Hidden in Plain Sight: The Untold Mysteries, Myths, and Marvels of the World's Most Popular Landmarks

by Ronan O'Connell

Discover the interesting, outlandish, and dark secrets you wish your tour guide would tell you about all the world’s most popular landmarks.

Everything you thought you knew about your favorite travel destinations? There’s so much more.

Curated by the relentlessly curious travel journalist and National Geographic regular contributor, Ronan O’Connell, Hidden in Plain Sight invites you on a photographic tour of the world’s most popular landmarks showcasing the most mystifying, intriguing, and jaw-dropping stories from all the places on your bucket list.

You’re invited to travel to more than 20 popular landmarks,

Bali’s Uluwatu Temple, which overlooks a sea of demons in the Indian Ocean.The Edinburgh Castle, where a supernatural stone (most recently incorporated into King Charles’s coronation ceremony) resides.The Berlin Wall, where MLK Jr. quietly passed across its border under the dark of night.Amsterdam’s Dam Square, where tourists stroll at the spot “witches” were once burned at the stake. 

Learn all the stories and marvels you wish your tour guide would tell you, all without leaving the comfort of your own home. Featuring over 150 photographs, this spectacular coffee table book is the perfect gift to give to the history lovers, globetrotters, and armchair travelers in your life.

Whether you're traveling to Prague, Sydney, Kyoto, or beyond, you do not want to miss the marvelous stories hidden in plain sight.

Genres: Nonfiction, History, Travel, Audiobook

256 pages, Hardcover

Published April 14, 2026

Reviews

[Mary Havens · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you to Libro.fm for this advanced listening copy!
Like the title indicates, this book tells the backstories behind landmarks. I learned so much!
Some landmarks I had never heard of before, some I had heard of but didn't know the history. And some, like the Berlin Wall, I did not know specific stories like MLK visiting.
Because I was listening to this book, I wasn't able to see any pictures if they were provided. Angkor Wat is fascinating!!!

[Andrea · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you like history with a side of mystery, you have to check out Hidden in Plain Sight. I just finished it and it’s fascinating. I actually paired it with some VR tours of the landmarks mentioned, and it made the experience so immersive. I felt like I really got to 'know' these places in a way I never did before.
Thank you Harper Celebrate and NetGalley #HiddeninPlainSight #NetGalley

[The Sassy Bookworm · Rating 5 out of 5]

Book Review: Hidden in Plain Sight by Ronan O'Connell

Rating: 5 Stars

I just finished Hidden in Plain Sight by Ronan O’Connell, and honestly, it’s exactly the kind of book I didn’t know I needed. If you’re anything like me—someone who loves travel, history, and uncovering the secrets lurking behind famous landmarks—this book will totally captivate you.

O’Connell, a travel journalist who frequently contributes to National Geographic, takes you on a fascinating photographic journey through more than 20 of the world’s most visited destinations. But this isn’t your typical travel guide. Instead of the usual facts and trivia, he dives into the strange, eerie, and downright surprising stories most tour guides never mention. From Bali’s Uluwatu Temple, which overlooks a sea of demons, to Edinburgh Castle housing a supernatural stone that even featured in King Charles’s coronation, each landmark reveals layers of mystery and history that will make you see these places in a completely new light.

Some moments that really stuck with me include learning about MLK Jr.’s secret crossing of the Berlin Wall and the grim past of Amsterdam’s Dam Square, where witches were once burned at the stake. These aren’t just fun facts—they give a real sense of how much hidden depth and often dark history lie beneath the surface of familiar spots.

What I loved most about this book was how immersive it feels. The writing is engaging without being overwhelming, and the over 150 stunning photographs make every page a visual treat. Plus, the cover itself is eye-catching and perfectly sets the tone for the intriguing content inside. I could easily see this book becoming a centerpiece on any coffee table—perfect to flip through when you want to daydream about travel or impress friends with quirky historical tidbits.

In short, Hidden in Plain Sight is an addictive read for history buffs, travel lovers, or anyone curious about the stories that shape our world. If you want to discover what’s truly hidden behind the landmarks you think you know, don’t miss this one!

