An Atlas of Extinct Countries by Gideon Defoe (English) Paperback Book

Description: An Atlas of Extinct Countries by Gideon Defoe "Originally published in the English language by HarperCollins Publishers Ltd."--Title page verso. FORMAT Paperback LANGUAGE English CONDITION Brand New Publisher Description The remarkable (and occasionally ridiculous) stories of 48 nations that fell off the map. "Countries are just daft stories we tell each other. Theyre all equally implausible once you get up close." Countries die. Sometimes its murder, sometimes its by accident, and sometimes its because they were so ludicrous they didnt deserve to exist in the first place. This is an atlas of 48 nations that fell off the map. Their causes of death range from the implausible (jerky prices) to the unfortunate (too evil) to the downright bizarre (the flip of a coin). The polite way of writing an obituary is: dwell on the good bits, gloss over the embarrassing stuff. This book refuses to do so, because these dead nations are so ridiculous that its impossible to skip the embarrassing stuff. … "This book is a sparkling gem."--Booklist (Starred Review) "Perfect for fans of Atlas Obscura."--Publishers Weekly Author Biography Gideon Defoe is the author of The Pirates! book series and wrote the screenplay for the Oscar nominated Aardman film The Pirates in an Adventure with Scientists. He has written about how animals have sex and penned a computer game tie-in novel for Gollancz. He does film development work with Locksmith Animation and Studio Canal, and is developing a sitcom with BBC studios. Review For An Atlas of Extinct Countries … "Defoes irreverent wit makes his subjects come alive [...] This book is a sparkling gem."--Booklist (Starred Review) … "Both educational and entertaining, An Atlas of Extinct Countries is an irreverent look at the history of defunct nations and the larger-than-life personalities behind them."--Foreword Reviews (Starred Review) "Defoe writes [of these] evanescent would-be Utopias, independent communes and mayfly principalities in revved-up prose a bit like Hunter S. Thompsons, but more jokey and with an English accent [...] I came to enjoy it immensely."--Michael Dirda, The Washington Post "Meticulously researched but written for genuine laughs."--CNN Travel "Defoe brings a light touch to this unique collection... The authors superior talent for vivid similes and punchy writing do justice to the tales of megalomaniacs and fools. This is perfect for fans of Atlas Obscura."--Publishers Weekly "An Atlas of Extinct Countries is a droll, tongue-in-cheek view of history."--Kirkus Reviews "An Atlas of Extinct Countries is one of the most intriguing new travel books... Defoe has a remarkable ability to bring these idealists, crackpots, and poets to life."--Frommers Travel Guide "Not just a recitation of nations that no longer exist, An Atlas of Extinct Countries is a very pointed and very funny critique of nation-states, borders, and the flawed men who make them....a timely cautionary history."--Lesley Rains, City of Asylum Bookstore (Pittsburgh, PA) "Better than the Darwin Awards and thrice as amusing, each country gets a summary, a map, and a couple pages to describe its downfall. The snarky wit matches the ostentatious history perfectly and you will laugh out loud. Its the kind of thing you keep reading snippets of to your companion, who either enjoys them as heartily as you do, or leaves for quieter reading country of their own. So much the better; all that real estate to yourself."--Charity McMaster, Schuler Books (Grand Rapids, MI) "A hilarious history of short-lived countries and the often eccentric people who founded them. Defoes skewering of the human ego and the misguided notions behind these unique and often squirrelly nations is enlightening and great entertainment."--Don Luckham, Toadstool Books (Keene, NH) For The Pirates! series "As fun and light-hearted as Defoes writing seems on the surface, theres always a comment being made. Great fun."--The Independent "Very funny, very silly and highly original."--Esquire "Throughout the book, Defoe manages to mix nonsensical jokes with subtle social commentary... Equal parts witty and absurd, it will put a smile on the face of even the stiffest reader."--Memphis Flyer "Defoe keeps things moving along and has a winning proclivity toward footnotes--where he does some of his best writing--and nonsensical asides."--Kirkus Reviews "Equal parts satire and farce as if written by Monty Python, Defoe skewers everyone and everything in a laugh-out-loud performance."--Publishers Weekly "One of the biggest joys in my life this year, stuffed with witty one-liners and good-humored observations on the human condition."