travellers alike to consider a new way of understanding the world we live in.PDF / EPUB File Name: Atlas_of_Improbable_Places_-_Travis_Elborough.pdf, Atlas_of_Improbable_Places_-_Travis_Elborough.epub 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. WINNER OF THE EDWARD STANFORD TRAVEL ILLUSTRATED BOOK OF THE YEAR AWARD FOR Atlas of Vanishing Places. As I read this book, I was googling the locations and interesting many would appear as the first possible match after only 2 or 3 letters.

Deserted Destinations - deliberately, as in Wittenoom in WA, abandoned due to asbestos; or because people just… drifted away;

Secrets

This engrossing book traverses the heights and depths, the beauty and terror, of our world.’ - THE OBSERVER

Atlas of Improbable Places has that rare, through-the-wardrobe quality. It is a delightful compendium of the strangest places on the planet.' On the flip side, since this has very few images and very short chapters it is actually a book one can easily read through rather than dip into periodically. Once I approached it as a more shallow overview rather than something that would make me feel I really knew these places, it became a decent read. I just didn't actually anticipate this kind of book. The places I had been I felt were given too short of an introduction which makes me wonder what wasn't brought up in the other entries.I would still recommend this to readers who want to know about some of the more "improbable" or unusual places in the world, especially readers who want to simply have a list of places that they can then research on their own.