Geographical discovery and exploration Books

Book SynopsisMaligned for centuries as a fictional tale, David Ingram's survival of a shipwreck in the Gulf of Mexico and journey north through the American continent is here convincingly proven to be both remarkable and true.Trade ReviewA highly informative and smooth combination of biography and colonialism history, Snow's book both shines new light on a four-century-old discussion over Ingram's credibility and provides a much-needed new perspective to studying the Age of Discovery. * World History Encyclopedia *The Elizabethan traveler David Ingram claimed to have walked from the Gulf of Mexico to coastal Canada, a journey that many over time have questioned. Here the renowned archaeologist Dean Snow, through an act of masterful archival sleuthing, has put his journey, which encompassed participation in the slave trade and early ethnographic observations, into a rich and memorable context. * Peter C. Mancall, author of The Trials of Thomas Morton *In this deftly argued and elegantly written investigation into the travels and travails of David Ingram, Dean Snow argues that we can still learn a few things from the misunderstood shipwreck survivor, despite his mendacity—and more than a few things from Professor Snow himself. * Matthew Restall, author of Seven Myths of the Spanish Conquest *With expert historical detective work, Dean Snow has recovered a compelling 'truth is stranger than fiction' story from early America. David Ingram's odyssey calls to mind the travels of Cabeza de Vaca and Sir Walter Raleigh and the other-worldly fantasy of The Tempest. It is an illuminating record of Elizabethan England's first tentative steps into the New World. * Timothy J. Shannon, author of Indian Captive, Indian King *Cogent and well-documented, this is a valuable correction to the historical record. * Publishers Weekly *Provides a rare glimpse of an Atlantic world on the cusp of profound transformations wrought, in part, by ordinary sailors like [Ingram]. * Times Literary Supplement *Utilising his expertise in the anthropology and archaeology of North America, Snow has meticulously reconstructed Ingram's 3,600-mile journey along known 16th-century indigenous trails, and has also proved that everything Ingram said to his interrogators was true to the best of his knowledge and ability... Fascinating. * History Today *Utilising his expertise in the anthropology and archaeology of North America, Snow has meticulously reconstructed Ingram's 3,600-mile journey along known 16th-century indigenous trails, and has also proved that everything Ingram said to his interrogators was true to the best of his knowledge and ability... Fascinating. * History Today *Absorbing... Thanks to Dean Snow's impressive sleuthing, David Ingram's account can at last resume its proper place as an astonishing and true story. * , Sea History *Table of Contents1. Introduction 2. Ingram in the 1560s 3. Ingram in Africa 4. Ingram in the Caribbean 5. The Long Walk, Autumn 1568 6. The Long Walk, Winter 1568-1569 7. The Long Walk, Spring 1569 8. The Long Walk, Summer 1569 9. The Return 10. Ingram in the 1570s 11. Ingram in the 1580s 12. Ingram's Legacy Appendix: A New Transcript

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Book SynopsisExplores the Enlightenment as a geographical phenomenon and the place of geography in the Enlightenment. From disciplinary perspectives, the text considers the ways in which the world of the 18th century was brought to view and shaped through map and text, and exploration and argument.

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Book SynopsisAround 1600, Richard Hakluyt sought to honour his nation by publishing a compilation of every document he could find relating to English voyages beyond Europe’s boundaries. In a dazzling account of an editorial project seminal to England’s encounter with the world and the nation’s idea of itself, Fuller unlocks Hakluyt’s work for modern readers.Trade Review“Mary Fuller is one of the foremost scholars of early modern English travel writing, and Lines Drawn across the Globe is the result of a long career of nuanced assessment of writings on travel and encounter. Not just a textual study, this is also an investigation into early modern geography, European rivalries, and global expansion. It provides the most comprehensive guide to reading Hakluyt that is currently available.” Daniel Carey, University of Galway“Lines Drawn across the Globe is a magisterial work many years in the making, a personal reading of Richard Hakluyt's Principal Navigations of the English Nation by a scholar of literature that deploys real expertise, and an indispensable analytical guide to a text whose size and diversity can be daunting. While Hakluyt is often interpreted in the context of the history of early English colonialism in the Atlantic, emphasizing long-term historical consequences and the mythology of New World exceptionalism, Fuller offers a more nuanced exploration of the book’s rich and varied contents.” Joan-Pau Rubiés, Catalan Institution for Research and Advanced Studies, Universitat Pompeu Fabra

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Book SynopsisAn extensively revised edition of Tim Jeal's classic biography published to mark the bicentenary of the great explorer

