Geographical discovery and exploration Books

Book SynopsisIn 1524, a man named David Reubeni appeared in Venice, claiming to be the ambassador of a powerful Jewish kingdom deep in the heart of Arabia. In this era of fierce rivalry between great powers, voyages of fantastic discovery, and brutal conquest of new lands, people throughout the Mediterranean saw the signs of an impending apocalypse and envisioned a coming war that would end with a decisive Christian or Islamic victory. With his army of hardy desert warriors from lost Israelite tribes, Reubeni pledged to deliver the Jews to the Holy Land by force and restore their pride and autonomy. He would spend a decade shuttling between European rulers in Italy, Portugal, Spain, and France, seeking weaponry in exchange for the support of his hitherto unknown but mighty Jewish kingdom. Many, however, believed him to favor the relatively tolerant Ottomans over the persecutorial Christian regimes. Reubeni was hailed as a messiah by many wealthy Jews and Iberia's oppressed conversos, but his grand ambitions were halted in Regensburg when the Holy Roman Emperor, Charles V, turned him over to the Inquisition and, in 1538, he was likely burned at the stake. Diary of a Black Jewish Messiah is the first English translation of Reubeni's Hebrew-language diary, detailing his travels and personal travails. Written in a Hebrew drawn from everyday speech, entirely unlike other literary works of the period, Reubeni's diary reveals both the dramatic desperation of Renaissance Jewish communities and the struggles of the diplomat, trickster, and dreamer who wanted to save them.Trade Review"Alan Verskin has once again proven himself to be a master translator with this English rendering of the Hebrew diary of the semi-messianic figure, David Reubeni. Verskin is no less a master storyteller who vividly recreates the historical setting of Reubeni's activity in his detailed introduction, which is eminently scholarly yet fully accessible."—Norman A. Stillman, Executive Editor of Encyclopedia of Jews in the Islamic World"A fantastical tale of adventure, political intrigue, and apocalyptic expectation, David Reubeni's diary is surely one of the most fascinating pieces of Jewish writing from the age of exploration. Alan Verskin's elegant and eminently readable translation reveals the exploits of this self-declared messenger of a mythical Jewish kingdom as he pursues his unlikely quest to restore Jews to their ancient homeland."—Matthias B. Lehmann, author of The Baron"There were several ways in which Verskin could have approached this project. The material is so rich that he could have produced an updated English version of Aaron Ze'ev Aescoly's thick, heavily annotated and augmented 1940 Hebrew edition of the diary. But this would have been the work of several decades. On the other hand, he could have given us a bare translation with minimal apparatus. This small, elegant volume, which features Verskin's rich thirty-page introduction and deft, helpful endnotes, seems just right."—Matt Goldish, Jewish Review of Books"Almost everything known about Reubeni derives from his Hebrew diary, which Verskin here translates and presents along with an introduction to Reubeni's life and detailed notes that make the diary accessible. Even as scholars continue to debate Reubeni's origins and biography, this engaging book does a wonderful service by introducing Reubeni through his own telling of his quite remarkable story. Recommended."—A. J. Avery-Peck, CHOICE"Verskin's solid introduction allows the reader to fully appreciate how unique this diary is for the history of modern Jewish history.... Diary of a Jewish Messiah is recommended to all libraries."—Roger S. Kohn, Association of Jewish Libraries ReviewsTable of ContentsIntroduction 1. Africa 2. Egypt and the Holy Land 3. Italy 4. Portugal 5. Spain Appendix: Solomon Cohen's Addendum

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Book SynopsisJohn Wesley Powell's 1869 expedition down the Green and Colorado Rivers and through the Grand Canyon continues to be one of the most celebrated adventures in American history, ranking with the Lewis and Clark expedition and the Apollo landings on the moon. For nearly twenty years Lago has researched the Powell expedition from new angles, traveled to thirteen states, and looked into archives and other sources no one else has searched. He has come up with many important new documents that change and expand our basic understanding of the expedition by looking into Powell's crewmembers, some of whom have been almost entirely ignored by Powell historians. Historians tended to assume that Powell was the whole story and that his crewmembers were irrelevant. More seriously, because several crew members made critical comments about Powell and his leadership, historians who admired Powell were eager to ignore and discredit them.Lago offers a feast of new and important material about the river trip, and it will significantly rewrite the story of Powell's famous expedition. This book is not only a major work on the Powell expedition, but on the history of American exploration of the West.Trade ReviewThe Powell Expedition is a thought-provoking, nuanced work that reads at times like a detective story, and it should offer much fodder for historians."" - The Wall Street Journal""Lago examines many theories about the fate of three members of Powell's expedition who left the river before the end of the journey and were never seen again. While the true fate of these explorers may never be known, there are enough leads in this account to entertain Colorado River rafters around campfires for years. Grand Canyon enthusiasts will find much to consider in this book."" - Library Journal""This is no straightforward river adventure, but rather a collection of multiple intriguing theories about various disputed facts, making for excellent campfire stories after a long day on the river."" - Publisher's Weekly""Lago is a storyteller, and his accessible, sprightly writing style makes what could be a mind-numbing collection of facts read like an adventure yarn."" - New York Journal of Books""Written in a refreshingly transparent first-person style, Lago demythologizes Powell, corrects past libels and properly puts the focus on his crew. This book will be of interest to historians and river rats alike."" - True West Magazine""Lago's latest book is the result of 20 years of research across 13 states, digging into the history of the expedition's individual crew members to tell a far more specific story that the broad tale of river running and canyon mapping."" - Grand Canyon News""Conjecture - (readily admitted) and tangential - wanderings pervade the text, resting comfortably alongside nuggets of deep research that rewrite important aspects of Powell's story and offer insight on Western exploration."" - Roundup Magazine""Don Lago's The Powell Expedition: New Discoveries about John Wesley Powell's 1869 River Journeytakes a new, fresh look at the 1869 expedition down the Green and Colorado Rivers led by John Wesley Powell. He concentrates especially on the often-overlooked members of the crew, and the events that led to distrust, tension, and the eventual departure of three members of the party, as well as an in-depth look at the deaths of those three and the subsequent lives of most, if not all, of the men. The book is definitely a significant and novel contribution to the literature on Powell, and that's saying something. The sources Lago consulted are astounding, in a word."" - Roy Webb""Don Lago has spent over 20 years researching Powell's 1869 river expedition, ferreting out details nobody else has discovered, myth-busting, speculating, and clarifying the whys and wherefores of the trip. This book is a culmination of those details and speculation, with updates on his previous writings and adding a wealth of new material. Lago covers topics no other Powell biographer/author has addressed, or ones in this depth."" - Richard Quartaroli""In search of answers and explanations, he delves into details of chronologies, genealogies, and politics, but he keeps the stories alive by following out speculations and connections along unexpected trails of evidence... Offering many intriguing new ideas and directions for further research, Lago's The Powell Expedition will be of great interest to scholars of Powell's survey. For anyone with an interest in Colorado River history, Lago's book will be enjoyable reading."" - The Western Historical Quarterly