--Sacramento News & Review Review Quote For An Atlas of Extinct Countries "Defoes irreverent wit makes his subjects come alive [...] This book is a sparkling gem."--Booklist (Starred Review) "Both educational and entertaining, An Atlas of Extinct Countries is an irreverent look at the history of defunct nations and the larger-than-life personalities behind them."--Foreword Reviews (Starred Review) "Defoe writes [of these] evanescent would-be Utopias, independent communes and mayfly principalities in revved-up prose a bit like Hunter S. Thompsons, but more jokey and with an English accent [...] I came to enjoy it immensely."--Michael Dirda, The Washington Post "Meticulously researched but written for genuine laughs."--CNN Travel "Defoe brings a light touch to this unique collection... The authors superior talent for vivid similes and punchy writing do justice to the tales of megalomaniacs and fools. This is perfect for fans of Atlas Obscura."--Publishers Weekly "An Atlas of Extinct Countries is a droll, tongue-in-cheek view of history."--Kirkus Reviews "An Atlas of Extinct Countries is one of the most intriguing new travel books... Defoe has a remarkable ability to bring these idealists, crackpots, and poets to life."--Frommers Travel Guide "Not just a recitation of nations that no longer exist, An Atlas of Extinct Countries is a very pointed and very funny critique of nation-states, borders, and the flawed men who make them....a timely cautionary history."--Lesley Rains, City of Asylum Bookstore (Pittsburgh, PA) "Better than the Darwin Awards and thrice as amusing, each country gets a summary, a map, and a couple pages to describe its downfall. The snarky wit matches the ostentatious history perfectly and you will laugh out loud. Its the kind of thing you keep reading snippets of to your companion, who either enjoys them as heartily as you do, or leaves for quieter reading country of their own. So much the better; all that real estate to yourself."--Charity McMaster, Schuler Books (Grand Rapids, MI) "A hilarious history of short-lived countries and the often eccentric people who founded them. Defoes skewering of the human ego and the misguided notions behind these unique and often squirrelly nations is enlightening and great entertainment."--Don Luckham, Toadstool Books (Keene, NH) For The Pirates! series "As fun and light-hearted as Defoes writing seems on the surface, theres always a comment being made. Great fun."--The Independent "Very funny, very silly and highly original."--Esquire "Throughout the book, Defoe manages to mix nonsensical jokes with subtle social commentary... Equal parts witty and absurd, it will put a smile on the face of even the stiffest reader."--Memphis Flyer "Defoe keeps things moving along and has a winning proclivity toward footnotes--where he does some of his best writing--and nonsensical asides."--Kirkus Reviews "Equal parts satire and farce as if written by Monty Python, Defoe skewers everyone and everything in a laugh-out-loud performance."--Publishers Weekly "One of the biggest joys in my life this year, stuffed with witty one-liners and good-humored observations on the human condition."--Sacramento News & Review Description for Sales People KEY SELLING POINTS Fully illustrated by artist Joy Gosney with 48 black and white maps, forgotten flags, and more. 48 short chapters of 2-4 pages each, plus additional trivia about ridiculous anthems and flags. Humorous, entertaining, and thoroughly researched, this is a work of general interest for curious minds, especially those interested in world geography, forgotten history, and the rise and fall of nations. A perfect gift book and vacation read A lighthearted but thought-provoking read that presents important questions and much room for conversation. TARGET READERSHIP The amateur historian or geographer Readers who want some escapism with comedy People who wish to know more about forgotten history -- but with the added charm of dry, self-deprecating British humor Will appeal to readers of Bill Bryson, and other books that present unusual information in an easy-to-read form, such as Atlas Obscura; Tim Marshalls Prisoners of Geography; and The Phantom Atlas by Edward Brooke-Hitching Details ISBN1609457668 Author Gideon Defoe Pages 304 Language English Year 2022 ISBN-10 1609457668 ISBN-13 9781609457662 Format Paperback Publication Date 2022-03-15 Publisher Europa Editions Imprint Europa Editions Place of Publication New York Country of Publication United States DEWEY 911 Audience General US Release Date 2022-03-15 Illustrations Illustrations We've got this At The Nile, if you're looking for it, we've got it. 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