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Book SynopsisTales of the intrepid early naturalists who set sail on dangerous voyages of discovery in the vast, unknown Pacific On the great Pacific discovery expeditions of the long eighteenth century, naturalists for the first time were commonly found aboard ships sailing forth from European ports. Lured by intoxicating opportunities to discover exotic and perhaps lucrative flora and fauna unknown at home, these men set out eagerly to collect and catalogue, study and document an uncharted natural world.This enthralling book is the first to describe the adventures and misadventures, discoveries and dangers of this devoted and sometimes eccentric band of explorer-scholars. Their individual experiences are uniquely their own, but together their stories offer a new perspective on the extraordinary era of Pacific exploration and the achievements of an audacious generation of naturalists. Historian Glyn Williams illuminates the naturalist's lot aboard ship, where danger alternated with boredom and quarrels with the ship's commander were the norm. Nor did the naturalist's difficulties end upon returning home, where recognition for years of work often proved elusive. Peopled with wonderful characters and major figures of Enlightenment scienceamong them Louis Antoine de Bouganville, Joseph Banks, John Reinhold Forster, Captain Cook, and Charles Darwinthis book is a gripping account of a small group of scientific travelers whose voyages of discovery were to change perceptions of the natural world.Trade Review“An extraordinary and entertaining catalog of maritime and scientific endeavor.”—Michael Fathers, The Wall Street Journal -- Michael Fathers * The Wall Street Journal * “An erudite and beautifully illustrated work, Naturalists at Sea wears its learning lightly, and conveys to non-specialists an array of fascinating details about explorers and naturalists, familiar and not-so-familiar, quoting judiciously from their journals and post-voyage publications . . . every page testifies to the indomitable vitality of both explorers and naturalists.”—Andrew Robinson, Nature -- Andrew Robinson * Nature *“This fascinating tale is told across time, ships, captains and crews, and the countries that sent or received these scientific travelers, naturalists who brought their skills and weaknesses to documenting the natural world during the Enlightenment and beyond. Williams. . . does all the hard work of making these lives and adventures comprehensible.”—Library Journal * Library Journal *"[A] fascinating work . . . This well-illustrated book will interest a wide audience."—Choice * Choice *

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Book SynopsisFrank A. Worsley was the Captain of the H. M. S. Endurance, the ship used by the legendary explorer Sir Ernest Shackleton in his 1914-16 expedition to the Antarctic. On its way to the Antarctic continent the Endurance became trapped and then crushed by ice, and the ship''s party of twenty-eight drifted in an ice floe for five months. Finally reaching an uninhabited island, Shackleton, Worsley and four others sailed eight hundred miles in a small boat to the island of South Georgia, an astounding feat of navigation and courage. All hands survived this ill-fated expedition; as Worsley writes, ''By self-sacrifice and throwing his own life into the balance, (Shackleton) saved every one of his men...although at times it looked unlikely that one could be saved.''Trade ReviewA breath-taking story of courage, skill and determination under the most appalling conditions -- Sir Edmund HillaryOne of the great survival stories of our time * Library Journal *A remarkable book... Worsley writes without heroics...but makes us feel to the marrow the conditions that the party endured before all hands were rescued * New Yorker *Simply gripping * Irish Mountain Log *A stirring account of a fascinating adventure * Sunday Tribune *

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Book SynopsisFor hundreds of years, the history of the conquest of Mexico and the defeat of the Aztecs has been told in the words of the Spanish victors. Miguel León-Portilla has long been at the forefront of expanding that history to include the voices of indigenous peoples. In this new and updated edition of his classic The Broken Spears, León-Portilla has included accounts from native Aztec descendants across the centuries. These texts bear witness to the extraordinary vitality of an oral tradition that preserves the viewpoints of the vanquished instead of the victors. León-Portilla''s new Postscript reflects upon the critical importance of these unexpected historical accounts.

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Book SynopsisThe explosive findings within this book are history-changing. They discount the age-oldbelief that Captain James Cook, the great circumnavigator, left no modern direct descendants.Using compelling, detailed and verifiable evidence, Colin Waters completely unravels, for thefirst time, the full fascinating story concerning the mysterious supposed 18th centurydrowning of his son, James Cook junior. The author also presents genealogical evidence tosupport old rumours that after faking his own death, James travelled to North Yorkshirewhere he joined his wife & son, leaving behind him a scandal that resulted in him beingvirtually expunged from all official naval records. The Royal Navy cover-up that resultedmatches any modern-day conspiracy theory and gives credence to all those who today claimto be direct descendants of the famous Captain James Cook R.N.

