The Atlas of the Unexpected offers historical retellings of unusual, strange places in the world.

I didn't realize this was purely a history book, without current references or 'what's going on now' type of information. With that in mind, it doesn't fit the criteria of my reviews, and in turn, I didn't enjoy it. I assumed incorrectly I could use this as a travel guide to some fun places to explore - and while I guess I could, the information is so dry and museum-like that I don't think I'd want to.

As well, none of the photos were dated so I found it difficult to tell when/where/if these places still existed. Obviously I didn't read too in-depth to find out, as I didn't enjoy the stories or method of storytelling.

Perhaps a history buff would enjoy this more than I did. ( )

Atlas of the Unexpected by Travis Elborough is broken into several sections, helping to define the strange and unusual aspects of the sites mentioned. Each site is accompanied by black and white photos.

‘Accidental Discoveries’- includes places such as Cahokia and Pompeii. The latter, of course, is the famed city in Italy buried by the wrath of Mount Vesuvius. Cahokia I've had the honour of visiting, climbing to the top of Monk's Mound. It is an absolutely astounding North American archaeological site, and was once a thriving metropolis.

‘Strange Roots’- includes places such as Fort Town and Nowa Huta. Fort Town, in the UK, contains remnants of Leith Port's fort walls. Nowa Huta is a feat of engineering from the Soviet era. Designed as a town to support the steel processing plant being built nearby, it served as a home to revolutionaries in the 1980s.

'Haphazard Destinations’- includes such places as Caleta Tortel and the Korowai Treehouses. Caleta Tortel, in Chile, is a village situated in a cypress grove, and climbing up a mountain. The buildings are built on stilts, connected with a network of steep boardwalks. The Korowai Treehouses are located in the most remote region of Papua New Guinea. The region ranks among the wettest terrestrial landscape our world has to offer and the inhabitants of the region make their homes among the soaring tree tops.

'Cavernous Locations'- includes such places as Lascaux and Aogashima. The Lascaux caves in France hold some of the most treasured relics of prehistory. The walls are adorned with gorgeous ancient paintings of animals and people, depicting several species now extinct. Oh, how I'd love to see it in person! Sadly, the actual cave is closed to the public to preserve the works. Lascaux II and Lascaux IV present faithful recreations of the original and these are open to tourists. Aogashima, in Japan, is a tiny island with just 206 residents. It is very geothermally active and home to a series of steam baths. Excess steam is harnessed for the cooking of food.

‘Serendipitous Spaces'- includes such places as Glass Beach, California and Cat Island, Japan. At Fort Bragg, in California, the great San Francisco earthquake of 1906 destroyed all but two of the town's houses. The rubble and debris were pushed into the ocean, allowing the town to rebuild itself. Other trash began to be dumped there until a new landfill was built. The actions of the waves, over the decades, has worn glass debris down to sparkling gems that mix with the beach pebbles in gorgeous display. Today there are restrictions against taking anything from the beach. Cat Island is a small Japanese island dominated by felines. There are far more cats than humans on the island. Initially brought over as mousers to protect silk farms, the cat population flourished. Today the island is a popular tourist attraction for cat-lovers.

I loved going through this book. There are so many neat places mentioned, and the archaeologist in me adored it. And while some sites mentioned were already familiar to me, such as Cahokia, Lascaux, and Cat Island, most were brand-new. It prompted me to look deeper into the places that really captured my attention. If you love travel, or enjoy learning about unusual places, this is the book for you!

***Many thanks to Netgalley and Quarto Publishing for providing an egalley in exchange for a fair and honest review. ( )