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Book Synopsis"John K. Thornton’s new book is another must-read. It contains both translations of the extant letters of the most significant king of Kongo’s history, Afonso I (r. 1506–1542), and a powerful, learned, and highly readable analysis of what these letters tell us about the life and times of one of the most important rulers anywhere in the world during the sixteenth century. This book will be essential reading for scholars, teachers, and students engaged with the history of the Kingdom of Kongo." —Toby Green, King’s College LondonTrade Review"Historians of Africa and the Atlantic World have long known of King Afonso I’s pioneering efforts in establishing the Catholic Church in Kongo, as well as his efforts in fighting the Portuguese slave trade. But until now there has been no authoritative biography of one of the world’s most important political figures of the sixteenth century. Thornton’s account fills this gap, vividly revealing Afonso’s complicated life and legacies on the global stage. As Thornton deftly demonstrates, Afonso was neither a victim of European deception nor a naïve dupe. Rather, he was an astute, innovative statesman who advanced Kongolese political interests both at home and abroad. "Accompanying Thornton’s biography are unique, translated letters penned by Afonso that will also be of great interest to historians of Africa and the Atlantic World. In these letters, Afonso reveals his firsthand thoughts on Kongolese political sovereignty, the distinctiveness of Kongolese Christianity, and his demands to control the slave trade in his kingdom. Additionally, he expresses his desires to expand the technological capacity of the kingdom through education and literacy campaigns, as well as by offering apprenticeships in carpentry, masonry, and medicine. Afonso’s letters, along with those of his European and African contemporaries, are a treasure trove of primary source materials that reveal Kongo’s key role in early modern Atlantic history.” —James H. Sweet, University of Wisconsin-Madison"Only decades of research and engagement with primary sources and centuries of secondary historical analysis could yield such a detailed, insightful account of a pivotal reign in the history of Kongo, Atlantic Africa, and the early modern world at large. It may be the author’s most impressive book yet. “Both the biography and the translated letters will serve for many years to come as sources for research and material for teaching. They will bring knowledge about Afonso, Kongo, and their world-shaping role in the early modern period to students and researchers well beyond specialist circles. I look forward to the new wave of research, discoveries, and debates the book will spur.” —Cécile Fromont, Yale University"This is a page-turner that students and their professors will appreciate. Through a compelling narrative and translated primary sources focused on the life of an important African leader, Thornton examines larger issues around African development, religions conversion, slavery, the rise of the Atlantic trade in enslaved people, and interconnectedness of the 16th-century world." —Walter Hawthorne, Michigan State University"With this monograph, John K. Thornton, the doyen of West Central African history, has not only further cemented his place in the field, but has also steered the 'biographical turn' in the precolonial history of Africa into a new phase. This is regional history on a grand scale, an exceptional feat for Sub-Saharan Africa during the first half of the XVIth century, made possible by a career-long passion with understanding the Kingdom of Kongo." —José C. Curto, History, York University, Canada"Never has the voice of the ruler of the early sixteenth-century Kongo Kingdom, the renowned Christian Mwene Kongo, King Afonso, resonated in language so accessible to a modern audience and yet so faithful to original historical context. Luís Madureira provides a superb translation of Afonso's most significant correspondence along with an insightful translator’s note that contributes to confidence in his rigorous effort. Scholars and students can at last understand the original meaning of Afonso's letters. "With the translation and contextualization provided here, Afonso’s complaints of Portuguese slave trading, for example, can be better understood. Other episodes recounted in the letters, such as Afonso’s victory over his non-Christian brother, attributed to the miraculous appearance of Saint James, will provide for fascinating class discussions. Going beyond its key contribution to African history, this edition will be widely used in the study and teaching of early modern global history.” —David Gordon, Bowdoin College

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Book SynopsisFrom longtime Rolling Stone contributing editor and journalist Randall Sullivan, The Curse of Oak Island explores the curious history of Oak Island and the generations of individuals who have tried and failed to unlock its secrets. An investigation into the “curse” of Oak Island, where rumors of buried riches have beguiled treasure hunters over the past two centuries.In 1795, a teenager discovered a mysterious circular depression in the ground on Oak Island, in Nova Scotia, Canada, and ignited rumors of buried treasure. Early excavators uncovered a clay-lined shaft containing layers of soil interspersed with wooden platforms, but when they reached a depth of ninety feet, water poured into the shaft and made further digging impossible.Since then the mystery of Oak Island’s “Money Pit” has enthralled generations of treasure hunters, including a Boston insurance Trade ReviewPraise for The Curse of Oak Island: “Sullivan writes with open-minded balance, rendering the Oak Island story into a weirdly fascinating mystery.” —Booklist “The Curse of Oak Island is a definitive read for fans of the History Channel television show. Sullivan delves deeper into the history, personalities, and theories presented only briefly on the show. His approach is mostly unbiased, though he does tell the reader his thoughts on some of the theories and the theorists that he thoroughly researches and debunks. The book is incredibly well researched and the presentation . . . is very readable. If you’ve watched The Curse of Oak Island and were frustrated that snippets and possibilities were left tantalizingly unexplored, this is the book for you.” —Heather Cover, Homewood Library (Birmingham, Alabama) “Sullivan isn’t writing about Oak Island the TV show; his subject is Oak Island the place, largely as seen and imagined by the show’s viewers. So, if you’ve ever been more entranced by the show’s long trips into history and theoretical island encounters across history, Sullivan’s book probably needs to be on your Christmas list.” —Starcasm Praise for Randall Sullivan: “Compelling . . . No single source presents so complete or damning a record as LAbyrinth.” —Entertainment Weekly on LAbyrinth “As a forceful author, Sullivan does a masterly job of juggling the dense thicket of facts and navigating the crowded chronology of the case.” —Salon.com on LAbryinth “Sullivan’s reportage is extraordinary, his narrative enthralling.” —Rolling Stone on The Price of Experience “Sullivan’s riveting tale is amazingly detailed and artfully presented. . . You can hardly turn the page fast enough . . . Contiporary history, brilliantly written.” —Playboy on The Price of Experience “[An] engrossing, damning tale . . . Exhaustively researched, the book methodically weaves a disturbing story of corruption, intimidation, and murder.” —Boston Globe on LAbyrinth “Worthy of F. Scott Fitzgerald, Sullivan captures the essence of the world in which Hunt and the BBC operated.” —Chicago Tribune on The Price of Experience “A stunning mix of the personal and the historic, interviews and experiences, with Sullivan incredibly nimble at making the worlds overlap.” —Booklist (starred review) on The Miracle Detective “Well-told and expertly researched.” —Publishers Weekly (starred review) on The Miracle Detective

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Book SynopsisIn 2013, Tom Denniss became the fastest person to circumnavigate the world on foot. His epic journey lasted nearly two years, and for each of the 622 days it took him to run around the planet, Tom completed the equivalent of a marathon or more. Based on distance alone his feat was an extraordinary act of endurance, but along the way Tom also survived a near-death experience on an ice cliff as he was running over the top of the Andes, was chased by dogs, snakes and suspicious border police, narrowly avoided lethal cars and buses, suffered in sixty-degree heat and sub-zero blizzards, tore through seventeen pairs of running shoes, and raised tens of thousands of dollars for Oxfam. He also experienced an amazing diversity of scenery, culture, food and people as he traversed New Zealand, North and South America, Europe from the Atlantic to the Bosphorus, and Australia from Fremantle to Sydney.The World at My Feet is his account of an incredible 26,232 kilometre run, and a vivid insight into an adventure of truly global proportions.Trade ReviewWith a chatty, engaging writing style, this high achiever relives his mega journey. * Weekly Times *

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Book SynopsisFrederik Paulsen's first great adventure involved taking the reins, at age thirty, of the Ferring pharmaceutical firm founded by his father. After he had transformed the company into a multinational corporation, Paulsen began to recall his childhood dream of discovering unknown lands, sparked by the Viking tales of his native Sweden. He therefore set off to explore realms of ice and snow.In the spring of 2000, he stood at the North Pole - only to discover that the planet had several other extreme poles: the wandering magnetic pole, to which every compass points; the somewhat more stable geomagnetic pole; and the 'pole of inaccessibility'. Since the earth has two hemispheres, these four northern poles have their southern counterparts in the Antarctic. Paulsen therefore set himself the challenge of being the first person to reach all eight poles.Charlie Buffet and Thierry Meyer recount Paulsen's thirteen-year adventure in freezing, hostile regions that were once the site of historic exploits and are now a laboratory for scientists trying to decipher our planet's future. The foreword is by Ellen MacArthur

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Book SynopsisNEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • The remarkable true story of a man who lived alone in the woods of Maine for 27 years, making this dream a reality—not out of anger at the world, but simply because he preferred to live on his own.“A meditation on solitude, wildness and survival.” —The Wall Street JournalIn 1986, a shy and intelligent twenty-year-old named Christopher Knight left his home in Massachusetts, drove to Maine, and disappeared into the forest. He would not have a conversation with another human being until nearly three decades later, when he was arrested for stealing food. Living in a tent even through brutal winters, he had survived by his wits and courage, developing ingenious ways to store edibles and water, and to avoid freezing to death. He broke into nearby cottages for food, clothing, reading material, and other provisions, taking only what he needed but terrifying a community never able to solve the mysterious burglaries. Based on extensive interviews with Knight himself, this is a vividly detailed account of his secluded life—why did he leave? what did he learn?—as well as the challenges he has faced since returning to the world. It is a gripping story of survival that asks fundamental questions about solitude, community, and what makes a good life, and a deeply moving portrait of a man who was determined to live his own way, and succeeded.