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Book Synopsis''This is the story of how, on 29 May, 1953, two men, both endowed with outstanding stamina and skill, reached the top of Everest and came back unscathed to rejoin their comrades. ''Yet this will not be the whole story, for the ascent of Everest was not the work of one day, nor even of those few anxious, unforgettable weeks in which we prepared and climbed this summer. It is, in fact, a tale of sustained and tenacious endeavour by many, over a long period of time... We of the 1953 Everest Expedition are proud to share the glory with our predecessors.''Sir John HuntTrade Review'An exceptionally lucid and consecutive narrative of a great adventure. It tells an epic story.' * TLS *

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Book SynopsisA bracing memoir about self-discovery, liberating escape, and moving forward across an adventurous and volatile American landscape. One year. One national park at a time. This is it. No more California. I’m sifting into the underbelly of where the nomads go. After a decade as an assistant to high-powered LA executives, Emily Pennington left behind her structured life and surrendered to the pull of the great outdoors. With a tight budget, meticulous routing, and a temperamental minivan she named Gizmo, Emily embarked on a yearlong road trip to sixty-two national parks, hell-bent on a single goal: getting through the adventure in one piece. She was instantly thrust into more chaos than she’d bargained for and found herself on an unpredictable journey rocked by a gutting romantic breakup, a burgeoning pandemic, wildfires, and other seismic challenges that threatened her safety, her sanity, and the trip itself. What began as an intrepid obsession soon evolved into a life-changing experience. Navigating the tangle of life’s unexpected sucker punches, Feral invites readers along on Emily’s grand, blissful, and sometimes perilous journey, where solitude, resilience, self-reliance, and personal transformation run wild.Trade Review“The author’s unflinching honesty and the boldness of her inner and outer journeys are the two great strengths of a book…[that] succeeds in offering a moving portrait of a woman who came into her own by learning to let go.…Fierce, candid reading.” —Kirkus Reviews “Pennington lyrically describes the wonders of the natural world, and she examines her solo life on the road with unsentimental insight. Readers will relish this hopeful portrayal of personal growth.” —Publishers Weekly “In this visceral memoir, travel writer Pennington depicts a year devoted to visiting 62 U.S. national parks…Pennington’s story of personal growth is told with unflinching insight and immense awe at the natural wonders she encounters; her expressive storytelling is sure to engage and inspire readers.” —Booklist “We can only aspire to the curiosity, pluck, and delight exhibited in Emily Pennington’s Feral despite the boulders and storms life might have tumbled at her.” —Nick Offerman, author of Where the Deer and the Antelope Play and Paddle Your Own Canoe “Emily peels back the superficial layers of van life with unflinching honesty to reveal the beautifully frustrating reality that is life on the road, while also gifting readers with important epiphanies set in our beloved national parks. This is a must read for anyone who values public land, our environment, and compelling storytelling.” —Craig Grossi, author of Craig & Fred and Second Chances “Please read Emily Pennington’s brilliantly written story about her year visiting our national parks. It is filled with the savage beauty, historical depth, and existential joy nature has to share with all of us. Do not miss this extraordinary adventure.” —Lyn Lear, Emmy-nominated filmmaker and environmental activist “Self-improvement, but also connection. The rush of new challenges, but also the tranquility of quiet moments. Emily Pennington travels for all the right reasons, and we’re so lucky she’s brought us along on the adventure of a lifetime.” —Sebastian Modak, editor-at-large at Lonely Planet and former New York Times 52 Places Traveler “Emily’s vivid memoir is for anyone seeking what could be, rather than accepting what is. Her national park journey is a testament to life-changing relationships, finding oneself, and the transformative power of the outdoors.” —Heather Balogh Rochfort, adventure journalist and author of Women Who Hike “Emily was facing major obstacles as she set out on a huge adventure to visit every US national park, from a breakup to the onset of COVID-19. In an awesome Eat, Pray, Love approach to the natural world, she sets out on the adventure of a lifetime, dodging grizzly bears and hiking in some of the world’s remotest places. There’s no one I’d rather go on this journey with.” —Mary Turner, deputy editor, Outside magazine “Emily Pennington knows America’s park system better than most people know their own backyards—it is a privilege to get an intimate glimpse of how that relationship has shaped her.” —Megan Spurrell, senior editor at Condé Nast Traveler “On paper, a plan to visit all sixty-two US national parks in one year sounds like a fun trip—what makes Feral an adventure story worth reading, though, is everything that wasn’t in the plan.” —Brendan Leonard, author of The Camping Life and Sixty Meters to Anywhere “A timely travel memoir that melds together stories of our national park system and the author’s life. This is a book about themes that touch us all: exploration, discovery, and home. Packed with vivid details and brutal honesty, to read Feral is to know Emily.” —Abigail Wise, digital managing director, Outside magazine