⚠️This review was written based on personal opinions and experiences with the book. Individual preferences may vary⚠️

[Theediscerning · Rating 3 out of 5]

Quirks of history, that a fleeting visit to the world's most famous tourist attractions might not reveal. Or that's what is promised – the end result is somewhat looser and woollier. The first story is about the Stone of Scone – a drab chunk of rock, famous without us actually knowing why, that is part of the British royal coronations. Zipping off to Asia we get some of the real reasons for a Balinese temple dance, and how Singapore kind of gazumps London's Sky Garden any day of the week.

The next chapter shows some of the flaws in the thinking here. For one, we have a travel journalist writing this who says he baulks at the listicle and the standard newspaper article, giving us standard newspaper-ese on what bits of the Berlin Wall are left to see. For another, it's not really true that the story it chiefly offers, of Martin Luther King Jr making a daring evening's trip into East Berlin, was a secret for fifty years. The Stasi files were scoured for all the details on its 40th anniversary, and it was known about by anyone who cared to remember – just not the American government as King went rogue to their mind, nor the Ossies, who didn't like the 'no more walls' ethos of his speeches.

This seems to be bursting with a will to deliver esoteric stories from the weirder, more clued-in tour guides, but fails. It's too sunny, it's not as unknown as it thinks it is, it leaves the entire Fortean potentiality behind, and it's at best those optional box-outs in a Lonely Planet or Rough Guides book. I did find merits in several of the Asian visits – perhaps Angkor Wat more than the eye-damaging caves elsewhere – and in more sturdy farces from Budapest, but this leaves us with a world still unexplored, and some sweeping statements – who is actually to say how much history we do or don't gain from Prague Town Hall? Add on the fact that some of the photos are really nondescript, and – even for teaching me more about Mata Hari, and dancheong design, than I ever knew – this could easily have bested my three-and-a-half-star rating.

[Brenda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hidden in Plain Sight is a fascinating look at more than twenty landmarks all over the world, just not in the typical guidebook sort of way. This book is for those who wish to see things in a different light with more oomph and personality. I have had the fortune to visit over half the landmarks and destinations included and now wish to return for new perspectives. Mysteries, controversies and folklore abound, thankfully, and add rich flavour to what the traveler already knows. Stunning photographs complete the picture.

My favourite stories in this book are those of the Stone of Destiny at Edinburgh Castle, the mysterious curse of darkness which enveloped Istanbul for months, the comedic bungled forgery plot in Budapest, the natural Iguazu Falls, secrets in Prague (especially the underwhelming astronomical clock), Checkpoint Charlie in Berlin, and the lore of the Mithras cult in Rome. Reading these details cause these destinations to really pop.

The author's writing style is friendly and engaging and the information contained is fascinating. I would love to see a long series like this! It would be fun to supplement a planned trip with (or organize one around) these special places.

My sincere thank you to Harper Celebrate and NetGalley for providing me with an early digital copy of this fabulous book. A hard copy will look great on my coffee table!

[Dianna D]

The physical book has beautiful pictures of these world wonders. But there are more interesting stories for the places than the ones the author chooses. For example, Budapest. Why not use the case of the hand (yes, hand) of St. Stephen, Hungary’s first king, enshrined in his namesake basilica in Budapest? The Hungarian Parliament building is beautiful, make no mistake, but that story is way cooler.

The audiobook is narrated by an Australian and I simply cannot understand through the accent. I’m a native English speaker and speak more than one language but I had such a hard time trying to hear through the accent what the narrator was saying, I had to give up on this one. It’s the same content that would be covered in podcasts anyway so I don’t feel too strongly about it.

Usually I’m a “If you don’t have anything nice to say, don’t say anything at all,” on books, but unfortunately I see this one not making it to a shelf life of a year. Perhaps coming soon to remainders tables near you.

[Alex]

So, this was being offered as an ALC on Libro.fm recently, and because the phrase "untold mysteries" is like catnip to me, I snapped it up without realising that this is basically a coffee table/travel book. In my defence, I feel like a book whose (presumably) big, glossy pictures are the main draw is an odd choice for a promotional audio listening copy, but in the end it made for the perfect background listening on some scenic walks, and while getting through some decidedly less-scenic chores. The aforementioned "mysteries, myths, and marvels" were nicely bite-sized and led me down some fun rabbit holes, and I really enjoyed the narrator, who was clearly passionate and totally ocker. I would feel odd rating this, but I'm sure it would make a great gift - for a reasonably well-traveled dad, or a dad who loves to share fun facts, for instance.