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Book SynopsisIn 1869, Hayyim Habshush, a Yemeni Jew, accompanied the European orientalist Joseph Halévy on his archaeological tour of Yemen. Twenty years later, Habshush wrote A Vision of Yemen, a memoir of their travels, that provides a vivid account of daily life, religion, and politics. More than a simple travelogue, it is a work of trickster-tales, thick anthropological descriptions, and reflections on Jewish–Muslim relations. At its heart lies the fractious and intimate relationship between the Yemeni coppersmith and the "enlightened" European scholar and the collision between the cultures each represents. The book thus offers a powerful indigenous response to European Orientalism. This edition is the first English translation of Habshush's writings from the original Judeo-Arabic and Hebrew and includes an accessible historical introduction to the work. The translation maintains Habshush's gripping style and rich portrayal of the diverse communities and cultures of Yemen, offering a potent mixture of artful storytelling and cultural criticism, suffused with humor and empathy. Habshush writes about the daily lives of men and women, rich and poor, Jewish and Muslim, during a turbulent period of war and both Ottoman and European imperialist encroachment. With this translation, Alan Verskin recovers the lost voice of a man passionately committed to his land and people.Trade Review"Alan Verskin has provided a masterful translation of Hayyim Habshush's gripping account of his travels and a rare and intimate glimpse into Jewish and Muslim life in the Arabian hinterlands. A Vision of Yemen should be of great interest not only to students and scholars of Jewish, Islamic, and Middle Eastern history, but also to the wider audience of travel literature."—Norman A. Stillman, University of Oklahoma"A Vision in Yemen reveals Hayyim Habshush's remarkable curiosity about his own society in nineteenth-century Yemen and its ancient history. With his masterful translation, Alan Verskin elucidates time and place for modern readers, bringing Habshush and his European interlocutors to life."—Brinkley Messick, Columbia University"Alan Verskin's book goes a long way in countering the various orientalist tropes that have often characterised our understanding of Yemeni Jews by rendering accessible the travelogue A Vision of Yemen....It enhances our understanding of encounters between East and West, and more importantly is a testament to Muslim-Jewish relations in the Middle East just as cacophonous sectarian voices dominate the region's public discourse."—Thanos Petouris, Asian Affairs

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Book SynopsisAmong the hordes of starry-eyed 'argonauts' who flocked to the California gold rush of 1849 was an Australian named Edward Hargraves. He left America empty-handed, only to find gold in his own backyard. The result was the great Australian rush of the 1850s, which also attracted participants from around the world. A South African named P.J. Marais was one of them. Marais too returned home in defeat – only to set in motion the diamond and gold rushes that transformed southern Africa. And so it went.Most previous historians of the gold rushes have tended to view them as acts of spontaneous nationalism. Each country likes to see its own gold rush as the one that either shaped those that followed or epitomized all the rest. In The Gold Crusades: A Social History of Gold Rushes, 1849-1929, Douglas Fetherling takes a different approach.Fetherling argues that the gold rushes in the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa shared the saTrade Review'The gold rushes were among the most dynamic episodes in modern history, when people from many nations and every level of society converged, turning wilderness into colonies, crossroads into boom towns and boom towns into cities. The Gold Crusades conveys that excitement, while offering a broader perspective. Readers will find it meticulously researched, with a helpful and entertaining essays on sources appended for further reading. Anyone prospecting for a good book should find it a gem.' -- Eric Marks New Brunswick Telegraph Journal

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Book SynopsisThe age of discovery was at its peak in the eighteenth century, with heroic adventurers charting the furthest reaches of the globe. Foremost among these explorers was navigator and cartographer Captain James Cook of the British Royal Navy. This book reveals Cook's place in history as a brave and brilliant seaman.Trade Review"'McLynn's biography is well researched and respectful.' (John de Falbe, The Spectator) 'Frank McLynn has no doubt about Captain Cook's status... the finest maritime explorer in the history of the world... He proves it in a meticulous rollercoaster chronicle.' (Duncan Fallowell, Daily Express) 'A first-class biography by a prominent British historian, Frank McLynn.' (John M. Taylor, The Washington Times)"

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Book SynopsisTrade ReviewThe Mortal Sea chronicles the history of the fishing industry in the North West Atlantic over the past 500 years. Based on a comprehensive set of original sources, it charts the fascinating and ultimately disastrous story of how successive waves of European seafarers arrived to take advantage of the fishing opportunities that had become distant memories in their own more circumscribed and heavily exploited home waters… Such is the complexity of marine ecosystems that the recovery of severely depleted cod populations is taking decades longer than simple theory would suggest. The Mortal Sea is a beautifully written chronicle of what lay before this latest catastrophe and much earlier dire outcomes of poorly regulated fishing. As an authoritatively written natural history of the developing fishing communities of the North West Atlantic, it makes an important contribution to fishery science as well as to social history. -- Richard Shelton * Times Literary Supplement *The Mortal Sea is highly pertinent to urgent matters before us now. If in the late 1800s the men who worked the sea for their livelihoods could see that creatures were being fished to extinction, while scientists in the employ of business interests argued that the seas were endlessly replenishable, today it is the other way around. Scientists argue that human activity has placed the planet in uncertain but potentially calamitous peril, while ordinary people shrug at the evidence and go on misusing the Earth’s resources, abetted by governments too cowardly and businesses too self-interested to take that evidence seriously… The Mortal Sea should be read as a cautionary tale… Anyone who thinks…this book is only about fish is living in a fool’s paradise. -- Jonathan Yardley * Washington Post *Historian and seafarer Jeffrey Bolster ‘writes the ocean into history,’ tracing the currents leading to today’s serious fish-stock depletion. Focusing on the North Atlantic from Cape Cod to Newfoundland’s Grand Banks, he shows how one species after another—halibut, lobster, cod—has been exploited for centuries, long before industrialization. Bolster braids marine biology into a narrative driven by courageous chancers, such as fifteenth-century explorer John Cabot and unnamed hordes of fishermen, to argue that the precautionary approach is key to heading off collapse. * Nature *[A] well-documented and fascinating chronicle of New England’s interdependence with the sea from the 16th century to the World War I era. In The Mortal Sea, Bolster skillfully weaves material from historical documents and newspaper and scientific reports with tales of fishermen to demonstrate how the activities of individuals have affected the northwest Atlantic, for better and worse. -- Michael Kenney * Boston Globe *The Mortal Sea is a fascinating look back at the last millennium of fishing—and overfishing—the North Atlantic, from Cape Cod to Cape Breton. -- Lauren Daly * Cape Cod Times *Bolster has mined evidence from a wide range of contemporary sources that convincingly demonstrates the widespread overfishing and sequential depletion of bird, fish, and marine mammal stocks before the advent of steamships and modern trawlers… Essential reading for anyone interested in the sea and its resources. -- G. C. Jensen * Choice *By demonstrating the ‘catastrophic changes in the sea’ over the past 400-plus years, Bolster has created a work that is not only a comprehensive chronicling of North Atlantic fishing but also a harrowing cautionary tale of human consumption and a challenge to those who have the final chance to restore ‘our exhausted seas.’ * Publishers Weekly *All hands on deck! Bolster makes an all-too-convincing case that the northwest Atlantic has been overfished for centuries and that we must act now to avert catastrophe. -- Joyce E. Chaplin, author of The First Scientific American: Benjamin Franklin and the Pursuit of GeniusThis remarkable book will forever change our understanding of the human tragedy of overfishing that has fueled the downward spiral of ecological destruction of the oceans. It is a story of hubris, greed, and a stubborn failure to learn from experience that continues unabated to this day. -- Jeremy Jackson, coeditor of Shifting Baselines: The Past and the Future of Ocean FisheriesBolster gives a fascinating account of the devastating impact of the sail-driven machinery that was unleashed on the North Atlantic since the early Middle Ages, which now appears like a trial run for the coup de grâce in the twentieth century. -- Daniel Pauly, author of 5 Easy Pieces: The Impact of Fisheries on Marine EcosystemsThe Mortal Sea looks at the North Atlantic and reveals how the marine stocks of the world arrived at the desperate pass they are in. This is a work of stunning importance. -- Daniel Vickers, University of British Columbia