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Book SynopsisKelly Randall Ricketts has spent over half his life in the Campbell River area of Vancouver Island and lived in almost every region of BC, and like many rural British Columbians, he has tried his hand at an astonishing array of occupations from logging to mining to wrangling horses. Add to this a passion for the outdoors, heavyweight boxing, performing his own music and storytelling, and you have the makings of a very lively memoir.In One Inch from Disaster, Ricketts shares his closest calls, most daring feats and most embarrassing mistakes with the nonchalance and wry self-deprecation that comes from living a highly active life. Whether leaping from boat to boat on the crest of a giant wave, driving a bulldozer over a pile of dynamite, changing a tire just feet away from an angry grizzly or picking a fight with a group of Hells Angels, Ricketts rarely let the possibility of danger get in the way of a good story.Featuring hilarity, excitement and occasional moments of true reverence, One Inch from Disaster may inspire even the most confirmed city-dweller to get out and explore the adventures that await on the wilder side of life. On the other hand, the reader may feel grateful to live out these adventures vicariously from the comfort of their home, guided by such a riotous storyteller.

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Book SynopsisJohn Rae is best known today as the first European to reveal the fate of the Franklin Expedition, yet the range of Rae’s accomplishments is much greater. Over five expeditions, Rae mapped some 1,550 miles (2,494 kilometres) of Arctic coastline; he is undoubtedly one of the Arctic’s greatest explorers, yet today his significance is all but lost. John Rae, Arctic Explorer is an annotated version of Rae’s unfinished autobiography. William Barr has extended Rae’s previously unpublished manuscript and completed his story based on Rae’s reports and correspondence—including reaction to his revelations about the Franklin Expedition. Barr’s meticulously researched, long overdue presentation of Rae’s life and legacy is an immensely valuable addition to the literature of Arctic exploration.Trade Review"The autobiography breaks off mid-way through his last expedition and in mid-sentence at the bottom of a page.... William Barr edits with self-effacing thoroughness, interpolating passages of correspondence to fill lacunae in the narrative, adding copious notes, and appending mini-biographies of the people who travelled with Rae. Notwithstanding its truncation, the torso of autobiography that remains is an impressive one." Times Literary Supplement, June 14, 2019 -- Jonathan Dore"Barr’s skillful editing of the unfinished autobiography is a meticulous enterprise, based not only on the surviving manuscript but on other primary sources. It’s a book you’ll dip into while anchored somewhere comfortable, evening after evening, entranced by the understated narrative.... This monumental volume is a tribute to a truly remarkable arctic traveler and voyager, whose achievements leave one breathless with admiration. In a way, this 648-page book is a true page-turner, largely because Rae writes so humbly about his extraordinary journeys and carries you with him." Good Old Boat, Vol. 2, No. 7, May 2019 [Full review at https://audioseastories.com/bkr-rae] -- Brian Fagan"John Rae...spent ten years as resident physician at Moose Factory. Then, in 1846 he launched his career as an explorer when he participated in a survey of Committee Bay. A year later, he started a six-year search for the missing Franklin Expedition, and finally revealed its tragic fate.... William Barr... has produced a well rounded and important volume about this significant explorer.""Barr is a superb editor and annotator. He links portions of the text together by inserting Rae's correspondence with senior officials in the HBC and the British government. While Rae's manuscript ends on April 15, 1854, Rae expertly relates the final 39 years of the explorer's life in a mere 16 pages.... Impressive is often overused. It should be reserved for works such as this that leave an impression on a reader's mind of the nineteenth century explorers who not only opened up new vistas but wrote about them in words that embody the spirit of adventure that set them loose in the unknown." -- Gary C. Stein"...Barr's editorial work--particularly the extensive and very informative endnotes--deserves high commendation. The volume also contains several excellent maps.... John Rae, Arctic Explorer is a major contribution to the literature of northern exploration." -- Janice CavellTable of Contents1 ORKNEY CHILDHOOD 2 VOYAGE TO HUDSON BAY AND WINTER ON CHARLTON ISLAND 3 MOOSE FACTORY: LIFE, PEOPLE, HUNTING, SHOOTING, AND TRAPPING 4 MOOSE FACTORY–FORT GARRY–TORONTO–YORK FACTORY 5 1846–1847 ARCTIC EXPEDITION 6 SEARCHING FOR FRANKLIN WITH SIR JOHN RICHARDSON, 1848 7 WINTER AT FORT CONFIDENCE, 1848 –1849 8 BOURGEOIS AT FORT SIMPSON 9 NORTH AGAIN—AND ANOTHER WINTER AT FORT CONFIDENCE 10 SLEDGE EXPEDITION TO VICTORIA I SLAND, SPRING 1851 1 1 BOAT EXPEDITION, SUMMER 1851 12 FROM FORT CHIPEWYAN TO FORT GARRY TO ENGLAND 13 BACK TO THE ARCTIC, 1853 : FROM ENGLAND TO CHURCHILL 14 FROM CHURCHILL TO REPULSE BAY 15 A SECOND WINTER AT REPULSE BAY, 1853–1854 16 NORTH AGAIN—TO CLOSE THE LAST GAP 17 THE SECOND HALF OF HIS LIFE

