Geographical discovery and exploration Books

a huge range and FREE tracked UK delivery on ALL orders.

Read more less

a huge range and FREE tracked UK delivery on ALL orders.

Read more less

a huge range and FREE tracked UK delivery on ALL orders.

Read more less

Book SynopsisThe publications of the Hakluyt Society (founded in 1846) made available edited (and sometimes translated) early accounts of exploration. The first series, which ran from 1847 to 1899, consists of 100 books containing published or previously unpublished works by authors from Christopher Columbus to Sir Francis Drake, and covering voyages to the New World, to China and Japan, to Russia and to Africa and India. In this 1872 volume, Clements R. Markham, Honorary Secretary of the Society from 1858 to 1887, and then its President for twenty years, translated and edited four accounts of the Spanish conquest of Peru, written by eye-witnesses including Francisco Pizarro's secretary and his brother Hernando. The narratives include the events surrounding the downfall of the Inca empire; the final document is a notary's account of the distribution of the gold and silver which the Incas paid to the Spaniards as ransom for their ruler.Table of ContentsIntroduction; 1. Report of Francisco de Xeres, secretary to Francisco Pizarro; 2. Report of Miguel de Astete on the expedition to Pachacamac; 3. Letter of Hernando Pizarro to the royal audience of Santo Domingo; 4. Report of Pedro Sancho on the partition of the ransom of Atahuallpa.

Read more less

Book SynopsisThe publications of the Hakluyt Society (founded in 1846) made available edited (and sometimes translated) early accounts of exploration. This 1861 volume contains an early account of the most notorious sixteenth-century expedition in search of El Dorado, that of Lope de Aguirre, whose cruelty and treachery became legendary.Table of ContentsIntroduction Clements R. Markham; 1. Gives a brief account of the deeds of Pedro de Ursua before his arrival in Peru; 2. Pedro de Ursua builds the brigantines for the expedition, and makes Pedro de Ramiro his lieutenant-general; 3. Arles and Frias are displeased at having Ramiro among them; 4. People in Peru are fearful of mutiny in Ursua's expedition; 5. Juan de Vargas commences his voyages; 6. From the river Bracamoras the governor continues his voyage to that of Cocama, where he finds Juan de Vargas with his party; 7. The Indians come out to see the expedition; 8. Pedro de Ursua contiunes his course through a desert region; 9. Pedro de Ursua names a provisor or vicar-general for his fleet; 10. The mutineers determine to kill the governor, Pedro de Ursua, and to return to Peru; 11. The cruise of the traitor Aguirre; 12. The new general, Don Fernando, calls a council to discuss matters relative to the projected discovery of the new lands of the Dorado; 13. They leave the village (Machiparo) where they had killed Ursua; 14. Don Fernando comes to an understanding with Lope de Aguirre; 15. The soldiers irritate the Indians; 16. Don Fernando thanks them for his new election; 17. Aguirre addresses the soldiers; 18. Various projects regarding their journey to Pirú; 19. They arrive at an Indian village; 20. Don Fernando calls a council; 21. Difficulties between Captain Lorenzo Salduendo and Aguirre; 22. Aguirre makes his arrangements to kill the Prince Don Fernando and others; 23. Aguirre explains the cause of death of the governor and the others to the camp; 24. They catch an Indian; 25. Going down the river, they fall in with some strongly built houses, where they find cakes of salt; 26. The first Spaniard who sailed out of the mouth of this river was Captain Francisco de Orellana; 27. The maestro del campo, having received Aguirre's orders, departs, and strangles Sancho Pizarro on the road; 28. Aguirre makes prisoners of the governor, alcalde, and their companions; 29. For the love of a roving life, like that which the traitors led, some soldiers of the island join them; 30. Aguirre kills one of his captains; 31. Aguirre kills a captain, named Juan de Turriaga; 32. Aguirre arranges for the execution of the governor and his companions in captivity; 33. The people of the port of Burburata send tidings to the governor of Venezuala and that of Merida, concerning the acts of the traitor; 34. Preparations ordered by the Royal Audience of Sante Fé, and officers appointed; 35. Aguirre marches with his soldiers to Punta de Piedras; 36. Lope de Aguirre writes to the provincial; 37. Aguirre prepares to leave the island; 38. Aguirre orders an old man to be killed; 39. Aguirre embarks with all his people; 40. Garcia de Paredes goes from Merida to Tocuyo with some followers, sent by the governor; 41. Aguirre is informed that some soldiers, who were friendly to him, were in that part of the country; 42. Aguirre kills a tradesman, also a soldier, in this town of Burburata; 43. Aguirre marches, but with much trouble, towards Valencia; 44. The traitor allows the priest of Margarita to return to his dwelling; 45. Aguirre, marching from Valencia to Barquicimeto, comes to a mining settlement, where he falls into some trouble; 46. The maestro del campo, in a narrow part of the road, unexpectedly finds himself in Aguirre's camp; 47. Garcia de Paredes lays hands on some clothes and ammunition belonging to the traitor; 48. Bravo accepts the posts conferred on him by the governor; 49. Aguirre sends sixty arquebusiers to fire into the king's camp at night; 50. Aguirre, having fears of the desertion of his men, retires to his entrenchment; 51. The maestro del campo and Captain Bravo come up towards Aguirre's entrenchment; 52. Gives an account of the country Aguirre came from, his character and customs.