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Book SynopsisTrade Review“Seal’s spirited account of these early adventurers inspires both admiration and regret.”—Jon Wright, Geographical -- Jon Wright * Geographical *

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Book SynopsisPresenting tales of noble intentions, novel inventions, and epic miscalculations, The Greatest Show in the Arctic brings fresh life to a unique and underappreciated story of American exploration.Trade ReviewAs this thoughtful and finely textured book makes clear, Franz Josef Land represented the spectacular final act of America's Arctic quest. A story of noble intentions, new inventions, and epic miscalculations playing out on the icy shores of an Arctic archipelago, this is a drama that once commanded the attention of the world."" - Michael F. Robinson, author of The Coldest Crucible: Arctic Exploration and American Culture""Superbly written and deftly researched, P. J. Capelotti's The Greatest Show in the Arctic is vastly more than a comic saga. It sheds considerable light on a previously obscure cast of explorers and on the history of Franz Josef Land, one of the least-studied regions in the Far North. Of all the Arctic books I've read in recent years, I'd rank Capelotti's very close to the top. It is astonishingly good. - Lawrence Millman, author of Last Places: A Journey in the North

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Book SynopsisNEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • A harrowing, moving first-person account of the 1972 plane crash that left its survivors stranded on a glacier in the Andes—and one man’s quest to lead them all home—by Nando Parrado, a subject of the Oscar-nominated film Society of the SnowFeaturing a new introduction by the author to commemorate of the fiftieth anniversary of the crash“In straightforward, staggeringly honest prose, Nando Parrado tells us what it took—and what it actually felt like—to survive high in the Andes for seventy-two days after having been given up for dead.”—Jon Krakauer, author of Into the Wild “In the first hours there was nothing, no fear or sadness, just a black and perfect silence.” Nando Parrado was unconscious for three days before he woke to discover that the plane carrying his rugby team to Chile had crashed deep in the Andes, killing many of his teammates, his mother, and his sister. Stranded with the few remaining survivors on a lifeless glacier and thinking constantly of his father’s grief, Parrado resolved that he could not simply wait to die. So Parrado, an ordinary young man with no particular disposition for leadership or heroism, led an expedition up the treacherous slopes of a snowcapped mountain and across forty-five miles of frozen wilderness in an attempt to save his friends’ lives as well as his own. Decades after the disaster, Parrado tells his story with remarkable candor and depth of feeling. Miracle in the Andes, a first-person account of the crash and its aftermath, is more than a riveting tale of true-life adventure; it is a revealing look at life at the edge of death and a meditation on the limitless redemptive power of love.

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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. This 1863 volume contains a Victorian translation of Ludovico di Varthema's account of his travels, originally published in 1510, and translated into many European languages within a few years. Ludovico set off from Italy in 1502 (determined, he says, 'to investigate some small portion of this our terrestrial globe') and travelled first to Egypt and Syria; he then journeyed through the Arabian peninsula (where he was imprisoned as a spy), Persia and India, and reached the Molucca islands before returning to Europe in 1508.Table of ContentsPreface; Introduction; Travels of Ludovico di Varthema: Book concerning Arabia Deserta; The second book - Of Arabia Felix; The book concerning Persia; The first book concerning India; The second book concerning India; The third book concerning India; The book concerning Ethiopia; Index.

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Book SynopsisPublished to coincide with the centenary of the first expeditions to reach the South Pole, this book presents a fresh take on Antarctic exploration. By focusing on the larger purpose, it deepens our appreciation of the explorers' achievements, shares little-known stories, and shows what the Heroic Age of Antarctic discovery was really about.Trade Review"'In this fascinating book... Larson's intriguing accounts begin to reveal the bigger picture of early scientific research in Antarctica and its place in European geopolitics of the time.' (Michael Bravo, New Scientist) 'Larson is a brilliant researcher, going far beyond the standard source materials, so even devotees of polar literature will learn things' (Jennifer Kingson, The Scotsman) 'This is a great and needed book, highly worth reading whether your Antarctic focus is history or science.' (The Antarctican Society Newsletter)"

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Trade ReviewFinalist for the 2004 PEN American Center Literary Award in the Research Nonfiction categoryFinalist for the 2004 Caroline Bancroft Western History Prize sponsored by the Denver Public Library“A biography of Bering has long been needed and no one is better suited to write it than Orcutt Frost. Based on meticulous scholarship and a lifelong knowledge of the subject, this biography will be a revelation to anyone interested in the history of exploration.”—Glyn Williams, author of Voyages of Delusion: The Quest for the Northwest Passage

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Book SynopsisExplores the physical and organic phenomena of the Antarctic continent as well as its history. With chapters on the geography and formation of the continent, its exploration, its depiction in the arts and sciences, and its geopolitical treatment, the author places the remote land as central to theTrade Review"The Ice is a compilation of more about ice than you knew you wanted to know, yet sheer compelling significance holds attention page by page..Pyne conveys a view of Antarctica that interweaves physical science with humanistic inquiry and perception. His audacity as well as his presentation warrant admiration, for the implications of The Ice are vast." * New York Times Book Review *"Stephen Pyne has written an imaginative book that combines a geophysical description of Antarctica with a history of attempts to explore and assimilate intellectually this remote and strange continent." * Isis *Table of ContentsForeword by William Cronon Preface to the 1998 Paperback Edition The Berg The Pack No Middle Way: The Exploration of Antarctica The Shelf Heart of Whiteness: the Literature and Art of Antarctica The Glacier Earth and Ice: The Earth Sciences in Antarctica The Sheet The Cold Peace: The Geopolitics of Antarctica The Source Afterword Notes Sources Index

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Book SynopsisA new edition of a great, underappreciated classic of our timeBeryl Markham''s West with the Night is a true classic, a book that deserves the same acclaim and readership as the work of her contemporaries Ernest Hemingway, Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, and Isak Dinesen. If the first responsibility of a memoirist is to lead a life worth writing about, Markham succeeded beyond all measure. Born Beryl Clutterbuck in the middle of England, she and her father moved to Kenya when she was a girl, and she grew up with a zebra for a pet; horses for friends; baboons, lions, and gazelles for neighbors. She made money by scouting elephants from a tiny plane. And she would spend most of the rest of her life in East Africa as an adventurer, a racehorse trainer, and an aviatrixshe became the first person to fly nonstop from Europe to America, the first woman to fly solo east to west across the Atlantic. Hers was indisputably a life full of adventure and beauty.