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Book SynopsisSurprisingly, the remarkable story of the Scottish role in the discovery of the Northwest Passage – a long desired trade route connecting the Atlantic and Pacific – has not received a great deal of attention. This book charts the extensive contribution to Arctic exploration made by the Scots, including significant names, such as John Ross from Stranraer, veteran of three Arctic expeditions; his nephew, James Clark Ross, the most experienced Arctic and Antarctic explorer of his generation and discoverer of the Magnetic North Pole; John Richardson of Dumfries, a medical doctor, seasoned explorer and engaging natural historian; and Orcadian John Rae, who discovered evidence of the grisly demise of John Franklin and his crew. The book also pays tribute to many others too: the Scotch Irish, the whalers and not least the Inuit, with whom the Scottish explorers cooperated and generally enjoyed good relations, relying on their knowledge of the environment in many crucial cases. The awakening of the Scots to the magnificence and dread of the hyperborean regions – as places of discovery, of inspiration and, regrettably, of exploitation – is traced, with particular emphasis on the first half of the nineteenth century until the search for the missing Franklin expedition mid-century.Trade Review'A fine book that helps put right a significant historical oversight: the lack of recognition awarded by their peers and by posterity to the contributions made by Scots to Arctic exploration' -- Ken Lussey * Undiscovered Scotland *'A splendid piece of compelling narrative history' -- Allan Massie * The Scotsman *'[an] extraordinary tome... Cowan's writing is lucid and engaging, and the concise chapters are easy to digest' -- Rosie Morton * Scottish Field *'A narrative that charts the remarkable — yet often overlooked or misidentified — Scottish contribution to Arctic exploration... For anyone fascinated by Scottish history or hungry for tales of Arctic adventure, Northern Lights is a vivid new addition to the rich tradition of polar narratives.' * Country Bookshelf *

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Book SynopsisRandom House presents the audiobook edition of Erebus, written and read by Michael Palin. In September 2014 the wreck of a sailing vessel was discovered at the bottom of the sea in the frozen wastes of the Canadian Arctic. It was broken at the stern and covered in a woolly coat of underwater vegetation. Its whereabouts had been a mystery for over a century and a half. Its name was HMS Erebus.Now Michael Palin – former Monty Python stalwart and much-loved television globetrotter – brings this extraordinary ship back to life, following it from its launch in 1826 to the epic voyages of discovery that led to glory in the Antarctic and to ultimate catastrophe in the Arctic. He explores the intertwined careers of the men who shared its journeys: the dashing James Clark Ross who charted much of the ‘Great Southern Barrier’ and oversaw some of the earliest scientific experiments to be conducted there; and the troubled John Franklin, who at the age of sixty and after a chequered career, commanded the ship on its final, disastrous expedition. And he vividly recounts the experiences of the men who first stepped ashore on Antarctica’s Victoria Land, and those who, just a few years later, froze to death one by one in the Arctic wastes as rescue missions desperately tried to reach them.To help tell the story, he has travelled to various locations across the world – Tasmania, the Falklands, the Canadian Arctic – to search for local information, and to experience at first hand the terrain and the conditions that would have confronted the Erebus and her crew. Illustrated with maps, paintings and engravings, this is a wonderfully evocative and epic account, written by a master explorer and storyteller.Trade ReviewBeyond terrific. I didn’t want it to end. -- Bill BrysonThoroughly absorbs the reader. . . Carefully researched and well-crafted, it brings the story of a ship vividly to life. * Sunday Times *[Palin’s] narrative is driven by a deep sympathy for explorers and adventurers, while also being illuminated by flashes of gentle wit . . . It’s a fascinating story that he brings full-bloodedly to life, stripping away the barnacles of the past to reveal the hidden history of a ship. -- Robert Douglas-Fairhurst * Guardian *Everybody’s talking about it . . . A brilliant book. -- Chris Evans, BBC Radio 2With this irresistible and often harrowing account, Michael Palin makes a convincing case that one heroic little ship embodied the golden ago of polar exploration better than any other: HMS Erebus. -- John Geiger, co-author of Frozen in Time

