Outlandish: Walking Europe’s Unlikely Landscapes

by Nick Hunt

In Outlandish, acclaimed travel writer Nick Hunt takes us across landscapes that should not be there, wildernesses found in Europe yet seemingly belonging to far-off continents: a patch of Arctic tundra in Scotland; the continent's largest surviving remnant of primeval forest in Poland and Belarus; Europe's only true desert in Spain; and the fathomless grassland steppes of Hungary.

From snow-capped mountain range to dense green forest, desert ravines to threadbare, yellow open grassland, these anomalies transport us to faraway regions of the world. More like pockets of Africa, Asia, the Poles or North America, they make our own continent seem larger, stranger and more filled with secrets. Against the rapid climate breakdown of deserts, steppes and primeval jungles across the world, this book discovers the outlandish environments so much closer to home — along with their abundant wildlife: reindeer; bison; ibex; wolves and herds of wild horses.

Blending sublime travel writing, nature writing and history — by way of Paleolithic cave art, reindeer nomads, desert wanderers, shamans, Slavic forest gods, European bison, Wild West fantasists, eco-activists, horseback archers, Big Grey Men and other unlikely spirits of place — these desolate and rich environments show us that the strange has always been near.

Genres: Travel, Nonfiction, Nature, Walking, History, Science, Geography

288 pages, Hardcover

First published May 6, 2021

About the author

Nick Hunt has walked and written across much of Europe. His first book 'Walking the Woods and the Water' (Nicholas Brealey, 2014) was a finalist for the Stanford Dolman Travel Book of the Year. He also works as a contributor and editor for the Dark Mountain Project.

Reviews

[Spencer Orey · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved Nick Hunt's book about walking the different winds. Turns out I love his writing. This book is great, with a mix of super tough walks interspersed with history and climate information and all kinds of thoughtful asides. He's a great guide and really brought these places to life for me. If you can't travel much right now, books like this are a great way to escape into surprising places.

My only complaint is that, like the wind, the section set in the UK was the least interesting (but still interesting). The jungle, the desert, and the steppe were fantastic and really got my imagination roaring.

[Left Coast Justin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nick Hunt is quite a skilled writer, and I think he could have tightened this up a bit and made it an easy four-star read. As it stands, there are significant sections that drag, and the reader is propelled along only by the magic woven into some of his sentences.

Regular readers of my reviews (both of you) know of my seething hostility towards tired passages in travel books of this ilk: According to legend, the hills were pushed up by two scarab beetles battling for the right to ride in the Princess's carriage, and the river was formed when the Princess, who was still a virgin... Not only are these tales ridiculous on their face, but they are not in fact ancient legends, as far as I'm concerned, unless somebody can show me a rock carving illustrating the tale. Ancient peoples were carving incredible structures and inventing perfectly credible musical instruments 20,000 years ago, and knew how to survive on the fringes of the Ice Age. These people were not stupid, and to attribute the sort of idiocy provided supra is both insulting and a complete waste of the reader's time.

Anyway, as my pulse returns to normal, there was blessedly little of that sort of nonsense in this book. There was a LOT of time devoted to propositions such as:
1. You can get very cold hiking on Scottish mountaintops
2. You can easily get lost hiking through thick rainforest
3. It is dangerous to hike in the desert in midsummer without sufficient water

I am making this book sound charmless, which isn't true. The author is curious about the world, and enjoys learning new things, and passes this excitement of the unknown along to the reader. His particular interests lean towards the scientific and the natural world, and, inevitably, the observable changes to the landscapes he's visiting wrought by climate change.

The tour is over halfway through. On the reedy banks of the Narewka River, the point from which we will loop back, we watch the iridescent dart of a diving kingfisher and the struggling silver fish caught in its beak. Joanna's camera whirrs. She offers to send me the photographs but they don't feel important. More than individual sights -- the focused images of birds that she has been collecting, beautiful though they are -- what I want is something else, a feeling that I can't quite name.

See? Charming. I believe this author has a bright future.

[Max · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful travel stories, set in unique landscapes in Europe. I absolutely love the places the author chose for this book. These are not just travel stories, but also incorporated are history and climate problems. It's very well written, flowing and easy to read. I loved the first story the most, about the Arctic-like areas in Scotland. I've been reading a lot of travel memoirs lately, but this really stands out as one of the best I've read.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC to read. Opinions are my honest thoughts.

