Off the Map: Lost Spaces, Invisible Cities, Forgotten Islands

Off the Map explores places that exist in unique geographic and cultural territories - from floating islands and temporary autonomous zones to underground cities and hidden landscapes. The book examines 47 locations that challenge conventional notions of place and space. Professor Alastair Bonnett investigates sites that have been abandoned, forgotten, hidden from view, or exist in contested territories between nations. His research combines historical documentation, firsthand accounts, and field observations to document these unconventional places. The narrative moves across continents and through various types of geographic anomalies, including dead cities, floating islands, and the spaces between borders. Each location reveals how humans interact with and assign meaning to physical spaces. The book raises questions about how we define place and belonging in an era of increasing placelessness and standardization. It examines humanity's complex relationship with geography and suggests that even as maps become more precise, spaces of mystery and ambiguity persist.

Readers found this exploration of forgotten and disappearing places intriguing but uneven in execution. Many felt the premise was more compelling than the delivery. Liked: - Diverse selection of locations and phenomena - Strong opening chapters on floating islands and temporary spaces - Mix of historical research and contemporary exploration - Inclusion of maps and photographs Disliked: - Writing style shifts between academic and casual tones - Some chapters feel rushed or superficial - Limited first-hand accounts of visiting the places - Too much focus on author's personal opinions - Lack of cohesive narrative thread Ratings: Goodreads: 3.5/5 (1,200+ ratings) Amazon: 3.8/5 (90+ ratings) Notable reader comments: "Fascinating subject matter but reads like a series of blog posts" - Goodreads reviewer "Great concept that needed more depth in research" - Amazon reviewer "The chapters on underground cities and dead cities were worth the price alone" - LibraryThing review

Atlas of Remote Islands by Judith Schalansky Maps and descriptions of 50 isolated islands reveal untold stories of human habitation and abandonment.

Unruly Places by Alastair Bonnett An exploration of geographical oddities including floating islands, dead cities, and non-existent places challenges conventional understanding of maps and territories.

The Secret Lives of Cities by P.D. Smith A journey through hidden spaces and overlooked infrastructure examines the unseen layers that form the foundation of urban life.

Phantom Islands by Dirk Liesemer A chronicle of islands that appeared on maps throughout history but never existed illuminates the intersection of cartography, mythology, and human error.

Invisible Cities by Italo Calvino Marco Polo's fictional descriptions of impossible cities to Kublai Khan merge geography with imagination to explore the nature of urban spaces and memory.

🗺️ The book explores 47 unusual places, including Sandy Island - a "phantom island" that appeared on maps for over a century before being officially "un-discovered" in 2012 🏙️ Author Alastair Bonnett is a professor of Social Geography at Newcastle University and has written extensively about how people's relationships with place are changing in the modern world 🏭 Among the locations featured is Zheleznogorsk, a secret Russian city that didn't appear on maps until 1992 and was known only by its postal code Krasnoyarsk-26 🌊 The book discusses the "floating" pumice islands that occasionally form after underwater volcanic eruptions, creating temporary landmasses that can be as large as 30 kilometers wide 🗺️ Bonnett draws connections between Google Maps' impact on exploration and how the Victorian-era completion of world maps led to a similar feeling that there was "nothing left to discover"