Read more less

Book SynopsisThe publications of the Hakluyt Society (founded in 1846) made available edited (and sometimes translated) early accounts of exploration. This 1897 volume contains accounts of early seventeenth-century expeditions to Greenland by Danish and English explorers, illustrated with four maps from the 1605 expedition, then only recently rediscovered.Table of ContentsEditor's preface; Introduction; A report to King Christian IV of Denmark on the Danish expedition to Greenland, under the command of Captain John Cunningham, in 1605 James Hall; Another account of the Danish expedition to Greenland under the command of Captain John Cunningham, in 1605 James Hall, as abbreviated by the Rev. Samuel Purchas; An account of the Danish expedition to Greenland, under the command of Captain Godske Lindenow, in 1606 James Hall, as abbreviated by the Rev. Samuel Purchas; An account of the English expedition to Greenland, under the command of Captain James Hall, in 1612 John Gatonbe; Another account of the latter part of the English expedition to Greenland, under the command of Captain James Hall, in 1612 William Baffin, as abbreviated by the Rev. Samuel Purchas; Appendices; Index.

Read more less

Book SynopsisThe publications of the Hakluyt Society (founded in 1846) made available edited (and sometimes translated) early accounts of exploration. Munk's Navigatio Septentrionalis tells of the Danish attempt to find a North-West Passage in 16191620, which reached Hudson's Bay but lost almost all the crew due to cold and disease.Table of ContentsIntroduction; Jens Munk's 'Navigatio Septentrionalis'; Commentary; Index.

Read more less

Book SynopsisThe publications of the Hakluyt Society (founded in 1846) made available edited (and sometimes translated) early accounts of exploration. This English translation of Zurara's fifteenth-century chronicle of the discovery of Guinea by explorers sponsored by his patron Prince Henry the Navigator (1394–1460) first appeared in 1896–1899.Table of ContentsEditors' preface; The life and writings of Azurara; Azurara's chronicle of the discovery and conquest of Guinea, chapters I-XL.

Read more less

Book SynopsisOriginally published in 1897, this two-volume work chronicles the expedition of Norwegian scientist Fridtjof Nansen (18611930), who came closer than any previous explorer to the North Pole. Nansen's boat was deliberately driven into pack-ice off Siberia in order to drift north; the expedition later resorted to sleds and kayaks.Table of Contents1. Introduction; 2. Preparations and equipment; 3. The start; 4. Farewell to Norway; 5. Voyage through the Kara Sea; 6. The winter night; 7. The spring and summer of 1894; 8. Second autumn in the ice.

Read more less

Book SynopsisOriginally published in 1897, this two-volume work chronicles the expedition of Norwegian scientist Fridtjof Nansen (18611930), who came closer than any previous explorer to the North Pole. Nansen's boat was deliberately driven into pack-ice off Siberia in order to drift north; the expedition later resorted to sleds and kayaks.Table of Contents1. We prepare for the sledge expedition; 2. The New Year, 1895; 3. We make a start; 4. We say good-bye to the Fram; 5. A hard struggle; 6. By sledge and kayak; 7. Land at last; 8. The New Year, 1896; 9. The journey southwards; Report of Captain Otto Sverdrup: 1. March 15th to June 22nd, 1895; 2. June 22nd to August 15th, 1895; 3. August 15th, 1895, to January 1st, 1896; 4. January 1st to May 17th, 1896; 5. The third summer; Conclusion.

Read more less

Book SynopsisOriginally published in 1900, this biography of English explorer William Cotton Oswell (181893) was compiled by his eldest son from correspondence with his family and friends. Volume 2 includes an account of Oswell's journey to the Crimean front, where he worked in hospitals between 1854 and 1855.Table of Contents10. England. 1852–3; 11. Retrospect of his African career, and the opinion of him held by contemporary travellers; 12. Paris, Constantinople, Crimea. 1853–5; 13. North and South America and West Indies. 1855–6; 14. England. 1856–60; 15. 1860–5; 16. 1865–9; 17. 1869–73; 18. 1873–8; 19. 1878–85; 20. 1885–90; 21. 1890–2; 22. 1892–3; 23. His friends' farewell; 24. Characteristic extracts from the correspondence and personal reminiscences of William Cotton Oswell; Index.

