Extraordinary Islands
An atlas of unlikely places

By (author) Alastair Bonnett

ISBN13: 9781836005773

Imprint: Ivy Press

Publisher: Quarto Publishing PLC

Format: Hardback

Published: 18/09/2025

Availability: Not yet available

Description
Explore the World’s Most Extraordinary Islands: A Journey Through the Strange, Scary, Remote, and Naturally Odd Dive into a captivating exploration of 33 of the world’s most unique and enigmatic islands, each with its own compelling story. This visually stunning book is divided into four sections, each revealing a different facet of these extraordinary locales: Strange Uncover islands that defy the ordinary. From Ocean Flower in China, an artificial lotus-shaped archipelago now mired in financial ruin, to The World off Dubai, a man-made archipelago mimicking the world map, these islands challenge the boundaries of imagination. Marvel at the Floating City in the Pacific, a visionary eco-island, and learn about Pheasant Island, which changes national allegiance every six months. Scary Venture into the eerie and unsettling. Discover Runit Island’s ominous concrete dome packed with nuclear waste, or the haunting remains of Hashima Island, a decaying relic of Japan’s industrial past. Experience the chilling history of Vozrozhdeniya Island, the Soviet biological weapons site now abandoned but still perilous. Remote Journey to the furthest corners of the earth. Explore the isolated Robesons Islands, the forgotten Nauru, and Inaccessible Island, a volcanic outpost rarely seen by human eyes. Visit the United States Minor Outlying Islands and Fort Jefferson, remote and enigmatic outposts of the American landscape. Encounter North Sentinel Island, home to the world’s last uncontacted tribe. Naturally Odd Marvel at nature’s peculiar creations. Witness Rene-Lavasseur, a circular island formed by a meteor impact, and Chars of Assam, river islands that shift with the silt. Discover the magical floating islands of Pumice and Hunga Tonga, and the pristine Surtsey, a new island where scientists study the beginnings of life. Each chapter is a voyage into islands of wonder and mystery, offering a unique perspective on our planet’s most intriguing and lesser-known corners. Whether it’s an exploration of ambitious human endeavors or natural marvels, this book is a visual and narrative feast for the curious traveller.
Table of Contents Introduction Strange Islands Ocean Flower (China): The Lotus Archipelago The World (Dubai): A Man-Made Map Green Float/Floating City: The Eco-Utopia Pheasant Island: The Bilingual Border North Brother Island (New York): The Forgotten Quarantine Eustasia: Larry Page’s Private Retreat Caye Sable (Haiti): The World’s Densest Island Kihnu Islands (Estonia): Europe’s Last Matriarchy Scary Islands Runit (Marshall Islands): The Nuclear Tomb Hashima (Japan): The Battleship Island Vozrozhdeniya Island: The Biological Weapons Graveyard Fiery Cross (South China Sea): China’s Military Outpost The Sierra Madre (Philippines): The Rusting Frontier Thilafushi (Maldives): The Trash Island The Pacific Trash Vortex: The Floating Waste Remote Islands The Robesons (Panama) The Hidden Kuna Nauru: The Stripped-Down Nation Inaccessible Island: The Ultimate Isolation The United States Minor Outlying Islands: America’s Hidden Outposts Fort Jefferson (Florida): The Distant Fortress North Sentinel Island: The Uncontacted Tribe San Nicolas (California): The Lone Woman’s Refuge Naturally Odd Islands Rene-Lavasseur (Quebec): The Crater Island Chars of Assam (India): The Shifting River Islands The Minkies (Jersey): The Tidal Mirage Magic Island (Titan): The Enigmatic Moon Socotra (Yemen): The Island of Unusual Flora Kvarken Archipelago (Finland/Sweden): The Emerging Islands Pumice Island: The Floating Lava Graham Island: The Vanishing Island La Rota (Italy): The Floating Island of Lazio Hunga Tonga: The Erupting Newcomer Surtsey (Iceland): The Pristine Laboratory Acknowledgments About the Author Index
  • Places & peoples: general & pictorial works
  • Historical maps & atlases
  • General (US: Trade)
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Weight:750.00
List Price: £20.00