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Book SynopsisThe acclaimed author of Conquistador and Labyrinth of Ice charts one of history’s greatest expeditions, a legendary 16th-century adventurer’s death-defying navigation of the Amazon River. In 1541, Spanish conquistador Gonzalo Pizarro and his lieutenant Francisco Orellana searched for La Canela, South America’s rumored Land of Cinnamon, and the fabled El Dorado, “the golden man.” Quickly, the enormous expedition of mercenaries, enslaved natives, horses, and hunting dogs were decimated through disease, starvation, and attacks in the jungle. Hopelessly lost in the swampy labyrinth, Pizarro and Orellana made the fateful decision to separate. While Pizarro eventually returned home in rags, Orellana and fifty-seven men continued into the unknown reaches of the mighty Amazon jungle and river. Theirs would be the greater glory. Interweaving historical accounts with newly uncovered details, Levy reconstructs Orellana’s journey as the first European to navigate the world’s largest river. Every twist and turn of the powerful Amazon holds new wonders and the risk of death. Levy gives a long-overdue account of the Amazon’s people—some offering sustenance and guidance, others hostile, subjecting the invaders to gauntlets of unremitting attacks and signs of terrifying rituals. Violent and beautiful, noble and tragic, River of Darkness is riveting history and breathtaking adventure that will sweep readers on a voyage unlike any other. Trade ReviewPraise for Buddy Levy and River of Darkness “In River of Darkness, Buddy Levy recounts Orellana's headlong dash down the Amazon. Like Mr. Levy's last book, Conquistador, about the conquest of Mexico, River of Darkness presents a fast-moving tale of triumph over seemingly insurmountable odds. . . . Though impromptu, the expedition was one of the most amazing adventures of all time.” —Wall Street Journal “River of Darkness immediately takes its place as the definitive book on one of the great voyages into the unknown of all time, Orellana's accidental first descent of the Amazon. Not only is it a solid contribution to the scholarly literature on Amazonia, but it is a riveting and irresistible read, narrative history of a literary quality rarely encountered that compares with Alan Moorehead's great books on the Nile. Bravissimo!” —Alex Shoumatoff, contributing editor, Vanity Fair; publisher, DispatchesFromTheVanishingworld.com, and author of In Southern Light, The Rivers Amazon, and The World is Burning “In River of Darkness, Buddy Levy proves that the scariest stories are the true ones. Filled with fascinating details and the terror that comes with exploring something for the very first time, this is history coming back to life.” —Brad Meltzer, bestselling author of The Book of Fate and The Inner Circle“Buddy Levy’s compulsively readable book about the first European descent through the Amazon puts us right next to the vampire-bat-and-mosquito-bitten conquistadors and on a wild ride through the mighty river and a force of nature down to the Atlantic Ocean.”—Andrés Reséndez, author of National Book Award Finalist The Other Slavery and Conquering the Pacific “Buddy Levy is one of those rare and gifted authors whose books are virtual time machines that effortlessly transport us back through centuries. In River of Darkness, we participate in one of history’s signal explorations, Francisco Orellana’s descent of the Amazon River. We see blood, smell smoke, hear screams of joy and agony. Levy’s impeccably researched book is at once harrowing adventure and revealing history. Better than any in recent memory, River of Darkness sheds new light—and reveals the darkest aspects—of the Conquistadors’ brave and bloody New World forays.” —James M. Tabor, Author of Blind Descent: The Quest to Discover the Deepest Place on Earth “In this fluid account, Levy narrates the story of the conquistadors who become the first Europeans to navigate the length of the Amazon River. After plundering the Inca empire, Gonzalo Pizarro and Francisco Orellana set out from Quito with an expedition of soldiers and Indian slaves in search of El Dorado. The two explorers became separated and the expedition quickly became lost in the jungle, then decimated by disease, starvation, and native attacks. Desperate, Orellana and the remaining conquistadors built a large boat and sailed downriver. Realizing that he would be unable to wait for Pizarro, Orellana set his sights on the Atlantic Ocean thousands of miles away. Levy does a fine job of organizing an enormous amount of historical material and balancing the accounts of Orellana and Pizarro after they separated. As one conflict follows another in rapid succession, they tend to blur into each other, though Levy provides enough descriptive detail and pacing to differentiate between the various native groups and aspects of the river. He also addresses the new archeological research that is changing our understanding of the cultures of the pre-Columbian Amazon Basin.” —Publishers Weekly “An exciting, well-plotted excursion down the Amazon River with the early Spanish conquistador. . . . [A] richly textured account of the rogue, rebel and visionary whose discovery still resonates today.” —Kirkus Reviews “A rollicking adventure . . . Levy successfully conveys the Amazon’s power and majesty, while shedding light on the futility of humanity’s attempt to tame it.” —The A.V. Club

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Book SynopsisThe true story of the greatest mystery of Arctic exploration—and the rare mix of marine science and Inuit knowledge that led to the shipwreck’s recent discovery.Trade Review"... his [Paul Watson's] account of the final uncovering of Erebus and Terror wrecks is riveting..." -- The Observer"... Watson has produced a primer for the whole sorry saga and given us a comprehensive account of a gripping story: one which, like that of Shackleton, will engross readers until the next Ice Age." -- Sara Wheeler - Times Literary Supplement"... Paul Watson’s Ice Ghosts provides a gripping account of the uncovering of the wrecks of Erebus and Terror, the lost ships of John Franklin’s doomed 19th -century expedition to sail the North west Passage." -- Science Books of the Year 2017 - The Observer"This fascinating book weaves together the story of the lost Franklin Expedition of 1845 and the remarkable people and events that led to the shipwreck’s discovery in 2014." -- Choice

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Book SynopsisThe extraordinary story of the first two women to cross Antarctica The fascinating chronicle of Liv Arnesen and Ann Bancroft’s dramatic journey as the first two women to cross Antarctica, No Horizon Is So Far follows the explorers from the planning of their expedition through their brutal trek from the Norwegian sector all the way to McMurdo Station as they walked, skied, and ice-sailed for almost three months in temperatures reaching as low as -35°F, all while towing their 250-pound supply sledges across 1,700 miles of ice full of dangerous crevasses. Through website transmissions and satellite phone calls, Ann and Liv, two former schoolteachers, were able to broadcast their expedition to more than three million students in sixty-five countries to teach geography, science, and the importance of following your dreams. Trade Review"If you think you know the story of the first female crossing of Antarctica, think again. More hard work, more sweat and tears went into this historic expedition than any of us realized. Their accomplishment proves that nothing is beyond our wildest dreams."—Billie Jean King"Ann and Liv’s historic polar expedition is an awesome accomplishment but, as this book shows, their work as teachers has also had profound impact: they inspire young girls and boys to follow their dreams."—Will Steger, world-famous polar explorer and best-selling author of North to the Pole"Ann Bancroft and Liv Arnesen’s crossing of Antarctica will go down in history as a great expedition because it was a first for women and because they set a distance record. But the uplifting story of No Horizon Is So Far shows why Ann and Liv will be remembered for much more: their generosity of spirit transcends their bravery and tenacity. Through this powerful account, these women will inspire readers for generations to come."—David Breashers, author of High Exposure, expedition leader and codirector of the IMAX film Everest"The new paperback edition calls attention to their ongoing work in raising awareness of water pollution and scarcity, but the core text is a testimonial to the resilience of the explorers in vividly descriptive prose."—Shepherd Express"What makes this book interesting goes beyond the hard environment . . . it’s the spirit with which this particular expedition was run."—National Geographic

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Book SynopsisNigel Watson is the Executive Director of the Antarctic Heritage Trust. The Trust cares, on behalf of the international community, for the first expedition bases left in Antarctica's Ross Sea Region. This includes the iconic expedition bases left by expeditions led by Robert Falcon Scott, Ernest Shackleton and Sir Edmund Hillary. Nigel is an authority on Antarctic history and is the co-author of the acclaimed Still Life: Inside the Historic Huts of Scott and Shackleton with Jane Ussher and a contributor to Assouline's South Pole.Jane Ussher is highly respected for her documentary work as a photographer, and is regarded as one of New Zealand's foremost portrait photographers. She photographed the images for Still Life: Inside the Historic Huts of Scott and Shackleton, and her other published books include the award-winning Coast: A New Zealand journey, Face to Face, Worship: A history of New Zealand church design and Islands: A New Zealand Journ

