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Judith Schalansky
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Atlas of Remote Islands: Fifty Islands I Have Not Visited and Never Will Hardcover – 7 Oct. 2010

by Judith Schalansky (Author)
4.3 4.3 out of 5 stars 195 ratings
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Judith Schalansky was born in 1980 on the wrong side of the Berlin Wall. The Soviets wouldn't let anyone travel so everything she learnt about the world came from her parents' battered old atlas. An acclaimed novelist and award-winning graphic designer, she has spent years creating this, her own imaginative atlas of the world's loneliest places. These islands are so difficult to reach that until the late 1990s more people had set foot on the moon than on Peter I Island in the Antarctic.

On one page are perfect maps, on the other unfold bizarre stories from the history of the islands themselves. Rare animals and strange people abound: from marooned slaves to lonely scientists, lost explorers to confused lighthouse keepers, mutinous sailors to forgotten castaways; a collection of Robinson Crusoes of all kinds. Recently awarded the prize of Germany's most beautiful book, the Atlas of Remote Islands is an intricately designed masterpiece that will delight maplovers everywhere. Judith Schalansky lures us across all the oceans of the world to fifty remote islands - from St Kilda to Easter Island and from Tristan da Cunha to Disappointment Island - and proves that some of the most memorable journeys can be taken by armchair travellers.

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  1. Print length
    144 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    Particular Books
  4. Publication date
    7 Oct. 2010
  5. Dimensions
    18.9 x 1.5 x 25.9 cm
  6. ISBN-10
    1846143489
  7. ISBN-13
    978-1846143489
  8. See all details
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Customer reviews

4.3 out of 5 stars
195 global ratings

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Customers say

Customers find the book engaging and well-written. They describe the narrative style as poetic and atmospheric, with vivid descriptions and intense illustrations. The book offers a trip around remote islands with amazing stories. However, opinions differ on the map quality - some find them great and gorgeous, while others say they could be more detailed.

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PacingNarrative styleTravel valueMap quality
14 customers mention ‘Pacing’14 positive0 negative

Customers find the book engaging and well-written. They appreciate the author's imaginative approach and vivid descriptions of each island. The book is described as unusual and a gem with detailed yet minimal information on each island.

"...delicate (yet accurate) maps of islands, the greatly researched pieces of information on every island - all of this makes the book a delightful..." Read more

"...A very clever, sophisticated book, written with a real love for these punctuation marks in the ocean." Read more

"...It Is not a geographical approach at all. It is interesting to read but then you need an other book to learn about these islands...." Read more

"...The author vividly and poignantly recounts a tale/description of each island and knowing that her inspiration for the book comes from having grown..." Read more

4 customers mention ‘Narrative style’4 positive0 negative

Customers find the narrative style engaging and poetic. They describe the text as atmospheric and personal, with potted histories of the islands on each page. The illustrations are intense and detailed yet minimal.

"...The author vividly and poignantly recounts a tale/description of each island and knowing that her inspiration for the book comes from having grown..." Read more

"...The text is atmospheric and personal, with potted histories of the islands on each page described in a hazily poetic way - quite wonderful...." Read more

"...The accounts are bizarre and poetic." Read more

"...It is a wonderful book, engagingly written and the illustrations are intense and detailed, yet minimal and striking...." Read more

4 customers mention ‘Travel value’4 positive0 negative

Customers enjoy the book's travel value. They find it a great idea about remote islands, with amazing stories. The book covers 50 remote islands and is suitable for experienced or budding travelers.

"...will make a fantastic present for an experienced traveller, or a budding traveller, or for a dreamer." Read more

"...The idea of a book about remote islands is great, but the execution is poor...." Read more

"It is a great book, with great maps! It is about 50 remote islands...." Read more

"...old fashioned altas feel which helps with the content...a trip around the remote islands with amazing stories, I hope the author does a follow up." Read more

9 customers mention ‘Map quality’6 positive3 negative

Customers have different views on the maps in the book. Some find them great, detailed, and accurate like an old school book of maps. Others feel the prose is obscure and lacks a summary of the islands' climate, wildlife, or other aspects.

"...This is truly inspirational to read, like an old school book of maps, or an atlas of some fantastic far-away lands that are not easily reachable..." Read more

"...The prose alongside each map is at times obscure and leaves you wanting to research that as much as the maps...." Read more

"...The approach is allusive and wistful rather than didactic. The maps are gorgeous and the production values impressive - proper printing, bound in..." Read more

"...But as if this is not enough the maps are a delight, ranging from that of Howland Island, which is basically a blob in the ocean to the much more..." Read more

Top reviews from United Kingdom

  • Lola
    5.0 out of 5 stars A coffee-table book with a substance.
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 26 November 2013
    Verified Purchase
    This book is a wonderful inspirational tome that I got as a present from myself... to myself. The format (the book is approximately an A4 size), the thick rich paper, the delicate (yet accurate) maps of islands, the greatly researched pieces of information on every island - all of this makes the book a delightful hardcover. I imagine myself as a traveller. I imagine travelling and reaching out to all 50 islands described in the book. What a journey this will be.

