Off the western seaboard of Scotland are hundreds of islands. Beginning on Arran, Jonny Muir sets out to explore these places with a single ambition: to reach the St Kilda archipelago, the islands at the edge of the world. On the way he attempts to finds his inner peace on Holy Island, takes part in a punishing foot race across the mountains of Jura, confronts the Inaccessible Pinnacle on Skye and walks the white-sand beach on Berneray. He encounters sharks and whales, discovers gory histories and follows in the footsteps of Boswell and Johnson, but island life is not without its challenges. 'Man-eating' midges live up to their reputation on Rum. An Atlantic storm threatens to rip his tent to shreds on Barra. Wicked weather lashes the Outer Hebrides, leaving his prospects of reaching St Kilda balanced on a knife-edge. An intensely personal account of a journey through some of Britain's most extraordinary landscapes. Complete with twenty five beautiful colour plates.

In 1937, Adam Nicolson's father answered a newspaper ad—"Uninhabited islands for sale. Outer Hebrides, 600 acres. . . . Puffins and seals. Apply."—and thus found the Shiants. With a name meaning "holy or enchanted islands," the Shiants for millennia were a haven for those seeking solitude, but their rich, sometimes violent history of human habitation includes much more. When he was twenty-one, Nicolson inherited this almost indescribably beautiful property: a landscape, soaked in centuries-old tales of restless ghosts and Bronze Age gold, that cradles the heritage of a once-vibrant world of farmers and fishermen. In Sea Room, Nicolson describes and relives his love affair with the three tiny islands and their strange and colorful history in passionate, keenly precise prose—sharing with us the greatest gift an island bestows on its inhabitants: a deep engagement with the natural world.

PUBLISHERS WEEKLY AND ECPA BESTSELLER • Now in paperback! Once, in a cottage above the cliffs on the Dark Sea of Darkness, there lived three children and their trusty dog, Nugget. NOW AN ANIMATED SERIES • Based on Andrew Peterson’s epic fantasy novels—starring Jody Benson, Henry Ian Cusick, and Kevin McNally. Executive Producer J. Chris Wall with Shining Isle Productions, and distributed by Angel Studios. Janner Igiby, his brother, Tink, and their disabled sister, Leeli, are gifted children as all children are, loved well by a noble mother and ex-pirate grandfather. But they will need all their gifts and all that they love to survive the evil pursuit of the venomous Fangs of Dang, who have crossed the dark sea to rule the land with malice. The Igibys hold the secret to the lost legend and jewels of good King Wingfeather of the Shining Isle of Anniera. Full of characters rich in heart, smarts, and courage, On the Edge of the Dark Sea of Darkness is a tale children of all ages will cherish, families can read aloud, and readers' groups are sure to enjoy discussing for its many layers of meaning. Extra features include new interior illustrations from Joe Sutphin, funny footnotes, a map of the fantastical world, inventive appendices, and fanciful line art in the tradition of the original Frank L. Baum Wizard of Oz storybooks.

A journey by sea along the western coasts of Ireland and Scotland in search of islands, both real and imagined.

Hotchkiss continued on. Ed! You didnt see it? The use of his captains first name on deck attested to the first lieutenants growing apprehension and maddening confusion. See what, Isaac, my old friend? Pierce recognized his comrades state of mind and did not correct his lapse of quarterdeck etiquette. Clearly, a more personal and comfortable approach was needed. The stars! The stars, Ed! We werent just looking up at them. We were amongst them. There was the sea, and then there wasnt. And the stars were below us as well! And we were there, right among them, like we were the stars themselves, or the moon or... Im sure you saw what youve described. Unfortunately, I chanced not to see it, although I have had a strange feeling of timelessness. Is it possible to sail beyond the oceans edge to another world? In 1802 Royal Navy Lieutenant Edward Pierce is ashore on half pay because of the Peace of Amiens. He fortunately gains command of a vessel searching for a lost, legendary island. When the island is found, Pierce and his shipmates discover that it exists in an entirely different but similar world. Exploring the seas around Stone Island, HMS Island Expedition sails headlong into an arena of mistaken identities, violent naval battles, strange truces, dangerous liaisons, international intrigue, superstition, and ancient prophecies. Detained by that worlds equivalent of Great Britain, Pierce struggles to free his ship and crew. Despondent over giving up his ship and possibly never seeing his beloved Evangeline again, Pierces outlook brightens when he discovers new-found friends working to liberate him and his crew. With time he comes to understand the prophesied role he and his companions are to play in that other world.

