Synopses & Reviews
An intriguing collection of more than one hundred out-of-the-ordinary maps, blending art, history, and pop culture for a unique atlas of humanity.
Spanning many centuries, all continents, and the realms of outer space and the imagination, this collection of 138 unique graphics combines beautiful full-color illustrations with quirky statistics and smart social commentary. The result is a distinctive illustrated guide to the world. Categories of cartographic curiosities include:
- Literary Creations, featuring a map of Thomas More's Utopia and the world of George Orwell's 1984
- Cartographic Misconceptions, such as a lavish seventeenth century map depicting California as an island
- Political Parody, containing the Jesusland map and other humorous takes on voter profiles
- Whatchamacallit, including a map of the area codes for regions where the rapper Ludacris sings about having hoes
- Obscure Proposals, capturing Thomas Jefferson's vision for dividing the Northwest Territory into ten states with names such as Polypotamia and Assenisipia
- Fantastic Maps, with a depiction of what the globe might look like if the sea and land were inverted
The Strange Maps blog has been named by GeekDad Blog on Wired.com one of the more unusual and unique sites seen on the Web that doesn't sell anything or promote an agenda and it's currently ranked #423 on Technorati's Top 500 Blogs.
Brimming with trivia, deadpan humor, and idiosyncratic lore, Strange Maps is a fascinating tour of all things weird and wonderful in the world of cartography.
Review
andldquo;Itandrsquo;s not so much the idea of the journey, or even movement that Alastair Bonnett has on its mind...Here, itandrsquo;s all about location, location, location...He takes the reader to andlsquo;the ends of the earth and the other side of the street,andrsquo; illuminating why it is that place matters and demands our attention andndash; lest we lose the very essence of who we are...andquot; --
The New York Times Book Review andquot;Delightfully quirky.andquot; andmdash;Ron Charles,and#160;Washington Post
andquot;Fascinating...A conversational, thoroughly researched, and very engaging armchair tour of what might be seen as a parallel planet to the one we live in every dayandmdash;one in which nothing is ordinary...Alastair Bonnett is a most excellent traveling companion.andquot; andmdash;The Atlantic
andquot;Unruly [Places] overflows with amazing examples of the worldand#39;s hidden places.andquot; andmdash;Entertainment Weekly
andquot;[Bonnett] takes us to one-of-a-kind, off-the-grid areasandmdash;from Cappadocia to Camp Zeist to Chitmahaisandmdash;in this inspired, instructive travelogue on earthand#39;s lost spaces, breakaway nations, no-manand#39;s-lands, floating islands, and secret enclaves.andquot; andmdash;Elle
andquot;Bonnett is an excellent guide and literary companion. He wears his learning and his prejudices lightly, leaving the reader to join the geopolitical dots. He succeeds in making the strange familiar and the familiar strange, fully justifying his conclusion that andquot;ordinary places are also extraordinary places; the exotic can be around the corner or right under our feet.andquot; andmdash;Los Angeles Times
andquot;A chronicle of the worldandrsquo;s missing and hidden treasures...Bonnett manages to imbue the mundaneandmdash;a traffic island in Newcastle, Englandandmdash;with the same gravitas given to the politically and historically weightyandmdash;an empty decoy city in North Korea meant to lure defectors from its southern neighbor.andquot; andmdash;The Daily Beastandquot;Alastair Bonnett shows us that our maps still hold plenty of secrets...The geography of the unknown has never been so comprehensible.andquot; andmdash;Mother Jones
andquot;[A] delightfully outlandish travelogue. Youandrsquo;ll never look at a mapandmdash;or your own backyardandmdash;the same way again.andquot; andmdash;O, The Oprah Magazine
andquot;Fascinating...A comforting read, much like dipping into a highly intelligent travel magazine, a book that teases the imagination while remaining firmly rooted in the factual.andquot; andmdash;Boston Globe
andquot;If youandrsquo;re someone who can happily while away the hours leafing through old atlases or scrolling through Google Maps, this is the book for you...[A] wonderful book.andquot; andmdash;Seattle Times
andquot;An ideal travel tome.andquot;and#160; andmdash;Pauline Frommer, Frommers.com
andquot;Looking at even the most familiar landscapes through his eyes opens up new ways of seeing. andquot; andmdash;The Columbus Dispatch
andquot;Thought-provoking...Unruly Places is a timely call to rethink our relationship to the map.andquot; andmdash;Menand#39;s Journal
andquot;Fizzingly entertaining and enlightening.andquot; andmdash;The Telegraph
andldquo;A fascinating delve into uncharted, forgotten, and lost places. . . . not just a trivia-tastic anthology of remote destinations but a nifty piece of psychogeography, explaining our human need for these cartographical conundrums.andquot; andmdash;Wanderlust
andldquo;Unruly Places works to re-enchant the world by introducing us to unlikely places: places that exist but cannot be found on any map, places on maps that do not exist, islands that disappear or suddenly appear, deserts that form out of lakes, and labyrinths beneath cities. Carefully avoiding nostalgia and rose-tinted topophilia, Bonnett manages to reveal a myriad of ways in which place and geography still matter.andrdquo; andmdash;Tim Cresswell, author of Place, An Introduction and professor of history and international affairs, Northeastern University
andldquo;Through dozens of punchy tales, Bonnett takes us on an imaginative grand tour of the most exceptional places in the world, reminding us that even in an age of seemingly total surveillance, the world is teeming with geographic mysteries.andrdquo; andmdash;Bradley Garrett, author of Explore Everything
andquot;An inspiring compendium of unusual destinations that will ignite your wanderlust.andquot; andmdash;Shelf Awareness
andquot;Bonnettandrsquo;s charming, pensive prose and light-handed erudition illuminates the stubborn human impulse to find a home in the unlikeliest places.andquot; andmdash;Publishers Weekly
andquot;A wonderful collection of a few dozen geographical enchantments, places that defy expectations and may disturb and disorient yet rekindle the romanticism of exploration and the meaning of place...A scintillating poke to our geographical imaginations.andquot; andmdash;Kirkus Reviews (STARRED review)
andquot;This book will satisfy armchair travelers as well as those who appreciate thought-provoking journeys.andquot; andmdash;Library Journal
and#160;
Synopsis
Spanning many centuries, all continents, and the realms of outer space and the imagination, this collection of 138 unique graphics combines beautiful full-color illustrations with quirky statistics and smart social commentary. The result is a distinctive illustrated guide to the world.