Read more less

Book SynopsisIn this 1846 publication Charles Dickens describes the landscapes, architecture, people and customs he observed during a year's stay in Italy with his family in 1844. Originally published as letters in the Daily News, the book is notable for the same shrewd social observations that Dickens demonstrates in his novels.Table of ContentsOne reader's passport; Going through France; Lyons, the Rhone, and the Goblin of Avignon; Avignon to Genoa; Genoa and its neighbourhood; To Parma, Modena, and Bologna; Through Bologna and Ferrara; An Italian dream; By Verona, Mantua, and Milan, across the Pass of the Simplon into Switzerland; To Rome by Pisa and Siena; Rome; A rapid diorama.

Read more less

Book SynopsisArthur S. Thomson (181660) was a Scottish military surgeon and medical scientist, posted to New Zealand in the late 1840s. His two-volume account of the islands' history was published in 1859. In Volume 2 Thomson justifies the British colonisation of the country, as promoting progress and civilisation.Table of ContentsPart II continued. History of the Discovery of New Zealand by Europeans: 5. Commencement of colonisation, 1839 to 1842; 6. New Zealand in 1842; 7. Mr. Shortland's rule, September 1842 to October 1843; 8. Governor Fitzroy's rule, December 1843 to November 1845; 9. Governor Grey's rule, November 1845 to December 1853; 10. Colonel Wynward's rule, January 1854 to September 1855; 11. Governor Browne's rule, October 1855 to June 1859; Part III. On the Decrease of the New Zealanders: 1. Are the New Zealanders decreasing in numbers?; 2. Progress of civilisation among the New Zealanders, and means requisite to promote it; 3. Hints to emigrants; Appendix; Bibliography; Index.

Read more less

Book SynopsisThis 1884 account of a journey into the 'King Country' in New Zealand by 'gentleman explorer' J. H. Kerry-Nicholls (d. 1888) includes not only a history of MaoriEuropean relations, but a geographical survey of the beautiful landscapes he encountered and his meeting with Maori King Tawhiao.Table of ContentsPreface; Introduction; The Frontier of the King Country: 1. The King's camp; 2. The Korero; 3. Ascent of Pirongia; The Lake Country: 4. Auckland to Ohinemutu; 5. Hot-spring life; 6. Tradition, idolatry, and romance; 7. En route to the terraces; 8. The terraces; 9. Ohinemutu to Wairakei; 10. Wairakei; Exploration of the King Country: 11. The start; 12. The region of Lake Taupo; 13. Eastern shore of Lake Taupo; 14. Tokanu; 15. The Rangipo Table Land; 16. Ascent of Tongariro; 17. Ascent of Ruapehu, first day; 18. Ruapehu, second day. Ascent of the Great Peak; 19. The Kaimanawa Mountains; 20. Second ascent of Ruapehu. Sources of the Whagaehu and Waikato rivers; 21. Karioi; 22. Forest country; 23. Ruakara; 24. Ngatokorua Pa; 25. Hot springs of Tongariro; 26. Western Taupo; 27. The Northern Table-land; 28. The Aukati Line; Appendix; Index.

Read more less

Book SynopsisThe French general and historian Philippe-Paul, Comte de SÃgur (1780â1873) served as a member of Napoleon's personal staff during the Russian campaign. He had joined the cavalry in 1800 and had distinguished himself during earlier episodes of the European war; this led to him being chosen for several diplomatic missions. His two-volume account of the invasion of Russia, first published in French in 1824, has been through many editions and has been translated into many languages. It is both a military history and an eyewitness account. This English translation was first published in 1825 and remains immensely valuable to historians' understanding of Napoleon's ultimately disastrous Russian strategy. Volume 1 begins with the reasons behind the decision to invade and includes the Battle of Borodino, in which over seventy thousand people were killed. It concludes on 12 September 1812, two days before Napoleon's army reached Moscow.Table of ContentsBooks I-VII.

Read more less

Book SynopsisThe French general and historian Philippe-Paul, Comte de SÃgur (1780â1873) served as a member of Napoleon's personal staff during the Russian campaign. He had joined the cavalry in 1800 and had distinguished himself during earlier episodes of the European war; this led to him being chosen for several diplomatic missions. His two-volume account of the invasion of Russia, first published in French in 1824, has been through many editions and has been translated into many languages. It is both a military history and an eyewitness account. This English translation was first published in 1825 and remains immensely valuable to historians' understanding of Napoleon's ultimately disastrous Russian strategy. Volume 2 begins with Napoleon's arrival in Moscow on 14 September 1812. The remainder of the book charts the events of the army's retreat, details the conditions endured and the lives lost in the course of it.Table of ContentsBooks VIII-XII.