[Colin · Rating 4 out of 5]

I very much enjoyed Nick Hunt’s two earlier books, particularly Walking the Woods and the Water, his walk across Europe in the footsteps of Patrick Leigh Fermor. Outlandish is a different kind of travel book; in it Hunt visits four of Europe’s oldest landscapes, all now threatened by climate change, and global economic and political pressures. From a remote and tiny patch of Arctic tundra in the Scottish Cairngorms, to the last remnant of Northern Europe’s once extensive primeval forest, and from the continent’s only true desert in southern Spain to the immense grassland steppe of Hungary’s great plain, he finds environments and their unique ecosystems only just holding on in the face of seemingly unstoppable forces.
Nick Hunt is the best sort of travel guide, informed, interested and valiant in his attempts to really understand a place and its people.

[Andy Weston · Rating 3 out of 5]

And a low 3 stars..

Out of all the reviews I write I am the harshest critic of travel books. There are so many well-written travel blogs around (I have one myself), many of which are not only interesting and well-researched, but also currently taking place, which gives an added dimension of adventure to them.m

Hunt, the great nephew of Sir John Hunt, who led the 1953 successful Everest expedition, chooses four, very tenuously linked wildernesses to visit new write about; each occupies a quarter of the book.
The chapter on ‘the Scottish Arctic’ has some interest, but is largely nothing new. I have read many descriptions of wild expeditions in the Scottish Highlands, and this has little new to say. Patrick Baker takes my prize.
Spain’s desert, at Tabernas, was what originally attracted me to the book, as I am currently travelling in the country, not far from there. It may be well-known as the place the spaghetti westerns of the 1970s were filmed, but Hunt does not make it sound in anyway attractive, though granted, that may have been his intention.
The other two places, Poland’s Białowieża Forest on the Belorus border (which I have visited myself), and Hungary’s Hortobágy National Park, do have interest to me, but Hunt’s writing only very rarely inspires, and more often feels inflated. All four sections could have been covered in half as many pages, leaving room for four more.

The travel writing classics of many years go still stand high in the genre, but these days you’ve got to do more than Hunt does here..

Breakfast was a raw onion eaten as I walk..

My hands are so thirsty that they can hardly work the lid.

Would he attract the publisher if it wasn’t for his great uncle, I could cynically add…

[Amanda · Rating 3 out of 5]

Travel writing on Europe’s extraordinary wildernesses.

Outlandish visits the arctic tundra of Scotland, a jungle in Poland, a true desert in Spain, and the steppes of Hungary. It covers climate change and the anthropological effects on wilderness, and local folklore.

Hunt’s adjective-rich prose has a self-conscious literary style, with overworked similes and metaphors, and fails to put the reader in place. However, if like me you are fascinated by the meaning of words, his love of etymology is engaging and informative.

My thanks to NetGalley and publisher Nicholas Brealey for the ARC.

[Tom · Rating 5 out of 5]

Every page of this book sings with reverence for the natural world, with insight, poetry and history. Far more than a travel book, it is elevated by a deep moral purpose: to make us look clearly at the realities of climate change

[anklecemetery · Rating 4 out of 5]

Spectacular, meditative travel writing. I read the book pretty slowly, but it felt like I was walking, too. Really gorgeous language and unexpected landscapes.

[Chantal Lyons · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've read and enjoyed Nick Hunt's previous two travel/walking books, and 'Outlandish' does not disappoint. In fact, it's his deepest and richest so far, lent a new urgency by the growing spectre of climate breakdown. What I thought was a project rooted in pure curiosity turned out to be something more speculative, more fearful.

The opening section of the book is spent in the Cairngorms, among snow and reindeer. There is something a little obligatory-feeling to the descriptions of hiking and Nan Shepherd quotes, but Hunt's prose is beautiful without being pretentious. The wheel begins to turn in the Białowieża section as Hunt touches upon conflicts between loggers, locals and environmentalists, but it's in the third and fourth sections of the book - the Almeria desert in Spain, and the steppe of Hortobágy National Park in Hungary where everything truly clicks into place. To paraphrase the author, these places may be outlandish at this moment, but soon, thanks to climate breakdown, they will no longer be alone; everywhere will be outlandish.