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Book Synopsis2023 National Outdoor Book Award Winner in Outdoor Adventure Guides 2023 Banff Mountain Book Award finalist in Guidebooks Includes stories, lists, and prescriptive guidance based on Jones's experiences as well as those of other wellknown adventurers Anecdotal and experiential approach for creating a resilient mountain life Features original art by the author 1% of all sales of this book benefit Protect Our Winters Not a technical guide on snowboarding but, rather, a very personal approach to how to think about mountains, snow, and adventure, The Art of Shralpinism reflects the remarkable journey of snowboarding superstar Jeremy Jones. Drawing on the hundreds of journals he has kept over the years, Jones offers intriguing snapshots of time and place that include his own on-the-slope stories and white-out moments, as well as those of other prominent adventurers such as Jimmy Chin, Zahan Billimoria, and Christina Lusti. Shralpinism is a compendium of lessons hard won: quick tips, sound advice, and impactful stories. Learn which aspects of avalanche training are most crucial to absorb, ways to anticipate slope behavior or recognize clean lines, how to cut a cornice or develop safety protocols, how to build a fitness routine, the art of the turn, and keys to developing terrain and skills progression. Jones discusses the importance of mentors, the necessity and intensity of practice, the nature of risk, and the shape of failure. But at its heart, The Art of Shralpinism revels in the power of experience, the impact of stoke, and the beauty that underscores all outdoor adventure.Trade ReviewOnce you dive into the book, you'll find this instructional guide unlike any other.-- "National Outdoor Book Award Judges" There isn't a single section among the book's 288 pages that can't teach a snowboarder something useful about being safe and having fun in the mountains. Most books will teach readers something worthwhile, but it's rare that a book can deliver on every page.--Jeremy Evans "Tahoe Quarterly" Ultimately, this is a book about managing risk, our most important work in the mountains. Jones has thought about this as much as anyone.... Jones begins the book with a quote from Robert Pirsig's 'Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance.' My first impression was to judge this connection a reach. But I'm happy to say that these books belong on the same shelf. And you'll learn at lot more from Jones about how to live safely in the mountains than you will from Pirsig about how to tune your Ducati 900SS.--David Stevenson "American Alpine Journal" The Art of Shralpinism is an insightful read for anyone who enjoys being in the mountains. While written directly for snowboarders (Jeremy Jones himself is a pioneer and luminary in the snowboarding space), skiers, climbers, and even armchair alpinists can learn from and be inspired by the stories, wisdom, and pieces of artwork Jones provides his readers.--Ali Gray "The Mazama Bulletin" You can learn from the superstar himself, as each topic serves as a snapshot from the slopes.--Brittany Artwohl "Mountain Weekly News" [The Art of Shralpinism] is filled with insights and lessons from Jeremy's long and storied career in the backcountry. From how Jeremy reads terrain and snow, to the importance of mentors and life lessons, it is all there.-- "Black Sheep Adventure Sports Snowboarder's Gift Guide" If you're an aspiring shralpinist, this is a must-read and if you have an aspiring shralpinist in your life the book would make an excellent gift. For this 30-something splitboard guide, The Art of Shralpinism was a great pre-season read to put myself in the winter state of mind.--Aaron Diamond "The Avalanche Review" Having read this book now, I feel like in 20 years people will be quoting this the way Bruce Lee used to talk about water. His whole section about how the turns he made as a kid at Stowe return to him when he needed to shred an icy face in Nepal...the way he views his entire snowboarding life and every turn meaning something and what he does with it.--Mike Rogge "BLISTER Podcast" While I think it's fair to assume that Jeremy's intention was, first and foremost, to lay out more of an ethic or a way of life in this book than to (first and foremost) create some great work of literature that happens to have riding at the center of the story ... there are numerous descriptions and passages in The Art of Shralpinism that hold up to the descriptions and passages of the writing of John Krakauer, Christopher McDougall, and even (dare I say it?) one of my all-time favorite authors -- someone who, in his own way, was every bit as passionate about wild places and the outdoors -- Henry David Thoreau.--Jonathan Ellsworth "BLISTER" The Art of Shralpinism is like a handbook for mountain aspirants; there are many nuggets, some literal, some more mystical. Jones also peppers the book with not infrequent comments and advice from a who's who of the mountain scene.--Jason Albert "WildSnow" Of special appeal to readers with an interest in snowboarding, mountain climbing, and outdoors exploration, "The Art of Shralpinism: Lessons from the Mountains" is also nicely illustrated by author Jeremy Jones and should be considered a 'must read' for his legions of snowboarding fans.-- "Midwest Book Review" A tasteful and creative how-to book for splitboarders all premised on the lessons the author has learned over the years.-- "WildSnow" Think of the book as part memoir, part manual for best practices in the mountains, part art book, and an ode to finding joy by making turns. Page after page, Jones exudes the glass-half-full ethos.-- "Totally Deep" Drawn from decades of journal entries and years of experience, the book is full of stories and tangible tips about how to live and travel well in the backcountry, which we could all use as we think about our personal futures on snow.--Heather Hansman "Outside" The Art of Shralpinism serves as a manual for those who learn by experience rather than a classroom. Truly, in essence we must all learn mountain sense in this way.... This is where the book shines. Jones helps elevate the base level of mountain awareness to a point where others after him can learn from the mistakes he and his contemporaries made along their journey, and hopefully empower the next generation of Shralpinists to go further down the road that they have paved.--Steve Andrews "The Inertia" Equal parts autobiography, epic tale, and guidebook to snowboarding, outdoor adventuring, and survival--a beautifully conceived scrapbook from a masterful athlete, and a love letter to mother nature.--Jacqui Davis "SnowBrains" In 'The Art of Shralpanism: Lessons from the Mountains, ' legendary snowboarder Jeremy Jones has created an elegant fusion of memoir, manifesto and mentorship that is required reading for backcountry snow enthusiasts, but should also be given to every high school graduate.--Meg Olson "Mount Baker Experience" [Jones] shares his accumulated wisdom in the new book The Art of Shralpinism: Lessons from the Mountains... "Shralpinism" is a portmanteau of "shredding" and "alpinism," two pursuits Jones has combined with aplomb.--Gregory Scruggs "The Seattle Times" Part memoir, part skills guide, part almost motivational, self-help guide, The Art of Shralpinism provides a window into Jones' evolution as an individual and an athlete. It gives readers the opportunity to learn from his lessons, lifestyle and wisdom.--Tom Hallberg "Backcountry Magazine"

