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3.82 AVERAGE
3.82 AVERAGE
This book was interesting, but I wish it had included more information about each of the countries.
Loved this book! I learned about a lot of different places that are seeking independence and trying to gain recognition as well as a couple of joke territorial claims. The only criticism I have is that for a couple of the explanations there was just an anecdote from the place but not an actual explanation of it. Overall great book!
Fun to read but not comprehensive enough. It doesn’t au who acknowledges or doesn’t besides a couple and I feel like it lets countries go easily. The way the book is set up is really pretty
lighthearted
fast-paced
Snippets of geographical information on (obviously) countries that no longer exist. Quick read. I expected the book to be a bit more in-depth.
A hodgepodge of real former countries, regions with independence movements, and fake nations created for personal egotism.
An Atlas of Countries That Don't Exist: A Compendium of Fifty Unrecognized and Largely Unnoticed States by Nick Middleton is a beautiful book. A lot of attention to detail and care has been put into the design of this amazing book, from the color scheme of subtle gray-blue and cherry red, to the way each location is set in a map, with the previous page having a cut-out so that the reader first encounters the country, and then its place on the globe. This isn't the kind of book designed to help children with their geography homework, or to be an information-filled guidebook, instead, each entry is features a flag and some basic information, with a few paragraphs telling the story of each state, with the intention of arousing curiosity and interest, rather than providing a lot of details. These stories are often poignant or weird, but always interesting.
I loved Judith Schalansky's Atlas of Remote Islands, and this book falls into the same wheelhouse, being more about the idea of these places than anything else. The places featured range from the well-known and expected (Greenland, Catalonia) to the off-beat and obscure (Transnistria and Somaliland) to the downright odd (Elgaland-Vargaland, Atlantium), but all are fascinating.
I loved Judith Schalansky's Atlas of Remote Islands, and this book falls into the same wheelhouse, being more about the idea of these places than anything else. The places featured range from the well-known and expected (Greenland, Catalonia) to the off-beat and obscure (Transnistria and Somaliland) to the downright odd (Elgaland-Vargaland, Atlantium), but all are fascinating.
adventurous
informative
medium-paced
Really interesting book! I hadn't heard of most of these countries, and had never really thought about the concepts brought up. Really though provoking.
However, I felt like there could've been more info about the countries - like some other reviews have suggested, maybe photos of the countries would help to visualise these places, although I think photos were probably left out to avoid ruining the aesthetic of the book.
However, I felt like there could've been more info about the countries - like some other reviews have suggested, maybe photos of the countries would help to visualise these places, although I think photos were probably left out to avoid ruining the aesthetic of the book.
informative
mysterious
fast-paced