Books that will transport you

Books that will transport you

By Ideas Editor

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While summer vacation plans may be on pause, armchair traveling is having a moment. From archaeological adventures to alien oceans; from the landscapes of Tolkien to the backstreets of Brooklyn, this is the summer for books that transport.

This book takes you to the places that inspired J. R. R. Tolkien to create his fictional locations in The Lord of the RingsThe Hobbit, and other classic works. Written by renowned Tolkien expert John Garth, The Worlds of J. R. R. Tolkien features a wealth of breathtaking illustrations, including Tolkien’s own drawings, contributions from other artists, rare archival images, and spectacular color photos of contemporary locations across Britain and beyond, from the battlefields of World War I to Africa.

Brooklyn: The Once and Future City is an unprecedented history of Brooklyn, told through its places, buildings, and the people who made them, from the early seventeenth century to today.

New Guinea is an enthralling exploration of the biologically richest island on Earth, featuring more than 200 spectacular color images by award-winning National Geographic photographer Tim Laman.

Drawing on inspiring examples, from Socrates and Augustine to Malcolm X and Elena Ferrante, and from films to Hitz’s own experiences as someone who walked away from elite university life in search of greater fulfillment, Lost in Thought is a passionate and timely reminder that a rich life is a life rich in thought.

Bill Helmreich decided that the only way to truly understand New York was to walk virtually every block of all five boroughs—an astonishing 6,000 miles. His journey took him to every corner of Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, the Bronx, and Staten Island. The result is an intimate portrait of the Big Apple.

Digging Up Armageddon is a vivid portrait of the early years of biblical archaeology from the acclaimed author of 1177 B.C.: The Year Civilization Collapsed.

Who were the legendary sailors of the Mediterranean known as the ancient Phoenicians, and did they actually exist? Josephine Quinn makes the startling claim that the “Phoenicians” never actually existed. 

Masada is new account of the famous site and story of the last stand of a group of Jewish rebels who held out against the Roman Empire.

Providing an unparalleled look at a diverse range of species, locations, and natural phenomena, Big Pacific is truly an epic excursion to one of the world’s last great frontiers.

Beneath the frozen crusts of several of the small, ice-covered moons of Jupiter and Saturn lurk vast oceans that may have been in existence for as long as Earth, and together may contain more than fifty times its total volume of liquid water. Could there be organisms living in their depths? Alien Oceans reveals the science behind the thrilling quest to find out.

In Searching for the Oldest Stars, leading astronomer Anna Frebel takes readers behind the scenes of the thrilling science of stellar archaeology.

Essential reading for audiences both in photography and natural history, this lavishly illustrated volume reminds readers that, as Terry Tempest Williams writes in her foreword, “The world is saturated with loveliness, inhabited by others far more adept at living with uncertainty than we are.” 

When Georgia O'Keeffe first visited New Mexico in 1917, she was instantly drawn to the stark beauty of its unusual architectural and landscape forms. Georgia O'Keeffe and New Mexico is the first book to analyze the artist's famous depictions of Southwestern landscapes.