Islands of Abandonment: Life in the Post-Human Landscape
Ratings3
Average rating5
15
Ratings3
Average rating5
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
Reviews with the most likes.
A wonderful book about the impact of humans on the world and the rewilding that happens when we leave a place - in equal parts fascinating, terrifying and uplifting. ⭐️ 4.5/5
I was attracted to this book after reading Ians excellent review.
Link here https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3891452160
Other GR friends have also added excellent reviews.
Jills here. https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4907270520
Numdicas here. https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4131596789
I have listened to the audio as told by the author and have no criticism at all of her narration. She made this a fascinating book.
I have no intention to add anything more to the above reviews other than add personal insight to the Green Line in Cyrus. My wife and I had a week in Cyprus in 2000 in January, their winter. It did remind me of winter in Brisbane, beautiful days and cool nights. We did make a trip to the Green Line in Nicosia and it was as described in this book. Where we found very interesting was the ghost city of Famagusta. We went to a café that for the price of a coffee allowed us to get onto the roof and look into the city with binoculars. It was a deserted city the likes I had at the time no imagination for. Along the boundary fence were many warnings not to take photos etc. Up on the roof we took pics and the only movement we caught sight of was a couple of UN vehicles in the distance. It had an eerie dystopian feel, a place that one would want to go and have a look around, take pictures.
We made visit to another area of the Green Line that surrounds Kokkina https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kokkina
Our recall when driving close was the quantity of abandoned shacks and barns and the amount of bullet holes and damage. The wiki link states that “The village itself still carries heavy battle damage.” I don't recall being able to see the village itself from the road we drove.
Excellent book and highly recommended.
As an aside, this walk down memory lane has reminded me of an event that still gives my wife and I a chuckle to this day. In the lobby of the motel we stayed at just outside Limassol, my wife spoke to me and a young English girl nearby turned to her mother and said in a loud voice, “She sounds like she's from Neighbours”. The coffee shop at Famagusta had a cage full of Australian zebra finch's. I recall asking the man at the counter where he had got them from, and after his English being very good 15 seconds earlier, it declined into not understanding my question.
