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Welcome  | Revealing the history of civilisation through journeys off the beaten track
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 Home Duncan J. D. Smith 
'Only In' Guides Photo Library Yorkshire Books Photojournalism "Stones of Vienna" Television & Radio Lectures Audio Tours Forgotten Travellers Cards & Prints Explore Further... Contact   
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DUNCAN J. D. SMITH - URBAN EXPLORER Having worked for many years in the publishing industry selling other travel writers‘ books, in 2003 Duncan J. D. Smith decided to start writing and illustrating his own. As a self-styled ‘Urban Explorer‘, travel writer, historian and photographer, he has embarked on a lifetime‘s adventure, travelling off the beaten track in search of the world’s hidden corners and curious locations. Duncan has so far traversed three continents in search of unusual places and people, from the wartime bunkers of Berlin and the Baroque gardens of Prague to the souks of Damascus and the rock-cut churches of Ethiopia.His European findings are being published in a ground breaking series of guidebooks - the ‘Only In‘ Guides - designed specifically for the purpose. Volumes on Vienna, Budapest, Prague, Berlin, Munich, Hamburg, Cologne, Zürich and Paris have been published, and a volume on London is in preparation. The series has garnered considerable press acclaim, with sales to date well in excess of 100,000 units. As a result of his extensive travels, not only through the cities of Europe but also in Africa and the Middle East, Duncan regularly generates original illustrated material for publication both in magazines and online. He has an encyclopaedic knowledge of the places about which he has written, as well as an extensive photo library available for commercial usage, including cards and prints. Duncan has also undertaken television and radio work in the course of promoting his creative efforts and has given many illustrated lectures in bookshops, societies, universities and London‘s Victoria & Albert Museum. He released his first audio tour CD in 2010. Born in Sheffield, England in 1960 Duncan ran his own private museum from the age of ten before going on to read Ancient History and Archaeology at Birmingham University. Together with his father Trevor, he co-wrote and illustrated four highly successful books on the curiosities of Sheffield and Yorkshire, and was the author of the best-selling topographical book Yorkshire: A Portrait in Colour. Still a passionate collector he now tries to restrict his habit to vintage travel books, whilst also enjoying gardening, natural history, and music. Duncan divides his time between England and Central Europe and is a Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society. He is also a member of the British Guild of Travel Writers, Travelwriters UK, and is a Friend of The Long Riders‘ Guild Academic Foundation.  Press Pack (Biography/Photos/Book Jackets) Visit Duncan J. D. Smith‘s page at AmazonTestimonial: From CuChullaine O‘Reilly, Founder of The Long Riders‘ GuildDuncan is the thinking man’s exploratory investigator. He takes you to strange places, certainly, but more importantly his talented writing inspires you to consider what’s on offer long after you’ve closed the cover on any of his fine books. Interviews: 2013: A Lifetime‘s AdventureIn conversation with anthropologist, traveller and writer Indie Gandolfo 2011: In the SpotlightIn conversation with the British Guild of Travel Writers 2011: Voices of ExplorationIn conversation with Basha O‘Reilly of The Long Riders‘ Guild/Classic Travel Books 2010: A Conversation with Duncan J. D. Smith, Urban Explorer and WriterIn conversation with American Urbanologist Max Grinnell 2010: Slow Travel in Fast CitiesGuest Writer article for Swedish explorer Mikael Strandberg 2010: The Beauty in DecayIn conversation with Paul Wild, Sheffield University School of Architecture for 3seventy5 magazine Amongst the crumbling walls and broken plaster I felt I was standing on the very spot that real lives had been played out, both good times and bad, I saw little difference between a Classical city in Turkey and an abandoned railway station in Sheffield. I suppose the former would seem more appealing to the visitor than the latter, but in essence they were the same. Both are accessible and both have important human history to relate. Notices: Duncan J. D. Smith FRGS at Wikipedia Duncan J. D. Smith FRGS at LinkedIn Duncan J. D. Smith at hidden europe magazine The City is My Jungle, The Vienna Review (Dec-Jan 2010/2011, Vol. 8, No. 10) In the Spotlight, British Guild of Travel Writers, Globetrotter (March 2011) The Urban Explorer, Writers & Photographers unLimited, Media News Bulletin 22 (March 2009) The Urban Explorer Reloaded, Writers & Photographers unLimited, Media News Bulletin 26 (March 2010) Duncan Meets Maasai Men on Trail of African Legend, Sheffield Star (May 2009) Getting Around Syria, Writers & Photographers unLimited, Media News Bulletin 30 (February 2011)***
Those who blazed the trail before me:
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