In one brilliant adventure over the course of a year, leading historian and nature writer David Gange kayaked the coasts of Atlantic Britain and Ireland from north to south: every cove, sound, inlet, island. Paddling alone in sun and storms, among whales and seabirds, Gange travelled slowly and close to the water as millions did when coasts were the main arteries of trade and communication. He was in search of island archives and the vast poetic literatures of coastal towns, of neglected social histories that unlock our understanding of this archipelago's past and future. In captivating prose and loving detail, this is a history of Britain and Ireland like not other.

The author of The Great Railway Bazaar explores the South Pacific by kayak: “This exhilarating epic ranks with [his] best travel books” (Publishers Weekly). In one of his most exotic and adventuresome journeys, travel writer Paul Theroux embarks on an eighteen-month tour of the South Pacific, exploring fifty-one islands by collapsible kayak. Beginning in New Zealand's rain forests and ultimately coming to shore thousands of miles away in Hawaii, Theroux paddles alone over isolated atolls, through dirty harbors and shark-filled waters, and along treacherous coastlines. Along the way, Theroux meets the king of Tonga, encounters street gangs in Auckland, and investigates a cargo cult in Vanuatu. From Australia to Tahiti, Fiji, Easter Island, and beyond, this exhilarating tropical epic is full of disarming observations and high adventure.

Now in one volume, the entire epic series set in an ancient island sanctuary of gods and magic—from “the finest fantasy writer of this or any decade” (Marion Zimmer Bradley). Anne McCaffrey has praised Nancy Springer as “someone special in the fantasy field.” Andre Norton agrees that “Ms. Springer’s work is outstanding.” Now the multiple award-winning author’s classic five-part epic fantasy is presented in a single volume. In the grand tradition of J. R. R. Tolkien, the Book of Isle saga draws on Arthurian and Celtic legend to create a wholly original, imaginary world brimming with adventure, romance, evil, mythic quests, and vividly described locales. The White Hart: Long ago, mortals, immortals, and magical beasts lived together in a land encircled by vast oceans. Here, Ellid, a lady as fair as sunlight, falls in love with her rescuer, Bevan, the son of a High King and the goddess of the moon. Together with Cuin, Ellid’s original intended and now friend to both, the three battle an ancient evil to rebuild a peaceful kingdom. The Silver Sun: The Forest is said to be the abode of warlocks, goblins, and, of course, thieves. But it is deep in these woods that Hal and Alan become blood brothers and form an alliance with Ket the Red, the fiery-haired leader of a band of outlaws, to overthrow a tyrannical king. In their quest to establish a peaceful realm, they will fulfill a prophecy found in the Book of Suns. The Sable Moon: Lured across the seas by a powerful warlock, young Prince Trevyn of Isle is captured and enslaved. But he must escape and return, for the unprotected Isle and his beloved Meg are now at the mercy of the evil Wael. The Black Beast: After his father murdered his true love, Prince Tirell, along with the aid of his younger brother, Frain the healer, seeks an army to defeat the unrepentant monarch. But a sinister presence is spreading its malevolence throughout the land—and the kingdom can never again be truly whole until the brothers confront the terrible scourge of the Black Beast. The Golden Swan: When Prince Dair was a child and still in wolf form, he saw his future. It was prophesied that the changeling son of King Trevyn of Isle would travel far from his home, carrying his magic to the mainland. Now, his mystical union with a wanderer called Frain, who has the power to feel everything Dair feels but also suffers under the curse of a dark enchantment, will determine the fate of a troubled land.