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Book Synopsis"A Fine Line is more than just a recounting of remarkable expeditions, summit views, and thin air. It's a story of resilience, loss, and the quest for a balanced and meaningful life in the unforgiving realm of high-risk mountain sports. --Men's Journal Honestly portrays the highs and lows of a life dedicated to the outdoors Shares the author's development as an outspoken conservation advocate Story is rooted in the peaks of the Pacific Northwest, Alaska, and Pakistan How do we reconcile our love of outdoor adventure with the inevitability of loss in high-risk sports? Still in his thirties, Graham Zimmerman has made first ascents from Alaska to Pakistan, and in 2020 he received the Piolet d'Or for his climb on Pakistan's Link Sar with Steve Swenson. A sponsored athlete who is sought out as a climbing partner, Zimmerman knows that he must find a balance between his ambitions as an alpinist and his social responsibilities--as a husband, climate advocate, and community leader. His generation has faced devastating grief in the mountains, including the deaths of Kyle Dempster, Hayden Kennedy, and Inge Perkins, and his cohort has witnessed firsthand the effects of climate change in the form of disappearing glaciers and increasingly erratic weather. Zimmerman writes of the exhilaration he feels while climbing but also the painful realization that summiting at all costs is an outdated model. As A Fine Line traces Graham's journey, mountain lovers everywhere will see themselves in this coming-of-age story of adventure and personal reckoning.Trade ReviewA Fine Line traces Zimmerman's evolution from budding mountaineer to sponsored athlete to battle-hardened alpinist who embraces the theme of a "100-year-plan."--Stephen Kurczy "Appalachia" This worthwhile coming-of-age read is full of adventure and reflections on being a husband, climate advocate, and community leader.--Naomi Farr "Men's Journal "Top Non-Fiction Books of the Year"" What is most striking about this book is the detail in which he describes each expedition, including the skills and shared passion of his climbing partners and the extreme weather and challenges of reaching or not reaching summits in the sky.--Margaret Bauman "The Cordova Times" Readers will learn about the outdoor adventures of an acclaimed alpinist, one who has made first ascents on mountains across the planet, sometimes ending in great losses as well as first-hand awareness of impending climate change.--Wendy Altschuler "Forbes" A gripping and informative book by one of the most talented and influential alpinists of his generation.-- "Climbing" A Fine Line is a story of defining priorities--and of learning to compromise while piecing it all together.--Abbey Collins "Alpinist Magazine" His new book, "A Fine Line" reflects on his incredible climbing career. In the sometimes overly macho, deeply risky pursuit of alpine climbing, his book offers a welcomed counterpoint to the narrative we often hear.-- "The Dirtbag Diaries" The rewards of alpine climbing are described with a novelist's sense of situation, character, and detail.--Tom Valis "Gripped Magazine" A beautiful memoir about life, love, career, values, ambitions, and survival while climbing the world's most technical mountains.--Meghan Robins "Odd Fodder" Acclaimed alpinist Graham Zimmerman's newest book is an important query into the ways outdoor enthusiasts--and professionals--balance the human and environmental cost of their adventures.--Taylor Gerlach "Seattle Met" In this well-crafted book, Zimmerman candidly shares his remarkable journey from a budding climber to one of the best alpinists in the world. Yet, A Fine Line is more than just a recounting of remarkable expeditions, summit views, and thin air. It's a story of resilience, loss, and the quest for a balanced and meaningful life in the unforgiving realm of high-risk mountain sports.--Dalton Johnson "Men's Journal" An excellent read, A Fine Line is well worth adding to any collection of climbing and mountaineering books.--Jaime Herndon "goEast" Obviously for fans of extreme outdoor sports, Zimmerman's debut is also recommended for readers seeking wisdom and balance in any pursuit.--Julia Kastner "Shelf Awareness" A Fine Line reveals the realities of climbing and highlights an intentional approach to reaching the tallest pinnacles and living a balanced, meaningful life.--Wendy Hinman "Foreword Reviews" Vivid descriptions of climbs and conditions are thoughtfully paired with the author's growth as a sportsman and a person. Highly recommended for readers of memoirs, sports narratives, and outdoor adventures.--Catherine Lantz "Library Journal"

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Book SynopsisThe North Face of the Eiger was long notorious as the most dangerous climb in the Swiss Alps, one that had claimed the lives of numerous mountaineers. In February 1966, two teams – one German, the other British–American – aimed to climb it by a new direct route. Astonishingly, the two teams knew almost nothing about each other’s attempt until both arrived at the foot of the face. The race was on.John Harlin led the four-man British–American team and intended to make an Alpine-style dash for the summit as soon as weather conditions allowed. The Germans, with an eight-man team, planned a relentless Himalayan-style ascent, whatever the weather. The authors were key participants as the dramatic events unfolded. Award-winning writer Peter Gillman, then twenty-three, was reporting for the Telegraph, talking to the climbers by radio and watching their monumental struggles from telescopes at the Kleine Scheidegg hotel. Renowned Scottish climber Dougal Haston was a member of Harlin’s team, forging the way up crucial pitches on the storm-battered mountain. Chris Bonington began as official photographer but then played a vital role in the ascent. Eiger Direct, first published in 1966, is a story of risk and resilience as the climbers face storms, frostbite and tragedy in their quest to reach the summit. This edition features a new introduction by Peter Gillman.

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Book SynopsisCaptain James Cook is one of the most recognisable in Australian history - an almost mythic figure who is often discussed, celebrated, reviled and debated. But who was the real James Cook?The name Captain James Cook is one of the most recognisable in Australian history - an almost mythic figure who is often discussed, celebrated, reviled and debated.But who was the real James Cook?This Yorkshire farm boy would go on to become the foremost mariner, navigator and cartographer of his era, and to personally map a third of the globe. His great voyages of discovery were incredible feats of seamanship and navigation. Leading a crew of men into uncharted territories, Cook would face the best and worst of humanity as he took himself and his crew to the edge of the known world - and beyond.With his masterful storytelling talent, Peter FitzSimons brings James Cook to life. Focusing on his most iconic expedition, the voyage of t

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Book Synopsis**THE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER**An inventive biography of one of the most famous ships of all time - recently discovered off the coast of America- Endeavour is an alluring combination of history, adventure and science. From Johnson's Dictionary to campaigns for liberty, the Enlightenment was an age of endeavours. It was also the name given to a commonplace, coal-carrying vessel bought by the Royal Navy in 1768 for an expedition to the South Seas. No one could have guessed that Endeavour would go on to become the most significant ship in the history of British exploration. Endeavour famously carried Captain James Cook on his first great voyage, but her complete story has never been told before. Here, Peter Moore sets out to explore the different lives of this remarkable ship - from the acorn that grew into the oak that made her, to her rich and complex legacy.'Fascinating and richly detailed... Peter Moore has brought us an acute insight into the ship that carried some of the most successful explorers across the world. A fine book that's definitely worth exploring' MICHAEL PALINTrade ReviewMr Moore is a dazzling new arrival: a witty, intelligent and hugely entertaining writer * Wall Street Journal *A joy of a biography, offering up a blizzard of maritime and political fascinations... Moore has written a book that makes the case for his little ship both compelling and irrefutable -- Simon Winchester * New York Times *Moore uses Endeavour as a window to the age of enlightenment. Like the period it recounts, this book has enormous energy, creativity and self-confidence. It's a feast of endless exotic dishes, all delivered with immense style -- Gerard DeGroot * The Times Books of the Year *Beautifully constructed, his book is not just the history of a single vessel, but a window into the intellectual and political life of the age of enlightenment, from the thrill of botanical discovery to the horror of Cook's last moments on the beaches of Hawaii -- Dominic Sandbrook * Sunday Times Books of the Year *A dazzling combination of science and adventure, lyrically evocative descriptions of lush tropical landscapes and salt-stung seascapes, and a portrait of an age…an absolute joy from start to finish, and surely my history book of the year -- Christopher Hart * Sunday Times *

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Book SynopsisA celebrated mountaineer and author searches for meaning in great adventures and explorations, past and present.Trade Review"[G]ripping ... uplifting." -- The Wall Street Journal"This encapsulating narrative pinpoints human spirit and the limitations of the human body in the world of thrilling adventure." -- Adventure Travel"... his tales are thoughtful and insightful... A thoroughly enjoyable and readable book which manages to provide food for thought as well as a healthy dose of vicarious adrenalin." -- The Scottish Mountaineer"Limits of the Known takes the reader on magnificent journeys with some of the greatest explorers of their generations. The book is meticulously researched and skilfully written." -- Climber

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Book SynopsisA beautifully illustrated survey of 500 years of exploration told through a series of biographical portraits of forty of the most outstanding men and women who discovered our world.Trade Review'Absorbing, factually tight, sensitive to its Eurocentricity, it gathers together a host of valuable essays' - Guardian'A genuine contribution to modern thinking about the nature of exploration … nigh-on perfect' - Bookdealer'Inspiring, entertaining, enlightening' - All About HistoryTable of ContentsGeneral Introduction • Oceans: Christopher Columbus; Vasco da Gama; Ferdinand Magellan; Louis-Antoine de Bougainville; James Cook • The Land: Hernando de Soto; Lewis and Clark; Thomas Baines; Richard Burton; Nain Singh; Nikolai Przhevalsky; Ney Elias; Francis Younghusband; Marc Aurel Stein • Rivers: Samuel de Champlain; James Bruce; Robert Mackenzie; Mungo Park; John Hanning Speke; David Livingstone; Henry Morton Stanley; Francis Garnier • Polar Ice: Fridtjof Nansen; Edward Wilson; Roald Amundsen; Wally Herbert • Deserts: Heinrich Barth; Charles Sturt; Gertrude Bell; Harry St John Philby; Ralph Bagnold; Wilfred Thesiger • Life on Earth: Alexander von Humboldt; Marianne North; Alfred Russel Wallace; Frank Kingdon-Ward. New Frontiers: ‘Gino’ Watkins; Yuri Gagarin; Jacques-Yves Cousteau; Andrew Eavis

