Our Book of the Month for December 2022 is Found in Translation: The Unexpected Origins of Place Names by Duncan Madden.
An enlightening, etymological journey across continents, uncovering the history and origins of the places we live and travel to.
Found in Translation: The Unexpected Origins of Place Names unravels the tangled threads of history and etymology to uncover the strange, intriguing and enlightening stories that have shaped the names of countries and places around the world.
Starting in the world’s second largest country, Canada, whose name means ‘the village’, renowned travel writer, Duncan Madden takes us on a spellbinding tour through the Americas, Europe, Africa, Asia and Oceania, visiting the weird and wonderful along the way. Learn about the Land Protected by Fire , otherwise known as Azerbaijan; drop by Hippopotamus, or Mali; and sail to the Land of Frizzy-Haired Men in Papua New Guinea.
Found in Translation will entertain and inspire the culturally curious – armchair explorers and avid travellers, historians, linguists and lovers of language – painting a new perspective on the names, histories and origins of the places we live in and travel to. Visiting more than sixty countries across all six continents, Found in Translation includes the stories of Canada, USA, Mexico, Costa Rica, Cuba, Brazil, Argentina, Iceland, Ireland, UK, Germany, Russia, Italy, Senegal, South Africa, Tanzania, Iraq, India, China, Thailand, Korea, Japan, Australia, New Zealand and many more…
The foreword, written by bestselling author, explorer and photographer, Levison Wood, sets the context for this revelatory work that is part travelogue, history book and etymological reference.
Structured by continent, with chapters focusing on different countries. It contains feature boxes with quirky facts and anecdotes and includes black and white illustrated maps for each continent.
This book is a travelogue, history book and etymological reference and would make an ideal gift for anyone with an interest in travel, history, geography, language and culture – or simply those with a curious mind to learn something new and fun.
Author Biography
Duncan Madden is a freelance travel writer who’s spent the last 20 years exploring the world and writing about it for international newspapers, magazines, websites and books, from Forbes to Lonely Planet. Alongside his love of language and etymology, he’s a keen surfer and skier and enjoys nothing more than disappearing off the beaten track in search of new stories, snow and surf. When not traveling, he splits his time between Cologne and London.
Found in Translation: The Unexpected Origins of Place Names by Duncan Madden is available now for £14.99.