Read more less

Book SynopsisBerthold Seemann (1825â71), a German-born botanist and traveller, published several scientific books and articles. He also composed music and in the 1860s he wrote three plays which enjoyed some success in Germany. In 1846 Seemann was appointed naturalist to the British ship HMS Herald, which was engaged in a hydrographical survey of the Pacific. In this two-volume work, published in 1853, the author recounts how he joined the Herald in Panama in 1847 and remained on board until 1851. The ship explored almost all of the West Coast of America and also sailed north into the Arctic seas. In Volume 1, Seemann arrives in Panama, only to find that the Herald is not yet in port; he uses the time to explore the Isthmus, the narrow strip of land that lies between the Caribbean Sea and the Pacific Ocean, and in the process discovers a number of new plants.Table of ContentsPreface; 1. Departure from England; 2. Departure from Rio de Janeiro; 3. Papudo Bay; 4. The Galapagos Islands; 5. Boundary line of Nueva Granada; 6. City of Panama; 7. Cape Flattery rocks; 8. Cape Mendocina; 9. Siguantenejo; 10. Survey of the western coast of Nueva Granada; 11. Republic of Ecuador; 12. Loja; 13. Navon; 14. Guayaquil; 15. Survey of the coast of Darien; 16. Geographical position of the Isthmus of Panama; 17. Flora and fauna of the Isthmus of Panama; 18. Topographical description; 19. Inhabitants of the Isthmus; 20. The Indians of the Isthmus.

Read more less

Book SynopsisIn the mid-nineteenth century, the northern coastline of North America was of particular interest to the Hudson's Bay Company as it was believed to hold the key to the elusive North-West Passage, a trade route from the Atlantic to the Pacific. Recruited to lead a team to survey part of this forbidding region, the Scottish explorer John Rae (1813â93) undertook his first expedition during 1846â7. It was remarkable not only for its success, but also because Rae's was the first crew to overwinter in the Arctic. Unlike other Victorian explorers, Rae embraced the culture of the Inuit and learnt to live off the land like them, which enabled him to complete his survey. First published in 1850, this journal relates the details of his journey as well as how he and his men survived the extreme conditions. It remains a valuable document in the history of Arctic exploration.Table of Contents1. Origin and plan of the expedition; 2. Depart from Churchill; 3. Receive a visit from a female party; 4. State of things at Repulse Bay; 5. Winter arrangements completed; 6. Set out for the north; 7. Preparations for exploring the coast of Melville Peninsula; 8. Occurrences at Fort Hope during the absence of the exploring party; 9. Voyage from Repulse Bay to York Factory; Appendix. List of mammalia; List of birds; List of fishes; List of plants; Specimens of rocks; Dip of the needle and force of magnetic attraction at various stations; Abstract of meteorological journal from September 1846 to August 1847.

Read more less

Book SynopsisThis 1694 account of voyages made by Sir John Narborough, Abel Tasman, John Wood and Friderich Martens includes Tasman's discovery of New Zealand and Tasmania in 1642. A key reference for later navigators, it was notably one of the oldest books in Darwin's library aboard the Beagle.Table of ContentsIntroduction; Part I. A Journal Kept by Captain John Narbrough [during his] Voyage to the Streights of Magellan: A relation of a voyage made towards the South Terra Incognita, extracted from the journal of Captain Abel Jansen Tasman; A relation of a voyage for the discovery of a passage by the North-East, to Japan and China, anno domini 1676, by Captain John Wood; Journal on board the 'Prosperous', captain William Flawes commander, from Nova Zembla to England, 1676; My conceptions of the said voyage, with some observations; A brief description of the land; Part II. The Voyage into Spitzbergen and Greenland, 1671: 1. The passages of the whole voyage, together with some account of the weather; 2. The description of Spitzbergen; 3. The plants of Spitzbergen; 4. The animals of Spitzbergen; A supplement to Capt. Wood's and Marten's North-East voyages.

Read more less

Book SynopsisVivant Denon (17471825), a dilettante and diplomat under the Ancien Régime, survived the Revolution and accompanied Napoleon's army to Egypt. The publication in 1802 of this lively, illustrated three-volume account (translated a year later) is regarded as the chief stimulus for the so-called 'Egyptian Revival' style of architecture and interior design.Table of Contents19. Arab council; 20. Balasse, and the porous earthen vessels manufactured there; 21. Embark at Keneh for Cairo; Explanation of the plates; Index; List of plates; Contents.

