Islands of Abandonment

Islands of Abandonment by Cal Flyn is an extraordinary exploration of nature's resilience and resurgence in places where humanity has withdrawn. This remarkable book invites readers into the hauntingly beautiful and eerie world of abandoned sites: ghost towns, exclusion zones, no man’s lands, and deserted fortress islands. These are places where time seems to have stood still and where nature, in all its complexity and tenacity, is reclaiming its dominion.

From the irradiated wilderness of Chernobyl, where only a few stubborn individuals have returned, to the forgotten corners of Detroit, where entire streets lay silent and empty, Flyn offers a rare glimpse into the potential future of our world if humans were to disappear or significantly reduce their impact. On an abandoned Scottish island, feral cattle roam free, surviving utterly untamed, while in other corners of the world, pockets of wildlife and flora are thriving against the odds.

Islands of Abandonment masterfully chronicles these phenomenal places. Flyn takes readers from the overgrown streets of once-bustling cities to the quietude of nature slowly healing itself in the aftermath of human retreat. She visits the desolate mining regions of Scotland, the volcanic landscapes of the Caribbean, and the forbidden zones of France, unfolding stories of decay and rebirth that offer a vision of environmental recovery and resilience.

This book is not merely a catalogue of desolation; it is a hopeful and illuminating study of ecological recovery. Through vivid and poetic prose, Flyn reveals the new ecological discoveries that are emerging from these abandoned places, offering profound insights into what happens when mankind’s footprint suddenly stops.

Praise for Islands of Abandonment highlights the book’s exceptional quality and the author's extraordinary narrative skill. The Spectator lauds it as "Extraordinary … Just when you thought there was nowhere left to explore, along comes an author with a new category of terrain … Dazzling."

The Sunday Times describes it as "A haunting look at how nature fights back … Beautiful, evocative."

Kathleen Jamie of the New Statesman praises Flyn's bravery and thoroughness, stating, "Flyn’s brave, thorough book sets out to explore places where angels fear to tread … The result is fascinating, eerie and strange … There is some thrilling writing here."

Additional acclaim comes from Adam Nicolson, who simply calls it "Wonderful," and the Daily Telegraph which finds it "Exhilarating."

Islands of Abandonment is a luminously written world study, filled with hope and profound ecological insight, mapping possible futures for our planet and offering a powerful reflection on humanity's relationship with nature and the enduring power of the natural world.