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Book SynopsisIn 1972, Jan Wong became one of only two Westerners admitted to Beijing University at the height of the Cultural Revolution. One day, a student, Yin Luoyi, sought Jan's assistance in going to the United States. Wong, then a starry-eyed Maoist, reported Yin to the authorities. Yin promptly disappeared. Now, thirty-three years later, Wong returns to Beijing to search for the woman who has haunted her conscience. She hopes to apologise, perhaps somehow to try to make amends. At the very least, she wants to find out whether Yin has survived. Preoccupied by the past, fascinated by China's present and future, Jan Wong searches out old friends, foes and comrades in this half-familiar city, finally uncovering the truth about the woman she wronged. Chinese Whispers tells a unique and unforgettable story of communism and capitalism, of guilt and atonement, of remembering and forgetting.Trade Review"'Wong is a beautiful writer. Her gift is both to greet the country with enthusiasm and curiosity but also to interrogate the back story. Her tale of trying to find Yin is not just the story of a search for an old acquaintance, but also an insight into how China is dealing with its own past... Gripping and entertaining.' Rosie Blau, Financial Times 'Funny and irreverent... The candid, beguiling style is hugely entertaining' Conor O'Clery, Irish Times" 'A witty, clever and knowingly light-hearted take on betrayal and redemption; a feel good penance.' Daily Mail

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Book SynopsisFootsteps in the Snow recounts a life shaped and dominated by Antarctica, a multi-facetted account of a life dedicated to Antarctic science, policy and governance. It is also the story of growth from callow youth to Antarctic professional in the most challenging of environments. Joining the British Antarctic Survey (BAS) straight from university in 1966 meant two years as a scientist at an isolated British research station with all the challenges of wintering in the hostile environment half a century ago. After just two years he became one of the youngest men to be made a base commander, and as Sir Vivian Fuchs (then Director of BAS) recounts ‘proved himself one of the best we ever had under the most testing conditions’. The story recounts the many challenges of those testing conditions, while developing scientific ideas and accomplishing engineering feats with his team and on occasion looking death in the face and surviving. There were new developments in building research stations on the ice shelf, and the discovery of the ozone hole that gripped the world. Then followed the transition from research scientist to policy maker and diplomat when he became Deputy Director of BAS and advisor to the British delegation at the Antarctic Treaty. Tragedy struck at a base resulting in the author leading the first ever British midwinter flight into Antarctica. Since retiral, the author has become a polar historian “of repute”, and his efforts have been directed to writing and being a guide for Antarctic tourism. This book allows the reader to feel the wonder, awe, excitement and passion for Antarctica which drove John Dudeney throughout his career, and which is as fresh today as it was on first encounter half a century ago.

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Book SynopsisThe French-Alsatian geographer Charles Huber (1847–84) achieved fame as one of the 19th century’s great Arabian explorers. On his two heroic journeys between 1880 and 1884, he pioneered the scientific mapping of inland Arabia and made some of the earliest records of ancient North Arabian inscriptions and rock art. His tragic murder in 1884 meant that he published little, and the only connected narrative that he managed to write was of his first journey in 1880–81. This highly significant document of Arabian exploration has not been published since 1885, and is presented here for the first time in English translation. Despite Huber’s great posthumous reputation, almost nothing has been written about him. William Facey’s biographical. introduction fills this void, revealing much that was hitherto unknown about Huber’s complex and risk-taking personality, and about his colourful life as a fervent French patriot coming of age in Strasbourg during a time of Franco-German conflict. New light is shed on the dates and itinerary of Huber’s first Arabian journey, an epic quest of some 5,000 kilometres on camelback requiring immense fortitude. For this he used Ha’il as a base before travelling with the pilgrim caravan to Iraq and thence to Syria. The focus then shifts to his return to Arabia in 1883 with Julius Euting, the eminent German Semitist, and the twists and turns of their unsuccessful collaboration. Having parted company with Euting at the great Nabataean site of Mada’in Salih in the northern Hijaz, Huber went back into central Arabia before making a dangerous journey to Jiddah. He was murdered shortly after, on 29 July 1884, by his guides on the Red Sea coast. Finally, the affair of the Tayma Stele, the celebrated Aramaic inscription now in the Musée du Louvre, comes under the spotlight. In a new analysis of this notorious Franco-German imbroglio, the prevailing idea that Huber first saw it in 1880 is held up to scrutiny, and Euting at last given his due for its discovery in 1884.

