Alex Johnson
@alex-johnson

Alex JohnsonUnited Kingdom

Member since Mar 01, 2024

About Alex Johnson

Alex splits his time between rural North Yorkshire and the remote Shetland Islands, spending every minute possible discovering new places. When he’s not traveling, he is writing to suppress the wanderlust. Alex published his first book in 2023, and when not working on the next, is always on the hunt for new destinations to provide the inspiration for more. Alex thrives on all things travel, but his main areas of interest are transportation, accommodation, and off-the-beaten-track destinations. He has a particularly keen interest in the UK, Eastern & Northern Europe, Turkey & Caucasia, the Levant, and the USA.

Education

MA History & Politics

University of Aberdeen

Areas of Expertise

HistoryPoliticsTravelTourism
Mehmed II overlaying an old map of Constantinople

How the Ottoman Conquest of 1453 Transformed Medieval Constantinople

The fall of Constantinople in 1453 not only ended 15 centuries of Byzantine rule, but it also marked a significant milestone in Ottoman expansion.

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Indigenous Tlingit people with cultural objects and totem.

The Enduring History of the Tlingit People of Southeast Alaska

Alaska may have only been a constituent of the US since 1867, but the native Tlingit people have called it home for 10,000 years.

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viking scotland orkney and shetland

Scotland’s Viking Isles: A History Lover’s Voyage to Orkney & Shetland

Nordic or Scottish? For the residents of Shetland, the nearest train station is in Bergen, Norway. In Orkney, they speak Norn, derived from Old Norse.

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finn maccool landscapes ireland

The Footsteps of Finn MacCool: The Landscape of Giants in Ireland

Giants may be the stuff of legends but the landscapes that inspired those legends are real. Finn MacCool is an integral part of Irish history.

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cappadocia hidden cities churches

Cappadocia’s Hidden Cities and Rock-Cut Churches

When a man in Cappadocia took a sledgehammer to his basement wall in 1963, he accidentally discovered a vast underground city.

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pera palace istanbul history visiting

Pera Palace: The Istanbul Muse for Literary Giants

The Pera Palace, one of Istanbul’s grandest hotels, has inspired and featured in some of the 20th century’s finest literature.

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is beirut safe city

Is Beirut Safe? Exploring a City Shaped by Tragedy

As Lebanon recovers from civil war and economic turmoil, is Beirut safe to visit once more?

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old dubai megacity other side

Old Dubai: The Other Side of a Megacity

A few miles from the overstated lavishness of the Palm and Jumeirah there is another side to Dubai. Old Dubai is the city’s hidden treasure.

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