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book SynopsisThe thrilling #1 bestselling memoir by adventure legend and survivalist Bear Grylls.Bear Grylls has always sought the ultimate in adventure. Growing up on a remote island off of Britain''s windswept coast, he was taught by his father to sail and climb at an early age. Inevitably, it wasn''t long before the young explorer was sneaking out to lead all-night climbing expeditions.As a teenager at Eton College, Bear found his identity and purpose through both mountaineering and martial arts. These passions led him into the foothills of the mighty Himalayas and to a karate grandmaster''s remote training camp in Japan, an experience that soon helped him earn a second-degree black belt. Returning home, he embarked upon the notoriously grueling selection course for the British Special Forces to join the elite Special Air Service unit 21 SAS—a journey that would push him to the very limits of physical and mental endurance.Then, disaster. Bear broke

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book SynopsisOne of Library Journal’s 10 Best Books of 2015Following his acclaimed Atlantic and The Men Who United the States, New York Times bestselling author Simon Winchester offers an enthralling biography of the Pacific Ocean and its role in the modern world, exploring our relationship with this imposing force of nature.As the Mediterranean shaped the classical world, and the Atlantic connected Europe to the New World, the Pacific Ocean defines our tomorrow. With China on the rise, so, too, are the American cities of the West coast, including Seattle, San Francisco, and the long cluster of towns down the Silicon Valley.Today, the Pacific is ascendant. Its geological history has long transformed us—tremendous earthquakes, volcanoes, and tsunamis—but its human history, from a Western perspective, is quite young, beginning with Magellan’s sixteenth-century circumnavigation. It is a natural wonder whose most fascinating history is currently being made.In telling the story of the Pacific, Simon Winchester takes us from the Bering Strait to Cape Horn, the Yangtze River to the Panama Canal, and to the many small islands and archipelagos that lie in between. He observes the fall of a dictator in Manila, visits aboriginals in northern Queensland, and is jailed in Tierra del Fuego, the land at the end of the world. His journey encompasses a trip down the Alaska Highway, a stop at the isolated Pitcairn Islands, a trek across South Korea and a glimpse of its mysterious northern neighbor.Winchester’s personal experience is vast and his storytelling second to none. And his historical understanding of the region is formidable, making Pacific a paean to this magnificent sea of beauty, myth, and imagination that is transforming our lives.

Read more less

Book SynopsisTrade Review"One of the greatest polar rescue efforts ever mounted, a saga that journalist Mark Piesing retells in N-4 Down. ... Gripping. ... This is a book with much to enjoy and a good illustration of what human curiosity, determination and courage—and sometimes a healthy dollop of vanity—can achieve." — Wall Street Journal "In compelling prose, Piesing draws us into the feverish efforts to conquer the Arctic by air. ... Refreshingly well-written. ... Piesing deserves credit for bringing this forgotten bit of aerospace history back to light." — Forbes "Mark Piesing evocatively brings to life a lesser-known tale in the ill-fated history of polar exploration. Like the stories of Franklin and Shackleton, it combines triumph, disaster, heroism, hubris and mystery—but unlike them it features dashing aviators in airships and seaplanes. It is an epic tale that deserves to be far more widely known." — Tom Standage, New York Times bestselling author of A History of The World in 6 Glasses "A meticulously researched and utterly gripping account of adventure, airships and adversity, Mark Piesing's N-4 Down is a brilliant book. Packed with a cast of vivid characters, magnificent flying machines, political machinations and tales of survival against all imaginable odds, it depicts one of the most extraordinary stories of not just aviation and exploration, but the twentieth century as a whole. You will never forget General Nobile, the airship and the endless ice they faced." — Michael Bhaskar, author of Human Frontiers: The Future of Big Ideas in an Age of Small Thinking “N-4 Down is a gripping, detailed tale of exploration, betrayal and rescue. Mark Piesing has crafted a fascinating recounting of a liminal time when flying and polar expeditions were equally risky, so of course people tried to combine them. Think The Terror, but with airships.” — Charles Arthur, author of Social Warming and Digital Wars, former technology editor at The Guardian "A gripping telling of the story of the crash of N-4 Italia and the deadly attempt at rescue.. ... N-4 Down is an engrossing read." — New York Journal of Books "One of the joys of reading accounts of events a century ago is that authors gain access to letters, diaries, journals and other handwritten material that provide so much texture to narratives. Consequently, the stories are rich in detail. Piesing provides great context about the aviation era. ... A fine book." — Fredericksburg Free Lance-Star “Takes readers on a thrilling, nail-biting adventure of the largest arctic rescue operation in history as famed Norwegian explorer, Roald Amundsen, rushed to save the surviving crew of the airship Italia, which crashed during its attempt to land men at the North Pole in 1928. The history and aeronautical buffs on your holiday shopping list are going to absolutely love it.” — Engadget “The author has visited the places about which he writes, and his sketches of remote locales make for interesting reading. He also offers useful insights on the strange blend of competition and cooperation that characterized Arctic exploration. … Of interest to would-be Arctic explorers and armchair adventurers.” — Kirkus Reviews “N-4 Down is the work of a real writer, who can create a difficult balance among facts, characters and history coming from so many sources, also daring 'to nose' into situations of which he tries to see what is behind and beyond appearances. Besides, the book is the testimony that the true hero’s feats never have an end, especially in our times where we rarely witness such examples." — Antonio Ventre, Director of Umberto Nobile Museum

