What historical lessons can nine forgotten cities teach us?
Buenos Aires and Cairo, London and Tokyo are known for being the epicenters of their nations, but what about Enugu, Jolo, Quetzaltenango, or Xinjing? Why did these once vibrant cultural, economic, and political centers fade from prominence? What does their experience tell us about ourselves, our past, and our world today?
In a fascinating book written to promote reflection and conversation, Derek Dwight Anderson charts the lessons of history as he investigates nine cities that most people don’t know. By shedding light on places that were of vital importance at some point in the past 250 years, Forgotten Capitals reveals surprising commonalities in the human experience. Nations may rise and fall, but humanity endures, thereby revealing important historical lessons for all of us to consider.
Meet an author who investigates history in unusual ways.
About the Author
Improbable Voices
Improbable Voices
Derek is an independent high school history teacher and librarian who has dedicated his professional life—both as an educator and as a writer—to examining history in unconventional ways. He writes with an eye for expanding his readers' world view and developing an increased appreciation for the complexity of the past.
Anderson holds a B.A
Derek is an independent high school history teacher and librarian who has dedicated his professional life—both as an educator and as a writer—to examining history in unconventional ways. He writes with an eye for expanding his readers' world view and developing an increased appreciation for the complexity of the past.
Anderson holds a B.A. from Bates College and a Master of Library and Information Science from San José State University. He also studied at the University of Edinburgh. Currently a senior full time faculty member at Marin Academy in San Rafael, California, he teaches an interdisciplinary world history course that integrates history, art history, and studio art. A dedicated world traveler who loves museums large and small, he lives with his partner in Sausalito.
Improbable Voices
Improbable Voices
Improbable Voices
In 2020, Derek published his first book, Improbable Voices: A History of the World Since 1450 Seen From Twenty-Six Unusual Perspectives. Forgotten Capitals continues his mission to help people reconsider whose history matters and why so much of that history has been forgotten, overlooked or ignored.
Derek's Blog
Improbable Voices
Derek's Blog
Check out Derek's blog about history, art, museums and historical sites to learn more about him and how the past matters! There are many entries detailing forgotten histories, historical lessons, and provocative conclusions.
Want to Visit the Forgotten Capitals?
Many experienced travelers often face a choice: whether to return to a destination they have already experienced or to push on to more obscure and unusual places. London and Tokyo, the Arctic and the Okavango will never bore, but there is also nothing quite like going somewhere entirely new. Most of the forgotten capitals presented here are well off the beaten path; to encourage such ventures, I offer some preliminary travel advice about how best to visit them. My goal is not to provide a comprehensive travel guide; rather, I hope to point would-be travelers in the right direction with a few key recommendations.
In conjunction with this, it’s worth noting several of my own travel biases. I travel more to learn than anything else, and I try to live within a budget but not to penny pinch. I will only stay in hotels that allow for certain creature comforts, for my days of staying in a tiny room in Jakarta without air conditioning are long gone. I will only book hotels with English websites, and (because of what has happened to the availability of rental properties for residents in the San Francisco Bay Area) I will not use companies like Air B&B. Location matters to me more than brand or prestige; I want to be close to historical sites, museums, and grand vistas, rather than what Condé Nast sees as the trendiest restaurants and shopping areas. Obviously, these preferences limit my options.
While I have done my best to ensure that the information presented here is accurate, we all know how vulnerable the travel industry is to rapid change and unforeseen circumstances. I apologize for any inaccuracies.