Peter Conrad, who was born in Tasmania, has produced an original and highly personal account of the role islands play in our dreams and nightmares. With his customary wide range of reference and quick wit, he visits every corner of the globe to explain why islands appeal to us, and on the way covers everything from the myth of Atlantis to Watteau's erotic Cytherea, from Prospero's magical kingdom to Nelson Mandela's prison.Whether we live on an island or merely fancy escaping to one, we can all learn something from this thought-provoking book.