This Land is My Land: A Graphic History of Big Dreams, Micronations, and Other Self-Made States

By Andy Warner and Sofie Louise Dam

From a New York Times bestselling author, “fascinating tales of intentional communities . . . and utopian visions . . . in a funny, enlightening graphic format” (School Library Journal).
 
Tired of your country’s bad politics? Feeling powerless to change things? Start your own utopia instead! This nonfiction graphic novel collects the stories of 30 self-made places around the world built with a dream of utopia, whether a safe haven, an inspiring structure, or a better-run country. These are the empowering and eccentric visions of creators who struck out against the laws of their homelands, the approval of their peers, and even nature itself to reshape the world around them.
 
Readers will travel around the globe, from the Gay and Lesbian Kingdom of the Coral Sea Islands to the Indian rock garden of Nek Chand, the micronation of Sealand to the pirate-founded, anti-slavery community of Libertatia.  Organized into five chapters: intentional communities, micronations, failed utopias, visionary environments, and strange dreams, This Land is My Land is infused with the hope that tomorrow will be better than today, a conviction universally depicted through the stories of people who were dissatisfied with the status quo and chose to build something better.
 
This informative, fun history makes a great coffee table book and conversation starter.
 
“Colorful fauvist drawings and maps...bring these would-be ‘better tomorrows’ to life with grace and verve.” —Martha Cornog, Library Journal Xpress
 
“Rich, amusing. . . . [A] good example of what history comics can do.” —The Beat
 
“Warner and Dam have infused these often-absurd stories with joy and a measure of dignity.” —NPR
 
Named a 2020 Great Graphic Novels for Teens by The Young Adult Services Association (YALSA).

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• Language: English
• Publisher: Open Road Integrated Media
• Release date: May 7, 2019
• ISBN: 9781452170275

Book preview

INTRODUCTION Has the unending grind of everyday life or the horrifying state of politics got you down? Do you long for a better world, with more beauty, fairness, or opportunity? The hope that tomorrow will be better than today is shared universally.But while this hope unites us, the vision of what that better tomorrow might be is as different as every person in the world. Most people settle for the small stuff—voting, donating to charity, or changing their diets. There are few indeed who truly possess a more radical vision of how the world should be, and the will to try to build their own utopia. Do you have the guts to be one of them?These people often spend their entire lives single-mindedly working to make their dreams reality. Some sacrifice everything—family and friends, health, and sanity. The true stories of these people and their projects can serve as an example, or a warning! This book is divided into five chapters:

Intentional Communities

Groups of people who choose to radically remake their social structures.

Micronations

Brief histories of the tiny, unrecognized nations of the world.

Failed Utopias

The bigger the experiment, the harder it falls.

Visionary Environments

Stories of wonderful and bizarre places where individuals make their visions reality.

Strange Dreams

Proposals, plans, and schemes, never brought to pass.

CONTENTS

Introduction 4

Intentional Communities 11

Libertatia 14

The Van Dykes 20

Freetown Christiania 24

Reviews for This Land is My Land

[jennybeast · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Really cool book about a wide range of communities/utopias from around the world -- love the concise storytelling, the excellent graphic novel aspect, and the completely fascinating things that people too.

[sylliu_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A fascinating graphic novel about the dreamers, visionaries, and oddballs who claimed a piece of land or built a monument or otherwise staked a claim to their own utopian places. The book covers international communities, micro nations, failed utopias, visionary environments, and strange dreams. I enjoyed learning random tidbits like a community founded in upstate NY in the mid-1800s based on free love ended up being one of the largest manufacturers of silverware in the country (Oneida); Ford building a (failed) midwestern town in Brazil called Fordlandia, and more.

[justreign · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

The book design is amaaaaazing. I love that the pages aren’t glossy so that I don’t have a problem with glare when I read this in daylight. The illustrations are spot on! This was great at imparting the gist of things, and dropping a couple more details for interest. At times I did wish there was a little more information about how the societies survived as long as they did, or about the way they fell or faded from existence. Also, mostly I craved more details about the people that started each society.Overall, a good read. For dipping your toes into the subject matter, and then once you’ve gained an interest in any of the societies mentioned to go find books specifically about said society.

[carolinemcarrico · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Very interesting graphic history that explores notable examples of micronations, utopias, and other attempts at self-expression and independence throughout time. The illustrations are well done.

[niaomiya · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This was an interesting graphic novel depicting a number of micronations and other visionary endeavors around the world. I hadn't heard of any of these places, so I was fascinated! I wished that each section about each place were a little longer and had more historical background. I would have liked to have read a little more about each place, but I understand that the authors were trying to keep things brief and just give a quick overview.Overall, this was a very interesting book that was a quick read.

[carolee888 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

The artwork was excellent, I loved the maps, colors used and expertise.I craved references. There were several types listed of utopias and chapters below the types. I have always wanted to know the Oneida Community but there were only three pages on that and no book lists or references. And New Harmony in Indiana was completely excluded.sI need explore more on my own It does have chapters on utopias that I have never new about. It is like a small survey course and now I would like to have scholarly and reference book on this topic.

[villemezbrown · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

An amusing bathroom book. Each chapter of two to four pages briefly outlines the history of a small and usually failed community or nation. The first half of the book has the better material as it delves into the visionaries, rebels and weirdos who decided to form their own tiny country or utopia. The second half of the book lags as it mostly becomes about artists who create big sculpture parks or man-made caves.This is probably more like 2.5 stars, but the material piqued my interest, even while the execution felt a little like little book reports from internet articles or other books that have already covered the same material. (See Atlas Obscura: An Explorer's Guide to the World's Hidden Wonders or All Their Own: People and the Places They Build )

[mabith_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Couldn't put this down once I'd started it. Fascinating set of short pieces, nicely organized into categories of place. The art was great, the writing clear and objective, and the subject fascinating. It's one of those books where if you're interested in the subject or fascinated by eccentric folks, you'll love it.My one quibble is that it would be nice to have some sources for further reading. However, we're given all the names we need to look them up ourselves.