It's a book that is as heartbreaking as it is fascinating, and there is an especially moving scene involving a birder in Hortobágy. I will not forget it. This is nature/travel writing with a deep and painful bite.

(With thanks to Nicholas Brealey and NetGalley for this ebook in exchange for an honest review)

[Yvonne · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was such a fabulous book to read over several days as I followed the author around the unlikely landscapes of Europe.

The author described many things along his travels from local interesting observations, snippets of history, geography and also how climate change is altering the landscape. He has visited places that I would love to see, but I also know I never will but a chance to travel and witness things vicariously is the next best thing.

I did find myself travelling the internet as I looked up the places he had visited, this added to the enjoyment of the book. The author did give great descriptions by the way. He was able to convey the feeling he felt through his very thought-provoking words.

This was such an interesting book to read and one I adored, it is also tinged with sadness as things are changing. Climate change, the impact of people on areas and how many things will change beyond recognition. An important observation from an author who allows the reader to travel alongside him. A book that will appeal to many readers of non-fiction, travel, ecology and one I would definitely recommend.

[Cynthia Moore · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found this book to be quite interesting. The landscapes were not ones that I would have expected so that added an extra element of enticement to the book. I thought the book seemed very well researched and laid out in its chapters. There was a dimension to the approach that will appeal to different type of readers.

[Jessica - How Jessica Reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

Part travelogue, part ecological history, and totally fascinating. Full review coming for Shelf Awareness.

[Booknblues · Rating 4 out of 5]

These days, the traveling I do is through reading and I particularly love slow travel books. This is what attracted me to Outlandish: Walking Europe’s Unlikely Landscapes. Nick Hunt proposes to walk through unexpected landscapes in Europe: a seemingly polar region in Scotland, a rain forest in Poland, a desert in Spain and the steppe in Hungary.

With each of these treks, Hunt introduces us to the geography, history and ecology of the area as well as the climatic threats which exist for the given area. We also meet some of the people in each area. He seems not to have a real firm walking plan before going and this sometimes makes me a bit nervous. While in Spain he wanders up slot canyons much like the protagonist in Hernan Diaz's In the Distance and it made me nervous about his safety.

He describes an incident in Scotland:
It will seem silly, looking back, as these things always do. I am not far from the path. I know where I am going. But, for a few moments, I am absolutely lost, unmoored in space and time, as if I have woken up in some astounding dream. There is nothing human in the circumference of what I can see, no sign that humans ever were. There is nothing to hold on to, no context and no history. I feel the psychedelic shock of dropping into the unknown, a silent terror that I will find no route to take me back. Stripped and de-personified, I try to locate small holds to reattach me to the world: there are my bootprints in the snow, which I can retrace if I choose, there is the pine-wooded glen we left an hour ago, with its icy stream and its snow-bent branches and its interlacing animal tracks.

On the whole, I felt that this was an interesting and entertaining book and would recommend it to those who appreciate travel books.

[Sophy H · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brilliant inspired writing here from Nick Hunt.

I found the discoveries of his walks in four different countries captivating, absorbing, engrossing, just bloody great!

Hunt has a natural ability in creating a conversational travelogue that transports you immediately with him to the environment he is describing.

Highly enjoyed and highly highly recommended.

[LilyRose · Rating 4 out of 5]

Outlandish by Nick Hunt is a wonderful book of travel, nature, history and culture. The author transports you to unexpected landscapes and horizons from a patch of Arctic tundra in Scotland, the final remnant of primeval forest in Poland and Belarus, Europe’s only true desert in Spain and the grassland steppes of Hungary. The prose is beautiful and enchanting as a reader you feel yourself tracing the footprints of the author in his quest to understand a place, it’s history, present and uncertain future. The book explores the pressing urgency of climate change, what may be lost to us or changed over time, the animals and natural worlds that inhabit these places which exist in pockets of abundance. This book is perfect for readers of nature and travel writing who want to feel immersed in a new landscape. Engrossing, rich and strange these are places I felt privileged to envision through the pages of this book. 4 Stars ✨

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a review copy of this book in exchange for honest feedback.

[Tissie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a very peculiar book. One I savored for a long while, because it’s fascinating, both in concept and in storytelling. Did you know that there’s a glacier tucked away in Scotland? Or a desert in Spain? I was aware about the latter, and of course the existence of the Hungarian steppe is common knowledge, but the glacier stumped me. Same with the Białowieża, a Polish forest. 

