In 'Islands of Abandonment', author Cal Flyn takes readers on a journey to eerie and desolate places on Earth where humans once lived but have now left, allowing nature to reclaim its territory. Flyn's writing is beautifully descriptive, informative, and easy to follow, immersing readers in locations like the Forbidden Forest of Verdun, Chernobyl, and the Sultan Sea in California. Through meticulous research and firsthand visits to these abandoned sites, Flyn explores the resilience of nature in the face of human-induced trauma, offering a fascinating study of the rebounding natural world in the post-human landscape.

Flyn masterfully balances acknowledging the damage humans have caused to the planet with highlighting the earth's incredible ability to heal and rejuvenate. The book delves into the complex relationship between humans and nature, questioning the purpose of nature conservation and pondering the impact of human activities on the environment. Despite the haunting landscapes and tales of environmental catastrophe, 'Islands of Abandonment' ultimately conveys a message of hope, beauty, and the enduring resilience of the natural world.

Writing/Prose:

The writing is characterized by its poetic and descriptive quality, striking a balance between artistry and clarity.

Plot/Storyline:

The narrative focuses on nature's reclaiming of abandoned landscapes, showcasing various locations around the world where human activity has ceased.

Setting:

The setting encompasses diverse abandoned locations worldwide, emphasizing the contrast between human departure and nature's resurgence.

Pacing:

The pacing is uneven, with some chapters feeling disconnected while others maintain a smooth narrative flow.

Fifteen miles south west of Edinburgh, a knuckled red fist rises from a soft green landscape: five peaks of rose-gold gravel stand bound together by grass and moss, like a Martian mountain range or ea...

Genres:

nonfiction

nature writing

travel literature

environmental writing

Topics:

environmentalism

nature resilience

human impact on landscapes

abandoned sites

eco tourism

climate change

post human landscapes

abandoned places

Notes:

Cal Flyn's 'Islands of Abandonment' explores places abandoned by humans and how nature reclaims them.

The book features locations like Chernobyl, Detroit, and the island of Cyprus, highlighting their eerie beauty.

Some readers find the writing to be poetic and evocative, offering a fresh perspective on environmental issues.

The author conducted thorough research and visited all locations mentioned in the book.

The book discusses the resilience of nature in the face of human destructiveness, providing hope for recovery.

Flyn's writing style is described as visceral and lyrical, capturing the mood of abandoned sites.

The text raises questions about human impact on the environment and the effectiveness of conservation efforts.

Readers noted the contrasting feelings of despair and hope throughout the narrative.

The book serves to engage a wider audience in environmental conservation discussions.

Many find the topics of abandoned places and nature's recovery both fascinating and inspiring.

From The Publisher:

THE SUNDAY TIMES' BESTSELLER AND SCIENCE AND ENVIRONMENT BOOK OF THE YEAR

WINNER OF THE SUNDAY TIMES YOUNG WRITER OF THE YEAR AWARD

SHORTLISTED FOR THE BAILLIE GIFFORD PRIZE

SHORTLISTED FOR THE WAINWRIGHT CONSERVATION AWARD

SHORTLISTED FOR THE BRITISH ACADEMY BOOK PRIZE

SHORTLISTED FOR THE HIGHLAND BOOK PRIZE

This is a book about abandoned places: ghost towns and exclusion zones, no man's lands and fortress islands - and what happens when nature is allowed to reclaim its place.

In Chernobyl, following the nuclear disaster, only a handful of people returned to their dangerously irradiated homes. On an uninhabited Scottish island, feral cattle live entirely wild. In Detroit, once America's fourth-largest city, entire streets of houses are falling in on themselves, looters slipping through otherwise silent neighbourhoods.

This book explores the extraordinary places where humans no longer live - or survive in tiny, precarious numbers - to give us a possible glimpse of what happens when mankind's impact on nature is forced to stop. From Tanzanian mountains to the volcanic Caribbean, the forbidden areas of France to the mining regions of Scotland, Flyn brings together some of the most desolate, eerie, ravaged and polluted areas in the world - and shows how, against all odds, they offer our best opportunities for environmental recovery.

By turns haunted and hopeful, this luminously written world study is pinned together with profound insight and new ecological discoveries that together map an answer to the big questions: what happens after we're gone, and how far can our damage to nature be undone?

More praise for Islands of Abandonment

'Extraordinary … Just when you thought there was nowhere left to explore, along comes an author with a new category of terrain … Dazzling' SPECTATOR

'A haunting look at how nature fights back … Beautiful, evocative' SUNDAY TIMES

'Flyn's brave, thorough book sets out to explore places where angels fear to tread … The result is fascinating, eerie and strange … There is some thrilling writing here' KATHLEEN JAMIE, NEW STATESMAN

'Wonderful' ADAM NICOLSON

'Exhilarating' DAILY TELEGRAPH

Ratings (1)

It Was OK (1)

Reader Stats (6):

Read It (1)
Want To Read (4)
Not Interested (1)

What can you read after
Islands of Abandonment?

See the list (83 books)

Meet New Books is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a way for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to products and services on amazon.com and its subsidiaries.
When you click the Amazon link and make a purchase, we may receive a small commision, at no cost to you.

Islands of Abandonment

Cal Flyn