And Subterranean Realms - I did not know there was an underground railway in London dedicated to mail delivery. 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. 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. 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.

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. Atlas of the Unexpected is a journey tofar-off lands, obscure discoveriesand unimaginable locations, with45 beautiful, uniquemaps and evocative photography. Like most people, I love travelling, and that hasn't been possible since the pandemic hit. This book was a great way to travel around the world without leaving the house. Travis 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. 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.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. Atlas of Improbable Places has that rare, through-the-wardrobe quality. It is a delightful compendium of the strangest places on the planet.' WINNER OF THE EDWARD STANFORD TRAVEL ILLUSTRATED BOOK OF THE YEAR AWARD FOR Atlas of Vanishing Places. Atlas of Improbable Places has that rare, through-the-wardrobe quality. It is a delightful compendium of the strangest places on the planet.’- DAILY TELEGRAPH

I've never known a travel book to have so much soul in it. This is one of those books that makes you very fond of the author - even when you don't as much know the color of his hair! The book started with an Italo Calvino reference that made me squeal because I am a thorough fan. In Atlas of Improbable Places, 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.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.