Full Description
Shortlisted for Children's Travel Book of the Year, Edward Stanford Travel Writing Awards 2023
On this quest around the world, you will discover lost kingdoms, phantom islands and even legendary continents once sought by explorers but now believed to be mythical.
For centuries, people have dreamed of finding the lost worlds of Atlantis, El Dorado and the Seven Cities of Gold. As well as shedding light on these famously elusive places, this atlas contains maps and captivating illustrations to illuminate lesser-known destinations, from the lost island of Hy-Brasil to the desert city of Zerzura. You will learn about rich mythologies from different cultures, from the Aztecs to the ancient Britons, from the Greek legends to Japanese folklore.
Most of the places in this book have never been found, but within these pages you will succeed where the adventurers of the past were thwarted. Learn about ancient maps, age-old manuscripts and cryptic carvings that reveal clues to the whereabouts of these lost kingdoms. The journey will transport you to thoroughly other-worldly places.
From bestselling author Emily Hawkinscomes this whimsical blend of myth and history, fact and fantasy. This lavish volume will fire the imaginations of young adventurers everywhere.
Contents
INTRODUCTION
EUROPE
Atlantis: Legendary sunken city
Camelot: Many-towered castle of King Arthur
Hy-Brasil: Phantom island off the Irish Coast
The Lost City of Ys: Legendary kingdom swallowed by the sea
Yggdrasil: The Nine Worlds of the Northlands
Cockaigne: A dreamland of plenty and luxury
The Fortunate Isles: Paradise islands from Greek mythology
Buyan: Vanishing island from Slavic folklore
Scholomance: Underground school of black magic
AFRICA
Zerzura: The oasis of little birds
Sheba: Kingdom of an ancient queen
The Lost City of the Kalahari: Fact or fiction?
Carthage: Once-great rival of Rome
Ile-Ife: Sacred homeland of the Yoruba people
ASIA
Troy: City of legend
Themiscyra: Capital of the Amazons
The Hanging Gardens of Babylon: Lost wonder of the world
Iram of the Pillars: The Atlantis of the sands
Dwarka: Legendary home of a Hindu god
Shi Cheng: Real-life sunken city
Xanadu: Capital of an empire
Ryugu-jo: Underwater palace from Japanese legend
NORTH AMERICA
The Isle of Demons: Phantom island off the coast of Canada
The Hopi Underworld: Where it all began
The Seven Cities of Gold: A dream of impossible wealth
Aztlán: Legendary homeland of the Aztec people
CENTRAL & SOUTH AMERICA
El Dorado: The fabled city of gold
Ciudad Blanca: The lost city of the monkey god
Port Royal: Sunken pirate haven
AUSTRALASIA & OCEANIA
Baralku: Island of the dead
Hawaiki: Homeland of the Māori people
LOST CONTINENTS
Agartha: Imagined kingdom inside the Earth
INDEX
GLOSSARY