[Keep reading @ Bookshelves & Teacups]

[Abhijeet Borkar · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars, rounded up

A contemplative book about some of the most interesting landscapes across the European continent, with the shadow of climate change looming large, the author recounts his experiences traversing the varied environments, encounters with esoteric people, and documents the 'Man vs Wild' conflict affecting the last remnants of the unique biomes.

[Robby Bear · Rating 4 out of 5]

A really interesting accounting of four different treks taken in remote and unique parties of Europe. Scotland, Spain, Poland and Hungary each are host to unlikely, wild and somewhat endangered places. The author blends travel adventure, climatology, history and personal perspective into four compelling tales of his travels in these four “out-lands”.

[George · Rating 4 out of 5]

Simultaneously a travel book and a natural history book. I especially enjoyed the steppe chapter but felt it was cut short somewhat.

Read on the kindle in the arm chair.

[Mark · Rating 3 out of 5]

What drew my attention to this book initially was the cover and the title. I think that the cover is modern and eye-catching; The title is intriguing. I looked up 'Outlandish' and saw two meanings for it: 'of or relating to another country' and 'strikingly out of the ordinary' and these seems very appropriate for the book. The introduction to the book describes an area I am reasonably familiar with at Dungeness which the author explains has been described as a dessert, although he goes on to explain it may not meet the accepted criteria to really be a dessert. What is clear however is that it is an unusual landscape for this country and that really sets the scene for the book. The author has selected four landscapes in Europe that you would normally expect to find in other parts of the world, and he visits them, explaining that they present an opportunity to see these landscapes without needing air travel. The author visits a patch of Arctic tundra in Scotland; the continent's largest surviving remnant of primeval forest in Poland and Belarus; Europe's only true desert in Spain; and the grassland steppes of Hungary. For each one the author describes his experiences there, the people he meets, the geological history, history of the people who live there, and something of the mythology and religion. In each case he talks a lot about the impact of man and climate change on these areas the details of which are as concerning as you would expect. It is in my view an unusual travelog. Whether it was the mood I was in, or the way it was written, but to me there does not seem to be much joy in the authors exposure to these landscapes - regardless of their future I would expect more obvious pleasure in seeing them now. Even describing his arrival in Budapest, a city I really want to visit, he talks about a sense of dread on arrival. The experiences of visiting them also don't seem to be pleasant overall. In at least two occasions (travelling through a snowstorm in Scotland and trekking out through the dessert in Spain with insufficient water on one occasion) it sounds as if he could quite easily not have survived. Nowhere in the book do I really get an idea of why the author is doing this - we don’t learn much about his background, who is waiting back at home, how he prepared for the trips, what he does when not travelling etc, so it lacks some sort of purpose and connection with the reader. There is no explanation given about why he wants to spend several days alone in the dessert. The mythology of the regions is not an area of particular interest to me, and on several occasions the author relates experiences he has to that mythology (e.g. hearing another person whilst in the snowstorm) and that did not really work for me. I was slightly irritated by the authors decisions occasionally to ignore the rules about where he should and shouldn’t go without considering why those rules might be there. All in all, the book seems to be well researched, describes landscapes that I was unaware of and would be very interested to visit and some of the threats that they now face. If I do visit however, it would not be because of the authors experiences described here that do not seem to me to be a great advert for the areas as somewhere perhaps stunning, enjoyable and outlandish to visit.

[Helen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nick Hunt seems to have settled on geographical themes mixed with travel - a device that, if somewhat contrived, has by and large worked for him. His ability to describe places with a keen and vivid eye improves with each book. There are passages in this book to truly savour. Outlandish is about 'misplaced' terrains/biomes that should belong to other more extreme climatic zones. Hunt mixes the descriptions of his wanderings with his concerns over climate breakdown, combined with history and folk lore. At times it makes for a melancholic read. He meets a few characters along the way but mainly he concentrates on his solitary rambles and his internal conversations.
I am not sure how well this book knits together. I would have liked it to have had a little more of the people who inhabit these wild places and a bit more dialogue to break up the dense albeit beautiful descriptions. There is no question of Hunt's ability as a writer, particularly his gift for creating atmosphere, but the narrative that should bind these places together (although loosely stitched together with climatic concerns) seems missing.
Altogether a well-earned four stars for skilled wordmanship.

