Nuclear exclusion zones, cities thick with smog, mid-Pacific islands of rubbish - it's the planet as you've never seen it before

"This book is based on a simple but brilliant idea: to hang out in the most polluted and toxic places on the planet. Well it's a brilliant idea for a book at any rate, if not a holiday" Mail on Sunday "[Andrew Blackwell] has seen the worst we can do to ourselves, met the best of us trying to repair the damage, and discovered - mystifyingly at times - beauty in the planetary dark side" -- Iain Finlayson The Times "This is one of the best concepts for a non-fiction book I have come across in some time ... There is a great deal of acute observation, proper thinking and challenging material in each of the journeys" -- Stuart Kelly Scotland on Sunday "An essential read. A very funny - and very disturbing - look at some parts of our world that need to be acknowledged. Visit Sunny Chernobyl is my new favorite guidebook to some places I admit to have visited" -- Peter Greenburg, Travel Editor, Cbs News "A certain amount of depression and anger does result from reading Andrew Blackwell's Visit Sunny Chernobyl, but Blackwell is such a good and amusing travel writer, such an engaging companion around the awfulness, that you'll also come away somewhat entertained" -- Doug Johnstone The Big Issue

ANDREW BLACKWELL has worked as film editor, story consultant and reporter on projects featured on NPR, PBS, the BBC, the New York Times online, and in the weekly news magazine Dan Rather Reports. He lives in New York City.