    This is truly inspirational to read, like an old school book of maps, or an atlas of some fantastic far-away lands that are not easily reachable (and they are not!), yet all of the islands can be visited. This will make a fantastic present for an experienced traveller, or a budding traveller, or for a dreamer.
    3 people found this helpful
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  • G. Dack
    5.0 out of 5 stars An escapist's refuge
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 27 August 2013
    Verified Purchase
    A beautifully produced book - I'm sure that the writer would have hand-bound each copy if she had had the time, having seemed to have done everything else! This is an escapists dream equally suiting a continuous read or a series of dips into the pages when the madness of the real world needs relieving for a few moments. A sensitve translation of the introduction from the original German prepares you for the delights to come. Each island has as detailed a map as is probably available, matched with a relevant account concerning that island. At first reading these accounts seem rather randomly chosen but in fact they add to the remoteness and mystery of the subject. A very clever, sophisticated book, written with a real love for these punctuation marks in the ocean.
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  • M. D. Tomkinson
    4.0 out of 5 stars Utterly infuriating
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 18 March 2015
    Verified Purchase
    This is an utterly infuriating book - but in a good way. It leaves you wanting to know more, so much more and in fact I defy you to read it without the need to go to the internet to find out more about the subjects - the islands.

    You may not agree with the author's choices and there are probably better and more remote islands perhaps being saved for a volume 2. The prose alongside each map is at times obscure and leaves you wanting to research that as much as the maps. It certainly suffers from translation from the original language (German) hence only 4 stars. However, once picked up (and providing you have good internet access) this book will take you to places you did not know existed and worlds beyond. You will certainly not be disappointed unless you lack imagination.
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  • Babis Bizas
    3.0 out of 5 stars Good little stories
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 12 January 2014
    Verified Purchase
    The book is a series of little novels attached to each individual island.It Is not a geographical approach at all.
    It is interesting to read but then you need an other book to learn about these islands. If you like stories is good . If you search for history you will be disappointed.
    6 people found this helpful
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  • sammyzue
    5.0 out of 5 stars Beautiful book
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 1 September 2022
    Verified Purchase
    Made a fantastic gift
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  • Zoe
    5.0 out of 5 stars Full of obscure facts and stories
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 21 July 2021
    Verified Purchase
    Although second hand, quality is excellent and book makes you want to read more about every island in there. So easy to dip in and out, and makes you want to tell everyone about what you've read.
    One person found this helpful
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  • Cromarty Forth Tyne
    5.0 out of 5 stars The magic of those dots on the map
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 4 July 2011
    Verified Purchase
    I've always been drawn to remote islands, particularly after spending 3 weeks in St Kilda and when I came across a review of this book in the Guardian, I knew I had to get it. It doesn't disappoint. Not only is it lovely to look at but reading it fills you with an immediate longing to visit some of these lonely isles. The author vividly and poignantly recounts a tale/description of each island and knowing that her inspiration for the book comes from having grown up behind the iron curtain with no hope of ever visiting these places only adds to the sense of longing. This is a must for anyone who has ever been fascinated by far flung places.
    7 people found this helpful
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  • Elinvar
    2.0 out of 5 stars Poor
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 3 September 2017
    Verified Purchase
    I don't understand why so many people rave about this book. The idea of a book about remote islands is great, but the execution is poor. For each island there is a page of text, but this does not provide a summary of the island in terms of climate, wildlife, vegetation, etc. Instead, the author has selected one small aspect, and concentrated on that to the exclusion of everything else. For example, the Christmas Island account is devoted solely to ants! Facing each page of text is a map of the island in question. These are poor, with only 3 dull colours used. You would do much better to research these islands in Wikipedia.
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Top reviews from other countries

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  • bp
    4.0 out of 5 stars alles ok
    Reviewed in Germany on 7 May 2019
    Verified Purchase
    alles ok
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  • Sohee Delhra
    5.0 out of 5 stars Muy buen libro que hace volar tu imaginacion
    Reviewed in Mexico on 17 March 2017
    Verified Purchase
    Para los amantes de estos temas es un libro fantástico y único,las historias de islas remotas te enganchan y te mantienen leyendo hasta terminar cada relato.
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  • Alex991
    5.0 out of 5 stars Five Stars
    Reviewed in Canada on 12 November 2015
    Verified Purchase
    Loved that book. Makes you dream. Presentation is also amazing
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  • la ninni
    5.0 out of 5 stars perfect!
    Reviewed in Italy on 12 February 2016
    Verified Purchase
    The Atlas of remote islands is in perfect conditions as described. Everything was perfect and on time.
    thanks a lot
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  • John D. Hamulak
    5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent aesthetics and content
    Reviewed in the United States on 29 April 2014
    Verified Purchase
    I chose the book based on content and it delivers on that level. I wanted something engaging that I could read in small doses and sort of mentally travel somewhere far.

    It gets 5 stars though b/c it does this in such a cool way. The distances-to-stuff-you-know really add scale to the stories, the inside of the cover w/ world map could easily be missed but relates directly to the content... it's not just a generic world map.

    Plus, the artistry and layout have a very purposeful feel... very much like the unique visual details of a Wes Anderson movie. It's clearly deliberate and works well to deliver a consistently engaging book that shows as well as it reads.
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