[Pamela · Rating 4 out of 5]

A non-fiction travel book that takes place in the wilderness. Nick Hunt goes to four locations that are not what you may typically find in Europe. There is the Scottish artic, Poland’s jungle, Hungary’s steppe, and Spain’s desert. Hunt describes why these places are here, the environment and climate, but not in a highly scientific manner. We meet people along the way that help Nick or join him with his walks; as that is how he engages with these areas, he walks for hours and hours, days on end. Occasionally, he even ventures to where he shouldn’t or seems not very wise.

I enjoyed the book, the writing style, but was glad there were only four locations. The format for each location was similar, starting out jumping in the middle of this adventure, then backtracking to how he got there and the entire experience while in this unusual place. Happy to have gone along the ride with Nick Hunt.

[Philippa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Outlandish is a book about misplaced landscapes, parts of the world found in the wrong part of the world. I was hooked the moment I read the blurb – I’m always fascinated by writing that manages to make the familiar strange, capturing new and uncanny strands in places we thought we already knew. Outlandish does this so very well, wandering between Scotland, Poland, Spain and Hungary in search of environments that feel out of place: Arctic tundra in Scotland, primeval forest in Poland, desert in Spain and grassland steppes in Hungary. The places seem to exist as a glimpse of the past, deep time lingering into the present, echoing with a warning for the future.

The first section, on Scotland, is an incredible piece of writing. Hunt perfectly captures the mood of the Scottish landscape, moving in turn from beautiful to eerie to lonely, vast in scope and atmosphere. Respect for the mountains is balanced with a great love with them, and Hunt adds a reassuring touch of humour and lightness when needed.

The desert in Spain is the other section that has really stayed with me. Hunt conveys such a strong sense of the layers of time: different moments in human history stacked on top of each other, separate but brought close, as if all happening simultaneously, intrinsically linked. The contrast between the timelessness and emptiness of the desert landscape and the mentions of areas where movies where filmed, of Hunt ‘traipsing in the director’s footsteps’, is sharp and jarring – the incongruity of this perfectly highlights the selfish human uses of the landscape.

It would be impossible to write a book so full of love and curiosity for the land without mentioning the growing fear of climate change. Hunt’s concern for the future of the places – and for humanity – comes across clear and stark. It’s a valuable reminder that the world does not exist around humans – that the landscapes have existed before us and will continue to exist after us, and how human life is only damaging these places, not helping them flourish. The calm isolation of these places – coupled with Hunt’s quiet warnings about climate change – marks humanity as an intrusion on the landscape.

Outlandish is a powerful and fascinating wander through Europe, laced through with beautiful and vivid prose. I really enjoyed this and will definitely be keeping an eye out for Hunt’s other two books.

(Thanks to NetGalley and Nicholas Brealey for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.)

[Theediscerning · Rating 4 out of 5]

This travel book is about the author's seeking out the more unusual places across Europe – a way to get to the extremes of the Earth while causing fewer carbon emissions. It's partly about the mental and physical approach taken when you seek out the more domestic kinds of 'here be dragons'-type situations. Except there are no dragons to be found, but there are reindeer in the Cairngorms, approached for their arctic tundra-styled geology; there are wolves, bison and more in the woods of Eastern Poland and Belarus; heck – there are cowboys in southern Spain.

I don't know why, but I found on opening this an odd feeling that I would be disappointed. Going to four places, and offering equally large chunks of writing about each, seemed a peculiar number – either three places too many or ten too few. But these mini-missions into the less-explored are in and of themselves spot on. Just the first has notable instances of the wondrous – one spell up a snowy mountainside has the author know he is irrevocably alone. With a panorama of mountains all around, all covered in the white stuff, he has absolutely no sight, sound or smell of any other member of his species, and no proof they ever existed, but for one thing – the names of the hills he's looking at on the map he has in his hand. It's a most quotable episode, made all the more remarkable by the fact the author didn't even need his passport to get to such a place.

Now I know a lot of Americans would scoff at that, the liberties they think they can take with their immense territory and their resulting ability to self-isolate in nature. But Europe is supposed to be the tinier, over-developed, wilderness-less, other-free continent. And so there is ageless woodland, and a bit of true desert in SE Spain, and there is a chunk of Hungary that the Mongolians and Kazakhs much, much further east would recognise as the steppes they call home. These regions are important, and well worth looking at – our author calls them 'exclaves' - isolated bits of one type of geology in the wrong place, mismatching with what's around them.

