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Atlas of the Unexpected is a voyage to places both infamous and unknown that have, often by chance or by haphazard means, been destinations of discovery that make up our world today. Divided into five categories, charting such discoveries as Vaseline, the first recorded landing on the purple rock of Madeira and even follow in the footsteps of a stray goat who led its keeper to uncover lost ancient biblical scrolls.

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"Travis Elborough writes about a wide range of subjects with originality, learning and charm. Atlas of the Unexpected...is seductively beautiful: an inspiring, dream-inducing guide to almost four dozen "haphazard discoveries, chance places and unimaginable destinations"..." David Kynaston, New Statesman - ´best books of 2018´

In 45 beautiful, unique maps and with evocative photography, Atlas of the Unexpected is a journey to far-off lands, obscure discoveries and unimaginable locations.

From the fortuitous discovery of the Dead Sea scrolls by a stray goat, to the wonderfully bizarre beginnings that led to the aptly named Just Enough Room Island and even the royal romance that led shipwrecked lovers to discover Madeira, Travis Elborough takes you on a voyage to some of the world´s most wondrous, improbable and - most of all - unexpected of places.

Also in the Unexpected Atlas series: Atlas of Untamed Places, Atlas of Improbable Places, Atlas of Vanishing Places.

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Accidental Discoveries
Madeira Archipelago, Atlantic Ocean
Derinkuyu Underground City, Cappadocia, Turkey
Vaseline,Titusville, Pennsylvania, USA
The Dead Sea Scrolls, Qumran, Israel
Cahokia Mounds, Illinois, USA
Pompeii, Naples, Italy
Fly Geyser, Nevada, USA
Galápagos Island, Pacific Ocean

Strange Roots
Georgia Colony, Savannah, Georgia, USA
Chemainus, Vancouver Island, Canada
Buzludzha Monument, Stara Zagora Province, Bulgaria
Freetown, Sierra Leone, West Africa
Freshkills Park, New York City, USA
Fort House, Leith, Edinburgh, Scotland
Chess City, Elista, Kalmykia, Russia
Fordlândia, Pará, Brazil
Gibsonton, Florida, USA
Nowa Huta, Kraków, Poland

Haphazard Destinations
Neft Daslari, Caspian Sea, Azerbaijan
Manshiyat Naser, Cairo, Egypt
Caleta Tortel, Capitán Prat Province, Chile
Jaisalmer Fort, Jaisalmer, Rajasthan, India
Just Room Enough Island, St Lawrence River, New York, USA
Spiegelhalter Jewellers, London, UK
Monemvasia, Laconia, Greece
Uros Floating Islands, Lake Titicaca, Puno, Peru
Cliff of Bandiagara, Mopti, Mali
Korowai Tree Houses, Kia, Indonesia
Cavernous Locations Lascaux Caves, Montignac, France
Xuankong Si, Shanxi Province, China
Matmata Village, Matmata, Tunisia
Shell Grotto, Margate, Kent, England
Coober Pedy, South Australia
Movile Cave, Constan a County, Romania
The Petrifying Well, Knareborough, Yorkshire, UK
Aogashima, Philippine Sea, Japan

Serendipitous Spaces
Zhangye Danxia Landform, Gansu, China
Slope Point, South Island, New Zealand
Glass Beach, Fort Bragg, California, USA
Lake Hillier, Western Australia
Grüner See, Styria, Austria
Cat Island, Tashirojima, Japan
Grand Tsingy, Melaky, Madagascar
Hitachi Seaside Park, Hitachinaka, Ibaraki, Japan
Canfranc Station, Canfranc, Spain

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"Travis Elborough writes about a wide range of subjects with originality, learning and charm. Atlas of the Unexpected...is seductively beautiful: an inspiring, dream-inducing guide to almost four dozen "haphazard discoveries, chance places and unimaginable destinations"..." David Kynaston, New Statesman best books of 2018 David Kynaston New Statesman

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