Phantom Islands of the Atlantic: The Legends of Seven Lands That Never Were - Hardcover

Johnson, Donald S.

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9780285633957: Phantom Islands of the Atlantic: The Legends of Seven Lands That Never Were

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0285633953 ISBN 13: 9780285633957

Publisher: Souvenir Press, 1997

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They were conjured out of myth, human error, and occasionally a captain's hubris, but they appeared on maps for centuries--even though many never existed at all. Here are the compelling stories of seven islands which mapmakers documented and depicted in the Age of Discovery, but which really arose from sailors' tales and fanciful legends brought back from the uncharted wilderness that was the Atlantic Ocean. Donald S. Johnson reveals each island's dark origins and mysterious cartographic life through an intricate exploration of history and myth. From the Isle of Demons, born of a fable invented by pious Christians, to the elusive Buss Island, the creation of an ambitious explorer, these places of the imagination are a fascinating legacy of a bygone age. Beautifully illustrated with dozens of maps and engravings, Phantom Islands of the Atlantic brings these legendary lands to life for a remarkable odyssey into the human spirit of exploration.

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Synopsis:

A study of the stories of the ancient mariners who travelled the Atlantic Ocean and returned with tales of awesome, fearful lands. Johnson has looked at the routes and plotted the courses of the old sailors to discover where these mysterious islands actually were. The book is illustrated by maps redrawn by the author.

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