My thanks to Ronan O'Connell, Harper Celebrate, and Libro.fm for the ALC.

[Juliana · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love a good travelogue that takes me round the world with words and teaches me new factoids. Ronan O'Connell's "Hidden in Plain Sight" is one such book. More than 20 locations are highlighted, untold mysteries and hidden histories brought to light. The first few chapters were really well flushed out in their storytelling. Subsequent chapters were unfortunately increasingly succinct. I will say there seemed to be a general pro-US slant. In the respective Vietnamese chapter, we have a military loss framed as a loss for the US and its Vietnamese allies. In the Japanese chapter, US military aggression for economic gain is framed as a nearly inevitable action. But the pictures were beautiful and the myths and histories wonderfully recounted. 4 stars.

[Sesana · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great idea, but it's not quite there. While some of the chapters are legitimately interesting and follow the brief of lesser known history leaving physical marks on the world, probably half the chapters don't really follow. Either the history just isn't that obscure, or there aren't really physical remnants. For example, the Stone of Scone is hardly obscure, and the Eifel Tower didn't really have much to do with Mata Hari. The photos, while beautiful, aren't always chosen very wisely. Back to the Stone of Scone, there isn't a single picture of it. It feels like the author/publisher had to choose from already licensed photos, whether they were the best choices or not. A really interesting book could be written along these lines, but this one doesn't quite get there.

[Onceuponaplace · Rating 4 out of 5]

I knew from the premise alone that this one was going to be dangerous for me. Mysteries, legends, and deep dives into the stories beneath the world's most iconic places? That is precisely my kind of reading. O'Connell did not disappoint — this felt like pure gold from start to finish.
There is something genuinely thrilling about looking at a landmark you thought you knew and discovering how much has always been hidden beneath the surface. Immersive and completely addictive. I read my arc gratefully, but I already know I need the physical copy in my hands — this is a book built to be owned.
Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the early read!

[Jeni · Rating 4 out of 5]

O'Connell takes us on adventures to commonly visited locations, but with a twist! Rather than focusing on the visual aspect of the structures, but rather tells us about a lesser known aspect or story related to the location. Some of the stories are humorous and some are mysterious, but all are intriguing and I don't believe I have heard any of them before, so I learned quite a bit! Each story was just a couple pages long and the accompanying pictures were stunning. This would make an excellent coffee table book for starting conversations.

[Jen · Rating 5 out of 5]

A perfectly informative and immersive book for all avid travellers and as a coffee table read in between travelling (whether it be local or abroad).
The author did a fantastic job describing the various mysteries of the countries in the world (I particularly enjoyed reading about the Scottish artefact in Edinburgh being part Scottish myself), a well researched and wonderfully visual read.
Thankyou to Netgalley, Harper and the author for an arc of this book.

[MLD · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 stars Listened as audiobook. I thought I would learn something a little bit more interesting than was offered. I’ve been to most of these hidden places. They didn’t appear to be very hidden to me. Backpacking took me to: Iguazu Falls, Prague, Budapest, Amsterdam, Istanbul, Sydney, Thailand, Paris, and London. Next week I’ll add Edinburgh to this list. Some fun interesting facts, folklore and history, but anyone getting off the beaton path usually stumbles into these ‘hidden landmarks.’

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

While this would be a great book for the armchair traveler, it is also a fun read for those who have explored more of the world. Brief stories about various famous landmarks help bring their importance and history to life. For me, it was sometimes a case of "ohhh, I want to go there now" and at other times it reminded me of the travel experience I had when visiting a site.

[Anna L · Rating 3 out of 5]

There are some interesting stories in there, but there isn't much in terms of mysteries or myths in there, and author's narrative reflects his biases. I prefer when author stays out of the book, unless it's a memoir. Some were interesting, most were meh. Photos were rather random. I really looked forward to getting this book, but it left me underwhelmed.

[Kim · Rating 4 out of 5]

Just added more locations to my travel list.