Cart
Free Shipping in the UK
Proud to be B-Corp

The Age of Islands Alastair Bonnett

The Age of Islands By Alastair Bonnett

The Age of Islands by Alastair Bonnett


£5.80
New RRP £9.99
Condition - Very Good
5 in stock

Summary

A fascinating exploration of new and disappearing islands around the world, by the author of Off the Map.

The Age of Islands Summary

The Age of Islands: In Search of New and Disappearing Islands by Alastair Bonnett

'Extraordinary... A fascinating and intelligent book.' Sunday Times

New 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.

The Age of Islands Reviews

Extraordinary... Bonnett writes with an acerbic charm... A fascinating and intelligent book. It brings geography to life in a way that felt-tip drawings of Dutch polders never could. * Sunday Times *
Fascinating... Man-made territories provide the most interesting moments in Alastair Bonnett's tour of our planet's many islands. * Daily Mail *
A knowledgeable world tour of different types of islands, much enhanced by self-deprecating accounts of his own often shoestring visits... Bonnett expertly covers the different kinds of islands... and rightly points out the ecological consequences of human building projects worldwide. -- James Hamilton-Paterson * Literary Review *
A beguiling, fact-filled account of the world's headlong dash to build artificial islands. * TLS *
As well as being a love letter from a geographer to his subject, it serves as a whistle-stop tour of a world in flux and crisis. * Newcastle Evening Chronicle *
In The Age of Islands, Alastair Bonnett combines a deep knowledge of history and contemporary geopolitics with a seasoned travel writer's eye for the telling detail, as he gives us a tour of our terrifying but often beautiful new world. -- Joshua Keating, author of Invisible Countries: Journeys to the Edge of Nationhood
Alastair Bonnett's reporting of islands new and ancient: from trash islands to military islands to brand-new, environment-trashing 'ultra-star' islands to approaching-extinction islands is a well-researched and open-handed cautionary tale for our times. -- Dan Boothby, author of Island of Dreams: A Personal History of a Remarkable Place
An ambitious journey by wing, sail, rubber and road to find the lost, emerging, off-limits and artificial islands of our fast-changing world. Once again, Bonnett respectfully drags geography back to its roots. -- Brad Garrett, author of Bunker: Building for the End Times
Sheer vulnerability and bold architecture live cheek by jowl in this Age of Islands. If islands did not exist, we would have to invent them. And now we do. This book helps us understand how and why. -- Godfrey Baldacchino, University of Malta; President, International Small Islands Studies Association (ISISA)
A great primer on the concept of islands in the modern age. . . . Engagingly written. * Library Journal *

About Alastair Bonnett

Alastair Bonnett is Professor of Social Geography at Newcastle University. His previous books include Off the Map, Beyond the Map, New Views: The World Mapped Like Never Before, What is Geography? and How to Argue. He lives in Newcastle.

Table of Contents

0: Introduction Part One: Rising 1: Why We Build Islands 2: Flevopolder, The Netherlands 3: The World, Dubai 4: Chek Lap Kok, Airport Island, Hong Kong 5: Fiery Cross Reef, South China Sea 6: Phoenix Island, China 7: Ocean Reef, Panama 8: Natural, Overlooked and Accidental: Other New Islands 9: Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha'apai, Tonga 10: The Accidental Islands of Pebble Lake, Hungary 11: Trash Islands Part Two: Disappearing 12: Disappearing Islands 13: The San Blas Islands of Guna Yala, Panama 14: Tongatapu and Fafa, Tonga 15: The Isles of Scilly, UK Part Three: Future 16: Future Islands 17: Seasteading 18: Dogger Bank Power Link Island, North Sea 19: East Lantau Metropolis, Hong Kong 20: Not an Ending

Additional information

GOR011590385
9781786498120
178649812X
The Age of Islands: In Search of New and Disappearing Islands by Alastair Bonnett
Used - Very Good
Paperback
Atlantic Books
20210701
256
N/A
Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary.
This is a used book - there is no escaping the fact it has been read by someone else and it will show signs of wear and previous use. Overall we expect it to be in very good condition, but if you are not entirely satisfied please get in touch with us

Customer Reviews - The Age of Islands