An Atlas of Extinct Countries

The remarkable (and occasionally ridiculous) stories of 48 nations that fell off the map.

Countries are just daft stories we tell each other. They're all equally implausible once you get up close.

Countries die. Sometimes it's murder, sometimes it's by accident, and sometimes it's because they were so ludicrous they didn't deserve to exist in the first place. An Atlas of Extinct Countries is an exploration of 48 nations that disappeared from the map. Their causes of death range from the implausible (jerky prices) to the unfortunate (too evil) to the downright bizarre (the flip of a coin). The polite way of writing an obituary is to dwell on the good bits and gloss over the embarrassing stuff. This book refuses to do so, as these dead nations are so ridiculous that it's impossible to skip the embarrassing parts.

★ "This book is a sparkling gem." --Booklist (Starred Review)

"Perfect for fans of Atlas Obscura." --Publishers Weekly