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The Coasts of Illusion
Hardcover
Mythology & FolkloreTravel GeneralGeneral World History
ISBN13: 9781025558813
Publisher: Tradd Street Press
Published: Feb 14 2026
Pages: 464
Weight: 1.81
Height: 1.00 Width: 6.14 Depth: 9.21
Language: English
The Coasts of Illusion is a fascinating exploration of the boundaries between geography and imagination. Clark Firestone delves into the rich history of mythical lands, legendary creatures, and the tall tales told by travelers throughout the centuries. From the elusive unicorn and the phoenix to the fabled empires of Prester John and the lost continents that once populated the world's maps, Firestone examines how human belief and the desire for wonder have shaped our understanding of the physical world.
The book serves as a compendium of the untrue in geography and natural history, tracing the origins of these illusions to their roots in folklore, early scientific misunderstandings, and the creative license of ancient explorers. Firestone's narrative brings to life the sirens of the sea, the dragons of the mountains, and the terrestrial paradises that long beckoned adventurers into the unknown. This work is a captivating study for anyone interested in the history of travel, the evolution of mythology, or the enduring power of the human imagination to populate the blank spaces of the map with monsters and wonders. It offers a unique window into the mind of the pre-modern world, where the line between fact and fable was often indistinguishable.
This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work was reproduced from the original artifact, and remains as true to the original work as possible. Therefore, you may see the original copyright references, library stamps (as most of these works have been housed in our most important libraries around the world), and other notations in the work.
This work is in the public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work.
As a reproduction of a historical artifact, this work may contain missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.
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