Ryan, John : Micronations - the Lonely Planet Guide to Home-Made Nations

"Micronations" takes a look at some of the most curious places on the planet. Designed to generate interest in the strange world out there, this is a fully illustrated, humorous mock-guidebook to the nations people create in their own backyards - most of which can be visited (for example, Sealand, an island off the coast of Britain; and Hutt River Province, which seceded from Western Australia in 1970). A global selection of micronations are profiled, complete with facts and figures, cultural information, Things to See and Do, and Getting There and Away sections, as well as interviews with the quirky characters who've set themselves up as presidents, emperors and serene highnesses. The book also features full-colour photographs, maps, flags and stamps etc, and an entertaining introduction detailing the historical, philosophical and most definitely satirical aspects of the micronation phenomenon. For lovers of humour, trivia and ephemera, this is a gift book, reference text and travel guide rolled into one.