Synopsis
A tour of the worldandrsquo;s hidden geographiesandmdash;from disappearing islands to forbidden desertsandmdash;and a stunning testament to how mysterious the world remains todayAt a time when Google Maps Street View can take you on a virtual tour of Yosemiteandrsquo;s remotest trails and cell phones double as navigational systems, itandrsquo;s hard to imagine thereandrsquo;s any uncharted ground left on the planet. In Unruly Places, Alastair Bonnett goes to some of the most unexpected, offbeat places in the world to reinspire our geographical imagination.
Bonnettandrsquo;s remarkable tour includes moving villages, secret cities, no manandrsquo;s lands, and floating islands. He explores places as disorienting as Sandy Island, an island included on maps until just two years ago despite the fact that it never existed. Or Sealand, an abandoned gun platform off the English coast that a British citizen claimed as his own sovereign nation, issuing passports and crowning his wife as a princess. Or Baarle, a patchwork of Dutch and Flemish enclaves where walking from the grocery storeandrsquo;s produce section to the meat counter can involve crossing national borders.
An intrepid guide down the road much less traveled, Bonnett reveals that the most extraordinary places on earth might be hidden in plain sight, just around the corner from your apartment or underfoot on a wooded path. Perfect for urban explorers, wilderness ramblers, and armchair travelers struck by wanderlust, Unruly Places will change the way you see the places you inhabit.
and#160;
Synopsis
This wide-ranging and eclectic collection of mapsandmdash;all inspired by literary classicsandmdash;offers readers a new way of looking at their favorite fictional worlds. The maps relate to both traditional classics (such as The Odyssey, Hamlet, and Pride and Prejudice), along with newer additions to the canon (The Shining, Watership Down, and The Handmaidandrsquo;s Tale), and extend across many genres. The maps are not only beautiful, but also borrow heavily from the booksandrsquo; various aesthetics and themesandmdash;offering new perspectives on the worldandrsquo;s most revered literary works.
Synopsis
This incredibly wide-ranging collection of mapsandmdash;all inspired by literary classicsandmdash;offers readers a new way of looking at their favorite fictional worlds. Andrew DeGraffandrsquo;s stunningly detailed artwork takes readers deep into the landscapes from The Odyssey,and#160;Hamlet,and#160;Pride and Prejudice, Invisible Man, A Wrinkle in Time,and#160;Watership Down, A Christmas Carol, and more. Sure to reignite a love for old favorites and spark fresh interest in more recent works as well, Plotted provides a unique new way of appreciating the lands of the human imagination.
Synopsis
We often look to mapmakers in history to be the sober artists, creating tools of conquest and commerce.and#160; But every once in a while, thankfully, humor has infused, leaving a legacy of cartographic curiosities.and#160; There have been maps crafted of sushi and sashimi, maps in the shapes of animals, an olfactory map of Newport, Rhode Island, etc.and#160; And these maps have an avid fan base--with blogs dedicated to Strange Maps, for example.and#160;
This collection is a curation of cartographic curiosities from the British Library collections. The author has unearthed an array of the curious and whimsical, from game maps to maps in human form, to political, moral and religious maps.and#160; The selection is, at times, as idiosyncratic, or personal, as the curious maps themselves. And it is accompanied by discursive captions as well as an introduction that identifies some key themes of map production, curious styles, and the commerce and collection of curious maps.