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book SynopsisMarco Polo was the most famous traveller of his time. His voyages began in 1271 with a visit to China, after which he served the Kubilai Khan on numerous diplomatic missions. On his return to the West he was made a prisoner of war and met Rustichello of Pisa, with whom he collaborated on this book. The accounts of his travels provide a fascinating glimpse of the different societies he encountered: their religions, customs, ceremonies and way of life; on the spices and silks of the East; on precious gems, exotic vegetation and wild beasts. He tells the story of the holy shoemaker, the wicked caliph and the three kings, among a great many others, evoking a remote and long-vanished world with colour and immediacy.For more than seventy years, Penguin has been the leading publisher of classic literature in the English-speaking world. With more than 1,700 titles, Penguin Classics represents a global bookshelf of the best works throughout history and across genres and disciplines. Rea

Read more less

Book SynopsisThe New World story of the Spanish explorer Cabeza de Vaca in his own wordsThis riveting true story is the first major narrative detailing the exploration of North America by Spanish conquistadors (1528-1536). The author, Alvar Núñez Cabeza de Vaca, was a fortune-seeking Spanish nobleman and the treasurer of an expedition sent to claim for Spain a vast area of today's southern United States. In simple, straightforward prose, Cabeza de Vaca chronicles the nine-year odyssey endured by the men after a shipwreck forced them to make a westward journey on foot from present-day Florida through Louisiana and Texas into California. In thirty-eight brief chapters, Cabeza de Vaca describes the scores of natural and human obstacles they encountered as they made their way across an unknown land. Cabeza de Vaca's gripping account offers a trove of ethnographic information, including descriptions and interpretations of native cultures, making it a powerful precurso

Read more less

Book SynopsisOne of the great works of American exploration literature, this account of a scientific expedition forced to survive famine, attacks, mutiny, and some of the most dangerous rapids known to man remains as fresh and exciting today as it was in 1874.The Exploration of the Colorado River and Its Canyons, recently ranked number four on Adventure magazine’s list of top 100 classics, is legendary pioneer John Wesley Powell’s first-person account of his crew’s unprecedented odyssey along the Green and Colorado Rivers and through the Grand Canyon. A bold foray into the heart of the American West’s final frontier, the expedition was achieved without benefit of modern river-running equipment, supplies, or a firm sense of the region’s perilous topography and the attitudes of the native inhabitants towards whites.For more than seventy years, Penguin has been the leading publisher of classic literature in the English-sp

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book Synopsis A Voyage Long and Strange is a rich mixture of scholarship and modern-day adventure that brings the forgotten first chapter of America''s history vividly to life. What happened in North America between Columbus''s sail in 1492 and the Pilgrims'' arrival in 1620? On a visit to Plymouth Rock, Tony Horwitz realizes he doesn''t have a clue, nor do most Americans. So he sets off across the continent to rediscover the wild era when Europeans first roamed the New World in quest of gold, glory, converts, and eternal youth. Horwitz tells the story of these brave and often crazed explorers while retracing their steps on his own epic trek--an odyssey that takes him inside an Indian sweat lodge in subarctic Canada, down the Mississippi in a canoe, on a road trip fueled by buffalo meat, and into sixty pounds of armor as a conquistador reenactor in Florida.

Read more less

Book SynopsisCommerce meets conquest in this swashbuckling story of the six merchant-adventurers who built the modern worldIt was an era when monopoly trading companies were the unofficial agents of European expansion, controlling vast numbers of people and huge tracts of land, and taking on governmental and military functions. They managed their territories as business interests, treating their subjects as employees, customers, or competitors. The leaders of these trading enterprises exercised virtually unaccountable, dictatorial political power over millions of people.The merchant kings of the Age of Heroic Commerce were a rogue''s gallery of larger-than-life men who, for a couple hundred years, expanded their far-flung commercial enterprises over a sizable portion of the world. They include Jan Pieterszoon Coen, the violent and autocratic pioneer of the Dutch East India Company; Peter Stuyvesant, the one-legged governor of the Dutch West India Company, whose narrow-minded appr

