Overview

Islands are contradictory places: they can be remote, mysterious spots, or lively centres of holiday revelry; they are associated alternately with escape, imprisonment, holiday and exile. For people seeking beautiful landscapes, solitude, or exciting adventure, islands are arguably the most popular tourism spots in the world. They entice the rich and famous, and provided both refuge and inspiration for artists, from Paul Gauguin in Tahiti to George Orwell on the Scottish island of Jura. Filled with illustrations, Islands  guides readers through the cultural and scientific history of these diverse environments.

Full Product Details

9781780233468

Table of Contents

Reviews

One way to engage the perennial question of what is an island? as Stephen Royle does in this exemplary book is to explore how islands are understood through different academic disciplines, media and the arts . . . Royles book has a pace and conveys an excitement about islands that allows him to rapidly move through a range of contemporary debates in islands scholarship . . . the book as a whole is notable for the large number of illustrations (there seems to be one on every second page!). Here, Royle devotes space to reflecting on the nature of light and the associated atmospheres of islands, providing a particularly fascinating discussion of Gauguin . . . I found Islands to be an extremely enjoyable and fruitful read. The book is relevant for lay people, students and scholars alike, and Royles vivid writing style anf illuminating examples remind us why islands hold such a recurrent appeal for geographers and those from related disciplines. * <i>Cultural Geographies</i> *

Author Information

Stephen A. Royle is Professor of Island Geography at Queen’s University Belfast. He is a founding member of the International Small Island Studies Association, Deputy Editor of Island Studies Journal and has visited 778 islands across the globe.

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