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Book Synopsis'Hypnotic... raises questions of exploration and wonder, of nature and humanity' New York Times Book Review 'Exquisite and shocking... just as any exploration of the deep should be' Helen Scales, author of The Brilliant Abyss '[A] rich, strange book' China Miéville, author of The City & the City ____________ 11 June, 1930. On a ship floating near the Atlantic island of Nonsuch, a curious steel ball is lowered 3000 feet into the sea. Crumpled up inside, gazing through three-inch thick quartz windows, sits the famed zoologist William Beebe. With uncontrollable excitement, he watches as bizarre, never-before-seen creatures flit out of the inky blackness, illuminated by explosions of bioluminescence. He is the first person to witness this alien world. Beebe's dives take place against the backdrop of a transforming and paradoxical America, home to ground-breaking scientists, eccentric adventurers, and eugenicist billionaires. Yet under the ocean's crushing pressure, scientific expectations disintegrate; the colour spectrum shatters into new dimensions; outlandish organisms thrive where no one expected them. The Bathysphere Book blends research, storytelling, and poetic experiments, traveling through entangled histories of scientific discovery into the bottomless magic of the deep unknown. ____________ Further praise for The Bathysphere Book 'The life work of an explorer-scientist becomes a thing of rich poetry' Helen Gordon, author of Notes from Deep Time 'A breathtaking book, full of suspense, revelation, and beauty' Sy Montgomery, author of The Soul of an Octopus 'An exhilarating read... shiveringly exciting, important, and new' Martin MacInnes, author of In Ascension 'An impressionistic work of art depicting one of the greatest moments of discovery in human history... tantalizing glimpses of deep-sea life' Edith Widder, author of Below the Edge of Darkness: Exploring Light and Life in the Deep Sea 'A genre-deying book about oceans that is imbued with intelligence, curiosity and wonder' Joanna Pocock, author of Surrender 'A brilliant work of literary art... a time-bending, gem-laden constellation' Wayne Koestenbaum, author of UltramarineTrade Review'Brad Fox knows that the descent into the deep meant a sea-change not just in science, but in aesthetics, philosophy, the sense of what it is to be human. All have been changed, become rich and strange, as this rich, strange book shows so beautifully' - China Mieville, author of 'The City in the City' and 'Perdido Street Station''A work of vaulting ambition, wonder, and peerless technique, with startling ideas and insights on every page, The Bathysphere Book is an exhilarating read and one of the best things I've read in years. Its reckoning with ecology - its refusal to ignore the legions of animal life humanity is tangled up in - is shiveringly exciting, important, and new.' - Martin MacInnes, author of In Ascension and Infinite Ground'A breathtaking book, full of suspense, revelation, and beauty. Masterful!' - Sy Montgomery, author of The Soul of an Octopus'Brad Fox blends excursions into science, history, colour theory, sea exploration and language to weave together a genre-defying book about oceans that is imbued with intelligence, curiosity and wonder.' - Joanna Pocock, author of Surrender'Brad Fox has created a brilliant work of literary art-at once almanac and seance, wonder-cabinet and hallucinogen. The vigor, pluck, and compression of his language turn a linear chronicle into a time-bending, gem-laden constellation, with surprising flashes of wit, gossip, and melodrama' - Wayne Koestenbaum, author of 'Ultramarine' and 'The Cheerful Scapegoat'

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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 SynopsisDavid Frye''s skillful translation and abridgment of Felipe Guaman Poma de Ayala''s monumental First New Chronicle and Good Government (composed between 1600-1616) offers an unprecedented glimpse into pre-colonial Inca society and culture, the Spanish conquest of Peru (1532-1572), and life under the corrupt Spanish colonial administration. An Introduction provides essential historical and cultural background and discusses the author''s literary and linguistic innovations. Maps, a glossary of terms, and seventy-five of Guaman Poma''s ink drawings are also included.Trade ReviewDavid Frye achieves a tour de force in rendering the chronicle comprehensible to a large audience without diminishing its richness as an historical source. The different sections of this book respect the chronicle's original composition and translate Guaman Poma's main argument with accuracy. . . . Frye's translation . . . offers a vivid portrayal of Peru's colonial society with its different strata, revealing the intricate nature of indigeneity and gender in the Andes following the Spanish conquest. . . . [T]he English text is fluid throughout. This fluidity, however, neither stifles Guaman Poma's voice nor tones down his zeal in condemning the brutality and inequity of the colonial system. Frye's achievement undoubtedly leans on his comprehension of the literary and historical context that surrounds the mestizo author, a context he summarizes in the introduction. Punctuated by knowledgeable annotations throughout the pages and complemented by a glossary of Pre-Hispanic and colonial terms, this translation proves to be a valuable contribution for introducing students to the Andean society of the colonial era. --Bulletin of Latin American ResearchDavid Frye is a professional anthropologist and skilled translator. [This book] includes an Introduction which provides most of the information needed to understand Guaman Poma de Ayala's text and Frye's translation thereof, a map, a glossary, an index, and generally helpful notes that demonstrate a solid command of the relevant primary and secondary literature. The sections of the lengthy manuscript . . . selected for translation are representative of the work as a whole. . . . Frye also includes some of Guaman Poma de Ayala's several hundred black-and-white drawings, which should be viewed as an integral, not merely supplementary, part of his work. . . . [T]his is a welcome translation, all the more so because it is well done. . . . Frye has been painstaking in his explanation of terminology. I recommend this work for courses on Latin America during the colonial period, or more specifically the Central Andes (i.e., Ecuador, Peru, and Bolivia). --Hispanic American Historical ReviewGenerations of scholars have grappled with the challenge of interpreting the person and project of the native Andean chronicler Felipe Guaman Poma de Ayala. This abridged English translation of Guaman Poma's Nueva corónica y buen gobierno represents at least two accomplishments. First, it brings this person and project to many readers for the first time. And, second, the words allow for new encounters with the possibilities in this text. These words have a piercing directness that cannot be denied, and they will jar even seasoned scholars, who thought they knew Guaman Poma. Frye has made judicious choices about inclusion, he has consulted widely, he has not shied away from the transformations that were part of being authentically native Andean in the late sixteenth and early seventeenth centuries, and he has wisely refused to fill the telling silences left by the author himself. Most significantly of all, for students and teachers, is that--in as much as it is possible--he has allowed Felipe Guaman Poma to speak for himself. --Kenneth Mills, University of TorontoTable of ContentsIntroduction; The First New Chronicle and Good Government; The Ages of the World; The Pontiff's Throne; The Ages of the Indians; The Fifth Age of Indians: The Incas; The Conquest of This Kingdom; Good Government; Conquest Society in the Andes; Andean Society Under Spanish Rule; Conclusions and Appendices; Glossary; Index.