Synopsis
Since that ancient day when the first human drew a line connecting Point A to Point B, maps have been understood as one of the most essential tools of communication. Despite differences in language, appearance, or culture, maps are universal touchstones in human civilization.
and#160;
Over the centuries, maps have served many varied purposes; far from mere guides for reaching a destination, they are unique artistic forms, aides in planning commercial routes, literary devices for illuminating a story. Accuracyandmdash;or inaccuracyandmdash;of maps has been the make-or-break factor in countless military battles throughout history. They have graced the walls of homes, bringing prestige and elegance to their owners. They track the mountains, oceans, and stars of our existence. Maps help us make sense of our worlds both real and imaginaryandmdash;they bring order to the seeming chaos of our surroundings.
and#160;
With The Curious Map Book, Ashley Baynton-Williams gathers an amazing, chronologically ordered variety of cartographic gems, mainly from the vast collection of the British Library. He has unearthed a wide array of the whimsical and fantastic, from maps of board games to political ones, maps of the Holy Land to maps of the human soul. In his illuminating introduction, Baynton-Williams also identifies and expounds upon key themes of map production, peculiar styles, and the commerce and collection of unique maps. This incredible volume offers a wealth of gorgeous illustrations for anyone who is cartographically curious.and#160;
About the Author
Andrew DeGraff attended Pratt Institute in Brooklyn and also teaches there. His clients include Kelloggandrsquo;s, Visa, Gap Kids, Bed Bath and Beyond,andnbsp;The New York Times, andandnbsp;The New York Observer. He now makes his home in the San Francisco Bay Area.
Table of Contents
and#160;and#160;and#160;INTRODUCTIONand#160;and#160;and#160; ix
and#160;and#160;and#160;Lost Spacesand#160;and#160;and#160; 1
Sandy Islandand#160;and#160;and#160; 3
Leningradand#160;and#160;and#160; 8
Arneand#160;and#160;and#160; 12
Old Meccaand#160;and#160;and#160; 15
New Mooreand#160;and#160;and#160; 20
Time Landscapeand#160;and#160;and#160; 24
The Aralqum Desertand#160;and#160;and#160; 28
and#160;and#160;and#160;Hidden Geographiesand#160;and#160;and#160; 35
The Labyrinthand#160;and#160;and#160; 37
Zheleznogorskand#160;and#160;and#160; 42
The Underground Cities of Cappadociaand#160;and#160;and#160; 46
Fox Denand#160;and#160;and#160;51
North Cemetery, Manilaand#160;and#160;and#160; 55
North Sentinel Islandand#160;and#160;and#160; 59
and#160;and#160;and#160;No Manand#8217;s Landsand#160;and#160;and#160;67
Between Border Posts (Guinea and Senegal)and#160;and#160;and#160; 69
Bir Tawiland#160;and#160;and#160; 73
Nahuateriqueand#160;and#160;and#160; 77
Twayil Abu Jarwaland#160;and#160;and#160; 82
Traffic Islandand#160;and#160;and#160; 87
and#160;and#160;and#160;Dead Citiesand#160;and#160;and#160; 93
Wittenoomand#160;and#160;and#160; 95
Kangbashiand#160;and#160;and#160; 100
Kijong-dongand#160;and#160;and#160; 104
Agand#728;damand#160;and#160;and#160; 108
Pripyatand#160;and#160;and#160; 114
The Archaeological Park of Sicilian Incompletionand#160;and#160;and#160;119
and#160;and#160;and#160;Spaces of Exceptionand#160;and#160;and#160; 125
Camp Zeistand#160;and#160;and#160; 127
Geneva Freeportand#160;and#160;and#160; 132
Bright Light, 4 Mures Street, Bucharestand#160;and#160;and#160; 136
International Airspaceand#160;and#160;and#160; 141
Gutterspaceand#160;and#160;and#160; 144
Bountifuland#160;and#160;and#160; 148
Mount Athosand#160;and#160;and#160; 153
Ranch of Sprouts: Brotas Quilomboand#160;and#160;and#160; 158
FARC-controlled Colombiaand#160;and#160;and#160; 163
Hobyoand#160;and#160;and#160; 168
and#160;and#160;and#160;Enclaves and Breakaway Nationsand#160;and#160;and#160; 175
Baarle-Nassau and Baarle-Hertogand#160;and#160;and#160; 177
Chitmahalsand#160;and#160;and#160; 183
Sealandand#160;and#160;and#160; 188
United Kingdom of Lunda Tchokweand#160;and#160;and#160; 193
Gagauziaand#160;and#160;and#160; 198
and#160;and#160;and#160;Floating Islandsand#160;and#160;and#160; 205
Pumice and Trash Islandsand#160;and#160;and#160; 207
Nipterk P-32 Spray Ice Islandand#160;and#160;and#160; 212
The Floating Maldivesand#160;and#160;and#160; 216
The Worldand#160;and#160;and#160; 221
and#160;and#160;and#160;Ephemeral Placesand#160;and#160;and#160; 227
Hogand#8217;s Back Lay-Byand#160;and#160;and#160; 229
LAX Parking Lotand#160;and#160;and#160; 234
Nowhereand#160;and#160;and#160; 238
Staceyand#8217;s Laneand#160;and#160;and#160; 242
and#160;and#160;and#160;CONCLUSIONand#160;and#160;and#160; 247
and#160;and#160;and#160;BIBLIOGRAPHYand#160;and#160;and#160; 252
and#160;and#160;and#160;ACKNOWDLEGMENTSand#160;and#160;and#160; 253
and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;INDEXand#160;and#160;and#160; 254