Bonnett, Alastair – The Bell Bookshop https://www.bellbookshop.co.uk Henley-on-Thames Tue, 06 Jan 2026 14:22:01 +0000 en-GB hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.9 https://www.bellbookshop.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/cropped-Bell-Background-Blue-32x32.png Bonnett, Alastair – The Bell Bookshop https://www.bellbookshop.co.uk 32 32 Extraordinary Islands https://www.bellbookshop.co.uk/product/extraordinary-islands/ Thu, 16 Oct 2025 00:00:00 +0000 https://www.bellbookshop.co.uk/?post_type=product&p=51968

Discover the world's most remote and mysterious islands in this beautifully designed book. Spanning continents and cultures, it explores exotic, hard-to-reach locations with an international appeal. Divided into four sections-Strange, Scary, Remote, and Naturally Odd-it unveils the haunting beauty and enigmatic allure of these isolated and extraordinary places.

 
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Explore the World’s Most Extraordinary Islands: A Journey Through the Strange, Scary, Remote, and Naturally Odd

Dive in to a captivating exploration of 29 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 Santa Cruz Del Islote, ‘the world’s most crowded island’, these islands challenge the boundaries of imagination. Marvel at the Floating City in the Pacific, a visionary eco-island, and learn about Kihnu, famous for the central and visible role of its women.

Scary Venture into the eerie and unsettling. Discover Runit’s ominous concrete dome packed with nuclear waste, or the haunted island of Poveglia off the coast of Venice. Experience the chilling history of Fire Island, where Russia’s most dangerous murderers are imprisoned.

Remote Journey to the furthest corners of the Earth. Explore Socotra and its unique flora and fauna, and Inaccessible Island, surrounded by cliffs and rarely seen by human eyes. Visit Fort Jefferson, a remote and enigmatic outpost 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 René-Levasseur, a circular island formed by a meteor impact, and Ferdinandea, a volcanic island currently underwater. Discover the magical floating islands of pumice and ice, and the first discovered extraterrestrial islands.  

Each chapter is a voyage into islands of wonder and mystery, offering a unique perspective on our world’s most intriguing and lesser-known corners. Whether it’s an exploration of ambitious human endeavours or natural marvels, this book is a visual and narrative feast for the curious traveller.

]]> The Age of Islands https://www.bellbookshop.co.uk/product/the-age-of-islands/ Thu, 01 Jul 2021 00:00:00 +0000 https://www.bellbookshop.co.uk/product/the-age-of-islands/ ‘Extraordinary… A fascinating and intelligent book.’ Sunday TimesNew islands are being built at an unprecedented rate whether for tourism or territorial ambition, while many islands are disappearing or fragmenting because of rising sea levels. It is a strange planetary spectacle, creating an ever-changing map which even Google Earth struggles to keep pace with. In The Age of Islands, explorer and geographer Alastair Bonnett takes the reader on a compelling and thought-provoking tour of the world’s newest, most fragile and beautiful islands and reveals what, he argues, is one of the great dramas of our time.From a ‘crannog’, an ancient artificial island in a Scottish loch, to the militarized artificial islands China is building in the South China Sea; from the disappearing islands that remain the home of native Central Americans to the ritzy new islands of Dubai; from Hong Kong and the Isles of Scilly to islands far away and near: all have urgent stories to tell.

]]> Off The Map https://www.bellbookshop.co.uk/product/off-the-map/ Thu, 02 Apr 2015 00:00:00 +0000 https://www.bellbookshop.co.uk/product/off-the-map/

Off the Map shows the modern world from surprising new vantage points that will inspire urban explorers, and armchair travellers alike to consider a new way of understanding the world we live in.

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‘A fizzingly entertaining and enlightening book’ Daily Telegraph


‘Mesmerising’ Geographical Magazine


‘A fascinating delve into uncharted, forgotten lost places. But it’s not just a trivia-tastic anthology of remote destinations but a nifty piece of psycho-geography, explaining our human need for these cartographical   conundrums.’ Wanderlust

In a world of Google Earth, in which it is easy to believe that every discovery has been made and every adventure already had, Off the Map is a stunning testament to how mysterious our planet still is.

From forgotten enclaves to floating islands, from hidden villages to New York gutter spaces, Off the Map charts the hidden corners of our planet. And while these are not necessarily places you would choose to visit on holiday – Hobyo, the pirate capital of Somalia, or Zheleznogorsk, a secret military town in Russia – they each carry a story about the strangeness of place and our need for a geography that understands our hunger for the fantastic and the unexpected.

But it also shows us that topophilia, the love of place, is a fundamental part of what it is to be human. Whether you are an urban explorer or an armchair traveller, Off the Map will inspire and enchant. You’ll never look at a map in quite the same way again.

 

 

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