And, partly because they are unconnected to a bigger entity, they are all endangered. The snows are melting, the trees are getting diseased courtesy of climate change, the birdwatchers in Hungary are grim about what chance they'll have to see their goals in the future. The desert, though, that's a shoe-in for something to last, and can only expand. And when Europe gets hot enough, we're all goners. There is some ecology here that is seriously not entertaining to read about, and however much I want to tell myself not to shoot the messenger, that's hard. What we have are four novella-length snapshots of some notable places, and in having such a guide – one assumes the first and last person ever to tick off all four in such a fashion – we're only thankful someone has taken the effort to let us know what they were like before they were gone for good. Four and a half stars.

[Bernie Gourley · Rating 5 out of 5]

There are many beautiful and wonderous sights that come to mind when one thinks of Europe: forests, meadows, alpine vistas, or cities of stunning architecture. However, there are other sights that one wouldn’t expect at all: tundra, jungle, desert, or steppe, but those are the unexpected destinations that Hunt takes his reader. In some cases, a destination under discussion doesn’t meet the technical definitions for said ecosystem, but they’re the closest that Europe has to offer, and that’s enough to make them outlandish.

The book takes the reader on a tour of four uncharacteristic ecosystems of Europe: Cairngorms arctic tundra in northern Scotland, Poland’s “jungle” – the forest primeval of Bialowieza, Spain’s Tabernas desert, and the Hungarian Puszta (i.e. the Pannonian Steppe.) For each of these places, the reader is treated not only to vivid description of the locale and its flora and fauna, but also some fascinating folklore, cultural peculiarities, and indigenous mysteries. In Scotland, this involves inexplicable reindeer and the legend of the Big Grey Man. In Poland and Belarus, we learn about legendary forest folk deities and about the last Soviet standing. In Spain, one gets a lesson in Spaghetti Westerns. In Hungary we see birders, neo-Nazis, and Central Asian immigrants all traipsing the same ground.

I found this book to be an engaging read. It helps raise consciousness about climate change without collapsing into a gloomy doom-fest. This discussion is most notable in the most extreme ecosystems, Cairngorms and Tabernas, but most of the intense discussion is saved for a brief epilogue entitled “The Last Snow.” The book offers rudimentary maps, but relies entirely on text to paint a picture, but I felt the author did a great job of bringing the places to life through words.

If you’re interested in learning more about a few of the globe’s lesser-known natural settings, I’d highly recommend this book.

[Jennifer · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is some of the smartest travel writing I have ever read. It's also impeccably copy edited; there's not so much as a typo.
When I started reading this book, I didn't realize the author was involved in the Dark Mountain Project, writing that has helped me think more deeply about climate disruption and about how to feel in the absence of any likely control of the coming rise in temperatures and sea levels. In an age when people can naturally feel quite conflicted about taking a long-haul flight, writing like this becomes essential to give us a clear idea of place and the feeling that we were there appreciating it too.
There is a lot to learn here, about exclaves and the parts of Europe in which they are found. But above all there is a lot to enjoy in this book: awe at the world's natural beauty, about how that beauty informed the mythology and folklore handed down to us from the people who lived in these exclaves, who perhaps initially set out from elsewhere, perhaps even as part of ancient climate migrations of their own. And about the very natural grief we can feel as we see animals, trees and snows disappear from the landscape. Even from a language perspective (my professional area of expertise), the book is comprehensively researched. I won't forget anytime soon how the name "Poland" derives from an ancient word for clearing.
Above all, this book is generous and credits the reader with keen intelligence and understanding. Nothing is oversimplified. Any rereading I did of sentences or paragraphs wasn't because they were overly complex but because of the pleasure I took in reading them.
I have already mentioned this book in class (even though I teach French!) and look forward to reading more of this author's work.

[Brenda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Europe is incredibly diverse in climate, geography, topography and culture. Nick Hunt highlights four such areas in Europe (Scotland, Poland and Belarus, Spain and Hungary) which seem incongruous and surprising as they are typically found elsewhere in the world. We can all understand the importance of preserving these outlandish places mentioned in the book and elsewhere. Sometimes what we discover in our back yards, whether solo or not, can mean pleasant learning experiences.

