Duncan J. D. Smith is The Urban Explorer. Having worked for many years
in the publishing industry selling other travel writers' books, in 2003
Duncan decided to start writing his own. 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 four 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 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 storied cities of Old Europe but also in Africa, the Middle
East and Asia, Duncan regularly generates original illustrated material
for print and digital media. He has great affection for the places
about which he has written, as well as an extensive photo library
available for commercial usage (his images are also available as
limited edition greetings cards and prints). Duncan has undertaken
television and radio work, 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 first got the history bug when his grandfather
revealed the grave of a Roman soldier to him in his back garden! Aged
just eleven he opened his own private museum before going on to read
Ancient History and Archaeology at Birmingham University. Together with
his late father, Trevor, he wrote and illustrated four highly
successful books on the curiosities of Sheffield and Yorkshire, and
later wrote the best-selling topographical book "Yorkshire: A Portrait
in Colour". Still a passionate collector he 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 and Travelwriters UK.