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book Synopsis"A great treasure-trove of daunting human courage, frailty, and persistence in the face of the unknown."—Library JournalTrade Review"Points Unknown celebrates crampons, testosterone and the power of the human spirit to overcome adversity. I was gripped." Sara Wheeler, The Daily Telegraph - "This is a great volume, perfect for the armchair adventurer." The Sunday Times

Read more less

Book SynopsisAn engrossing history of the voyages of exploration that ignited curiosity about nature and gave birth to modern science.Trade Review"Ranges across 400 years of history with characters from Christopher Columbus to Charles Darwin. Shores of Knowledge explains how the curiosity of Old Europe broke free of church dogma, creating the world we inhabit today." "A unique perspective... Appleby tells it through the contributions of an array of characters-explorers, writers, collectors and early naturalists- giving the reader a sense of the progress over the centuries as seen through their eyes." -- Marcia Bartusiak "An ambitious book that covers the sweep of history from Columbus to Darwin-and finds unexpected kinship between explorers and scientists of those centuries... Fascinating!" -- Mark Anderson, author of The Day the World Discovered the Sun "An invigorating journey through time and space, shedding insight into the relationship between science and society." -- John Gribbin, author of Erwin Schrodinger and the Quantum Revolution "Like an exotic seed washed up from a distant land, Joyce Appleby's Shores of Knowledge blossoms in marvelous ways. This supple and sparkling chronicle of discovery shows why even Columbus was baffled by his myriad discoveries, and how Europeans gradually decoded the mysteries of the New World. A lucid account of cultural transmission." -- Laurence Bergreen, author of Columbus "Christopher Columbus's landing in the Western Hemisphere in 1492 marked a decisive moment in world history. But as Joyce Appleby argues in this lucid and economically written survey of scientific thought, its intellectual impact unfolded gradually. In riveting prose, she shows how American geography, peoples, flora, and fauna forced European scientists to alter their understanding of nature. Those interested in the intersection of exploration and scientific knowledge should book passage on Professor Appleby's charming, story-filled journey across the Atlantic and back again." -- Peter Mancall, author of The Fatal Journey

Read more less

Book SynopsisAn original history of man's greatest adventure: his search to discover the world around him.  In the compendious history, Boorstin not only traces man's insatiable need to know, but also the obstacles to discovery and the illusion that knowledge can also put in our way. Covering time, the earth and the seas, nature and society, he gathers and analyzes stories of the man's profound quest to understand his world and the cosmos.

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book SynopsisA New York Times BestsellerA dramatic, inspiring memoir by legendary rock climber Tommy Caldwell, the first person to free climb the Dawn Wall of Yosemite’s El Capitan   “The rarest of adventure reads:  it thrills with colorful details of courage and perseverance but it enriches readers with an absolutely captivating glimpse into how a simple yet unwavering resolve can turn adversity into reward.” —The Denver Post A finalist for the Boardman Tasker Award for Mountain LiteratureOn January 14, 2015, Tommy Caldwell, along with his partner, Kevin Jorgeson, summited what is widely regarded as the hardest climb in history—Yosemite’s nearly vertical 3,000-foot Dawn Wall, after nineteen days on the route. Caldwell’s odds-defying feat—the subject of the documentary film The Dawn Wall to be released nationwide in September—was the culmination of an entire l

Read more less

Book SynopsisIn 1914, a party led by veteran explorer Sir Ernest Shackleton sets out to become the first to traverse the continent of Antarctica. Their initial optimism is short-lived, however, as the ice field slowly thickens, encasing the ship Endurance in a death-grip, crushing their craft, and marooning 28 men on a polar ice floe....In an epic struggle of man versus the elements, Shackleton leads his team on a harrowing quest for survival over some of the most unforgiving terrain in the world. Icy, tempestuous seas full of gargantuan waves, mountainous glaciers and icebergs, unending brutal cold, and ever-looming starvation are their mortal foes as Shackleton and his men struggle to stay alive.What happened to those brave men forever stands as a testament to their strength of will and the power of human endurance.This is their story, as told by the man who led them.