Hunt's vivid descriptions are incredible! He has such a beautiful way with words, sometimes witty, sometimes serious, always compelling. Not only does he describe the special wildernesses in each country but also details history climate (including the six general global zones), word origins, biodiversity and the impacts of climate change and includes maps. I really enjoyed the inclusion of animals such as Ibex, water buffalo, reindeer, bison and what sounds like porcupines, not where you'd expect them. I can relate to temperature extremes as I live in -40C to +40C and have experienced whiteouts and swirling blizzards thousands of times. And still hate winter! The winter descriptions here are brilliant. The cultural links, Hun origins, note in the car, "Geronimo", shaluf signals, Poland A and B and "breaking the low" are amongst my favourite tidbits. The book is jam-packed with fascinating information!

If you yearn for exploration (as I do!), travel, nature and cultural inspiration, do read this.

My sincere thank you to Nicholas Brealey US and NetGalley for the privilege of reading this lovely book.

[Elainedav · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm really torn between whether this book deserves three or four stars. It is a good read and a fascinating travel story. The author sets out to explore four areas of Europe which are 'unlikely landscapes'. The first is arctic tundra in Scotland. I found that interesting, but more memorable to me are the glacier and the permanent patches of snow, which because of climate change, could be about to disappear forever.

Next is the huge forest which crosses the border between Poland and Belarus. I particularly enjoyed the stories of the shared house and the different characters that pitched up there. And the wildlife - the wolves and the bison. The descriptions of the sand marked border across the forest between Poland and Belarus were fascinating - not a wall, but perhaps as effective. Such a shame that these things are deemed necessary.

Then he travels on to Hungary and the grassland steppe. Described well but I didn't find this section as interesting or engaging as the others.

And finally to the desert in Spain. I loved this one. I'm not particularly good in the heat, so I could really imagine the hardship of being out in the desert and the difficulty in keeping cool enough and well hydrated. I liked the sightings of the other man and the need to hide away from him.

All in all a good read. Quite a heavy read - well researched and full of detail. Maybe this isn't what I expected. I love the cover - the four sections being representative of the four areas travelled.

Thank you to NetGalley for an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

[CZ · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have never seen Scotland's arctic or the ancient forests of Poland. But after joining Nick Hunt on this handpainted tour of Europe's rarest landscapes, I can imagine.

Outlandish is the sort of niche travelogue that just begs for adjectives. Words like profound, evocative, exquisite, humbling, urgent, and flowing come to mind. Not for a casual reader, Outlandish is what you'd get if you crossed ecotourism with literature with a capital L.

Traveling to these endangered environments was clearly an emotional experience for the author. The ultra-descriptive narrative sometimes veers melancholic when the author realizes he's savoring the last morsels of these unique places. Climate catastrophe looms large.

For the armchair traveler who wants to get the full image of the landscape -- from the color of the sky to the depth of the trees to the texture of the ground -- this writing style is fully immersive. There are long flowing passages of description, and this is definitely not the kind of reading you can pick at here and there. No, Outlandish is the kind of reading that requires you to set aside a full afternoon to allow your imagination to run wild. You really have to indulge in the full Narnia-like experience to understand.

This style won't appeal to all readers, but the landscapes surely will.

Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for providing a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

[John · Rating 4 out of 5]

Objectively, it's a five-star book, but one removed for me as explained below.

Nick Hunt is a terrific writer! I know this because I'm cheered up whenever I see that I have an unread book of his on my TBR pile. The guy aces description to create You Are There moments. Also gives clear impressions of those he encounters on his travels. No more need to rave, you get the idea. My brief impressions of the four visits ...

Scotland: least engaging for me, but I'm not an Arctic person in terms of travel narrative.
Poland/Belarus: I see jungles as tropical, rather than very dense forest, but understand why he did it that way. The Polish environmentalists with whom he stayed were truly interesting, and he time in Belarus was a contrasting experience.
Spain: I was aware that "spaghetti westerns" had been shot there, interesting to see how they trade on that for tourists decades later. This was the most engaging in the sense of "how will he get through the extreme heat?"
Hungary: author succeeded with integrating historical background and modern travel observations very well. The strongest section for me.
That missing star? Regular mention of current ecological problems left me depressed at times. I understand that one must face reality, but there was just too much of it for me to ignore (write off). Stopped me from honestly saying I "enjoyed" the book.