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

Author(s): Malachy Tallack

Stories / Narrative

'intrepid intellectual fun, and Katie Scott's bold illustrations give an exotic colour to the pages' – Sunday Herald


'It's a joy to island-hop through the book. After wowing the world with Sixty Degrees North last year, Tallack's second book is shaped by the same, clear, sharp prose and keen curiosity. Packed full of intelligent musings on everything from religion to astronomy, alchemy to the occult' – National Geographic Traveller


'One of the best new travel books' – The Guardian


Critically acclaimed author Malachy Tallack returns with The Un-Discovered Islands, an exploration of some of the world’s strangest places.


Gathered in the book are two dozen islands once believed to be real but no longer on the map. These are the products of imagination, deception and simple human error. They are phantoms and fakes: an archipelago of ex-isles and forgotten lands.


From the well-known story of Atlantis to more obscure tales from around the globe; from ancient history right up to the present day. This is an atlas of legend and wonder, of places discovered and then un-discovered.


Malachy's words are accompanied in the book by glorious full-colour illustrations by Katie Scott, who has previously worked with the New York Times, Kew Gardens and the BBC. She is the illustrator of the beautiful Animalium and Botanicum.


Visit the official Un-Discovered Islands website run by Malachy himself here.


Product Information

'intrepid intellectual fun, and Katie Scott's bold illustrations give an exotic colour to the pages' - Sunday Herald; 'It's a joy to island-hop through the book. After wowing the world with Sixty Degrees North last year, Tallack's second book is shaped by the same, clear, sharp prose and keen curiosity. Packed full of intelligent musings on everything from religion to astronomy, alchemy to the occult' - National Geographic Traveller

Malachy Tallack has written for the New Statesman, the Guardian, Caught by the River and many other publications, online and in print. He won a New Writers' Award from Scottish Book Trust in 2014, the Robert Louis Stevenson Fellowship in 2015 and is the author of the bestselling Sixty Degrees North (Polygon, 2015). He is from Shetland, and currently lives in Glasgow.

General Fields

  • : 9781846973505
  • : Birlinn General
  • : Polygon An Imprint of Birlinn Limited
  • : August 2016
  • : 250mm X 190mm
  • : United Kingdom
  • : January 2017
  • : books

Special Fields

  • : Malachy Tallack
  • : Malachy Tallack
  • : Colour throughout
  • : Colour throughout
  • : 152
  • : 152
  • : 910.4092
  • : 910.4092
  • : en
  • : en
  • : Katie Scott
  • : Katie Scott
  • : 117
  • : 117
  • : Hardback
  • : Hardback