Read more less

Book SynopsisNEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • The harrowing story of one of the great feats of exploration of all time and its complicated legacy—from the New York Times bestselling author of The River of Doubt and Destiny of the RepublicA BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR: THE WASHINGTON POST • GOODREADSA lean, fast-paced account of the almost absurdly dangerous quest by [Richard Burton and John Speke] to solve the geographic riddle of their era. —The New York Times Book ReviewFor millennia the location of the Nile River’s headwaters was shrouded in mystery. In the 19th century, there was  a frenzy of interest in ancient Egypt. At the same time, European powers sent off waves of explorations intended to map the unknown corners of the globe – and extend their colonial empires.Richard Burton and John Hanning Speke were sent by the Royal Geographical Society to claim the prize for England. Burton spoke twenty-nine languages, and was a decorated soldier. He was also mercurial, subtle, and an iconoclastic atheist. Speke was a young aristocrat and Army officer determined to make his mark, passionate about hunting, Burton’s opposite in temperament and beliefs.From the start the two men clashed. They would endure tremendous hardships, illness, and constant setbacks. Two years in, deep in the African interior, Burton became too sick to press on, but Speke did, and claimed he found the source in a great lake that he christened Lake Victoria. When they returned to England, Speke rushed to take credit, disparaging Burton. Burton disputed his claim, and Speke launched another expedition to Africa to prove it. The two became venomous enemies, with the public siding with the more charismatic Burton, to Speke’s great envy. The day before they were to publicly debate,Speke shot himself.Yet there was a third man on both expeditions, his name obscured by imperial annals, whose exploits were even more extraordinary. This was Sidi Mubarak Bombay, who was enslaved and shipped from his home village in East Africa to India. When the man who purchased him died, he made his way into the local Sultan’s army, and eventually traveled back to Africa, where he used his resourcefulness, linguistic prowess and raw courage to forge a living as a guide. Without Bombay and men like him, who led, carried, and protected the expedition, neither Englishman would have come close to the headwaters of the Nile, or perhaps even survived.In River of the Gods Candice Millard has written another peerless story of courage and adventure, set against the backdrop of the race to exploit Africa by the colonial powers.

Read more less

Book Synopsis“Daniel Barbarisi plunges into an adventure from another era when he goes in search of buried treasure, guided only by a cryptic poem, a mischievous art collector, and the footsteps another pursuer who died on the quest… Every page draws you deeper into this no-man’s-land where fortune—or tragedy—awaits.” —Christopher McDougall, author of Born to RunWhen Forrest Fenn was given a fatal cancer diagnosis, he came up with a bold plan: He would hide a chest full of jewels and gold in the wilderness, and publish a poem that would serve as a map leading to the treasure's secret location. But he didn't die, and after hiding the treasure in 2010, Fenn instead presided over a decade-long gold rush that saw many thousands of treasure hunters scrambling across the Rocky Mountains in pursuit of his fortune.  Daniel Barbarisi first learned of Fenn's hunt in 2017, when a friend became consumed w

Read more less

Book SynopsisAbsolutely gripping… a perfectly splendid read—I highly, highly recommend it” -- Douglas Preston, author of the #1 New York Times bestseller The Lost City of the Monkey GodA sixty-year saga of frostbite and fake news that follows the no-holds-barred battle between two legendary explorers to reach the North Pole, and the newspapers which stopped at nothing to get–and sell–the story.In the fall of 1909, a pair of bitter contests captured the world’s attention. The American explorers Robert Peary and Frederick Cook both claimed to have discovered the North Pole, sparking a vicious feud that was unprecedented in international scientific and geographic circles. At the same time, the rivalry between two powerful New York City newspapers—the storied Herald and the ascendant Times—fanned the flames of the so-called polar controversy, as each paper financially and reputationally committed itself to

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book SynopsisTable of ContentsIntroduction Section 1: Vacant Properties Büyükada Orphelinat, Turkey Żarnowiec Nuclear Power Plant, Poland Pyramiden, Svalbard, Norway The Castle of Dona Chica, Portugal Sans-Souci Palace, Haiti Rubjerg Knude Lighthouse, Denmark Sammezzano Castle, Italy Section 2: Unsettled Situatons Wünsdorf, Germany Old Al-Ula, Saudi Arabia Mandu, India Craco, Italy Grängesberg, Sweden Plymouth, Montserrat, West Indies Kolmanskop, Namibia Kennecott, Alaska Döllersheim, Austria Section 3: Dilapidated Destinations The West Pier, Brighton, UK Santa Claus, Arizona, US Ducor Palace Hotel, Liberia Hachijo Royal Hotel, Japan Grand Hôtel de la Forêt, Corsica Camelot Theme Park, Lancashire, UK The Salton Sea Riviera, California, US New World Mall, Bangkok, Thailand Kupari, Croatia Hellinikon Olympic Complex, Greece Section 4: Journeys Ended Nicosia Airport, Cyprus Train Graveyard, Uyuni, Bolivia Crystal Palace Subway, London, UK Suakin, Sudan City Hall Subway Station, New York, US Balaklava Submarine Base, Crimea Section 5: Obsolete Institutions St Peter’s Seminary College, Scotland, UK Roosevelt Island Smallpox Hospital, New York, US Volterra Psychiatric Hospital, Italy Gary City Methodist Church, Indiana, US Akampene Island, Uganda Seaside Sanatorium, Connecticut, US Lennox Castle Hospital, Scotland, UK Alcatraz Prison, California, US Selected Bibliography Picture Credits Acknowledgements Index

Read more less