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Book SynopsisTrade Review"Clearly a labour of love... In its restoration of a whole literature from nineteenth-century Canada, Lost Land of Moses is a great success, filled with beautiful writing, much of it Thomas's own." * Canadian Historical Review *

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Book SynopsisTrade Review"Aloha Wanderwell must surely be the most remarkable woman adventurer to remain virtually unknown to history. This marvellous book sets the record straight, even as it powerfully evokes a distant era of travel when the survivors of the Great War set out to go anywhere but home." -- Wade Davis, author of The Lost Amazon and The Serpent and the Rainbow"Fink-Jensen and Eustace-Walden expertly parse Aloha’s journals, films, and photos as well as press coverage and previously classified government documents to bring readers along on the adventures of an audacious and fierce young woman of the early 20th century." * Atlantic Books Today *"Fink-Jensen and Eustace-Walden have compiled a remarkable biography about the exploits of a young Canadian woman and the charismatic man who guided her early career. In rescuing Aloha’s life from obscurity, they have reintroduced her as a significant and accomplished historical actor who was both a product and a purveyor of her times." -- Bonnie Reilly Schmidt * BC Bookworld *"She was a young adventurer, ready to take on the world without fear. Aloha Wanderwell, the book, is a fascinating look at her travels and her other exploits. She may have slipped from our collective memory for a few decades, but she is back." -- Dave Obee * Times Colonist *"Aloha Wanderwell recounts over a decade of non-stop adventure (along tens of thousands of kilometres of “barely existing roads” on several continents). All told, it’s an impressive feat." -- Brett Josef Grubisic * Toronto Star *

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Book SynopsisCatherine Julien''s new translation of Titu Cusi Yupanqui''s Relasçion de como los Españoles Entraron en el Peru--an account of the Spanish conquest of Peru by the last indigenous ruler of the Inca empire--features student-oriented annotation, facing-page Spanish, and an Introduction that sets this remarkably rich source in its cultural, historical, and literary contexts.Trade ReviewCatherine Julien's translation is remarkable for two reasons. Aside from its dual language presentation, it is one of a handful of historical narratives authored by native Andeans during the Spanish colonial period, and is a faithful translation of Titu Cusi Yupanqui's sixteenth-century history. . . . This invaluable source book features extensive annotations, facing page Spanish-English text, and an important introduction that explains the historical perspectives revolving around Titu Cusi's History. This work is highly recommended for classroom use. --Colonial Latin American Historical ReviewTitu Cusi Yupanqui's History of How the Spaniards Arrived in Peru offers a unique 'vision of the vanquished' that is not only the only story of the fall of the Inca state written by an Inca; it is also a son's effort to explain his father's defeat. For Titu Cusi was the son of Manco Inca, who welcomed the Spaniards into the Andes in exchange for their support in his claim to become the ruler of the Inca state following the deaths of his two brothers, Huascar and Atahuallpa, in the civil war that they fought with each other over the right to assume the royal fringe, or maska paycha, reserved for the ruling Inca. Catherine Julien's extensive research in Inca history and archaeology makes her uniquely qualified to offer us this dual-language edition of Titu Cusi's version of how the Incas lost Peru to a small gang of invaders from across the sea. --Karen Spalding, University of ConnecticutCatherine Julien's introduction provides an excellent and comprehensive overview of the intricate historical circumstances that led to the creation of this text, including Titu Cusi's attempts to negotiate an arrangement with the Spanish authorities that would be advantageous to himself and his kinship group. Julien also offers an important perspective on the historical significance of Titu Cusi's narrative for the historiography of sixteenth-century Peru. . . . The Spanish transcription and the annotated English translation appear on facing pages, which facilitates a critical reading and reflection on the hermeneutical issues presented by both texts in translating Quechua concepts and grammatical structures. While the Spanish transcription follows eh sixteenth-century manuscript very closely (supplying only modern punctuation), the translation, though very accurate, places a premium on readability. Scholarly impeccable as well as palatable to the modern reader, this duel language edition makes an important contribution to critical and textual scholarship on Titu Cusi's text that will be invaluable for researchers, teachers and students of colonial Andean culture. --Ralph Bauer, Bulletin of Spanish Studies

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Book SynopsisThis new abridgment of both volumes of Livermore''s classic translation presents those selections that comprise Garcilaso''s historical narrative. Karen Spalding''s new Introduction and notes set Garcilaso in his intellectual, historical, and cultural contexts.Trade ReviewKaren Spalding's abridgment of Livermore's translation is an excellent example of what a sourcebook for classroom use should be. It has a wonderfully enlightening Introduction and the texts are well selected, allowing students to grasp the breath, complexity, and importance of Garcilaso's work. This book enables teachers and professors to expose their students to a unique literary, historical, and artistic production by a mestizo who reflects on both conquest and miscegenation in early colonial Peru. --Tamar Herzog, Stanford UniversityAbridging fifteen hundred pages to a concise two-hundred-page book, Karen Spalding has provided educators with a text that makes this important author accessible to undergraduates. . . . By publishing both parts of his history together . . . Spalding encourages students to compare the rational Inca state with the corruption anad deception of Spanish administrators--exactly as Garcilaso had intended. . . . Spalding's abridgment of Garcilaso carefully includes excerpts from the major issues detailed in Garcilaso's rich history. --R. Jovita Baber, (University of Illinois-Champaign), in The Sixteenth Century JournalKaren Spalding has taken this acclaimed translation of both Royal Commentaries and its less-often-read second part, General History of Peru, to produce an outstanding abridged version of the complete work aimed at undergraduate students but that is also appropriate for a learned general audience curious about Peru's Inca past and the Spanish conquest. . . . This is an excellent introduction to a classic of Latin American Letters. By editing both parts together and giving them equal space, Spalding enables readers to see how Garcilaso argued that the Inca leaders prepared Andean people for the arrival of Christianity and that this possibility was tragically destroyed by the greed and lack of virtue of the conquistadores, who destroyed the social and economic basis of Inca society. --Luis Millones Figueroa, Colby College

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Book SynopsisUnlike most studies of the Incas, this book reconstructs the daily life not only of the ruling Inca elite but also of the rest of the society, including the conquered peoples. From food and drink to religious rituals, the major aspects of life at all levels in the Inca empire are here described and explained in a clear, accessible way. Over fifty illustrations are included, as are a historical timeline of the Inca empire, a glossary, and a bibliography.

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Book SynopsisPresents an account of pioneering polar photography and modern portraiture. This book examines the history and role of polar exploration photography. It features the portraits of explorers, some of the earliest photographs of the Inuit, and images from many of the Heroic-Age Antarctic expeditions.

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Book Synopsis“Masterful.” Disappointment River is a historical narrative and travel memoir that at once transports readers back to the heroic age of North American exploration and places them in a still rugged but increasingly fragile Arctic wilderness in the process of profound change. Fourteen years before Lewis and Clark, Mackenzie set off to cross the continent of North America with a team of voyageurs and Chipewyan guides in an attempt to find a trade route to the riches of the East. What he found was a river that he named “Disappointment.” Mackenzie died thinking he had failed. He was wrong. In this book, Brian Castner not only retells the story of Mackenzie's epic voyages in vivid prose, he personally retraces his travels, battling exhaustion, exposure, mosquitoes, white-water rapids and the threat of bears. He transports readers to a world rarely glimpsed in the media, of tar sands, thawing permafrost, remote indigenous villages

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