The Un-Discovered Islands: An Archipelago of Myths and Mysteries, Phantoms and Fakes

This book is for the explorer, for the lover of mystery and the unknown. Islands have a mystique and a magnetism that draw you to contemplate voyages of discovery, a change from the mundane. This mystique has endured throughout history – even, and perhaps especially, for islands that don’t physically exist. This book collects the stories of several of these non-existent islands, from mythical lands of the afterlife to fabled lands of gold and to islands placed on a map just to stroke egos and perhaps grease some palms.

The book gathers these imaginary islands into a few groups, showcasing a few of the better-known examples of each. Each story is informative and entertaining, and quite short; you can dip into and out of this book at leisure and at various points and enjoy finding something surprising and new. For example, several stories consider mythologies from around the world that believe in islands of the dead or of mythical properties. Fans of exploring history will be tickled to read about the “discovery” and subsequent disappearance of several islands that have been on and off maps for centuries. The book itself is attractive, perfect for gifting to your favorite imaginative armchair explorer.