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Book SynopsisIn Dreams of El Dorado, H. W. Brands tells the thrilling, panoramic story of the settling of the American West, from Lewis and Clark's expedition in the early 19th century to the closing of the frontier by the early 20th. He introduces us to explorers, mountain men, cowboys, missionaries and soldiers, taking us from John Jacob Astor's fur trading campaign in Oregon to the Texas Revolution, from the California gold rush to the Oklahoma land rush. Throughout, Brands explores the contradictions of the West and explodes its longstanding myths. The West has been celebrated as the proving ground of American individualism; in reality, the West depended on collective action and federal largesse more than any other region. The West brought out the finest and the basest in those who ventured there, evoking both selfless heroism and unspeakable violence. Visons of great wealth drew generations of Americans westward, but El Dorado was never more elusive than in the West.Balanced, authoritative, and masterfully told, Dreams of El Dorado sets a new standard for histories of the American West.

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Book SynopsisThis sumptuous volume reveals the lives of some of history's greatest explorers, using the specimens they collected, the letters they wrote and the art they created to record their discoveries. Superb artworks and photographs spanning three centuries have been specially chosen to illustrate each essay and many are published here for the first time.Trade Review‘A luxury coffee-table book, flick through it and wonder at the sumptuous colour paintings of plants, animals, landscapes and people.’ BBC Wildlife Magazine ‘Ten years ago I had the pleasure of spending a little time in the library at the Natural History Museum, London. One could have spent all day perusing the collection of historic natural history texts…. Fortunately, the museum’s publishing division regularly puts out books that showcase what’s in their collection and beyond… Nature Explorer’s, consists of chapters on 23 explorers and naturalists with full colour images of natural history illustrations, portraits, maps, or other drawings. There’s plenty to explore in the folks whose work “constituted what we might now look back on and recognise as a first broad survey of our planet, its life and its people”’ - The Dispersal of Darwin

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Book SynopsisOne of the greatest nineteenth-century scientist-explorers, Alexander von Humboldt traversed the tropical Spanish Americas between 1799 and 1804. By the time of his death in 1859, he had won international fame for his scientific discoveries, his observations of Native American peoples and his detailed descriptions of the flora and fauna of the 'new continent'. The first to draw and speculate on Aztec art, to observe reverse polarity in magnetism and to discover why America is called America, his writings profoundly influenced the course of Victorian culture, causing Darwin to reflect: 'He alone gives any notion of the feelings which are raised in the mind on first entering the Tropics.'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. Readers trust the Table of ContentsTranslated by Jason Wilson with an Introduction by Malcolm NicolsonMapHistorical Introduction by Malcolm NicolsonIntroduction by Jason WilsonAcknowledgmentsChronologyFurther ReadingPERSONAL NARRATIVEAuthor's IntroductionNotes

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Book SynopsisThis anthology places the works of such well-known figures as Captain James Cook and Robert Louis Stevenson alongside the writings of lesser-known explorers, missionaries, beachcombers, and literary travellers who roamed the South Seas from the late 17th through the late 19th centuries.

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Book SynopsisThe Routledge Handbook of the History of Settler Colonialism examines the global history of settler colonialism as a distinct mode of domination from ancient times to the present day. It explores the ways in which new polities were established in freshly discovered âNew Worldsâ, and covers the history of many countries, including Australia, New Zealand, Israel, Japan, South Africa, Liberia, Algeria, Canada, and the USA.Chronologically as well as geographically wide-reaching, this volume focuses on an extensive array of topics and regions ranging from settler colonialism in the Neo-Assyrian and Roman empires, to relationships between indigenes and newcomers in New Spain and the early Mexican republic, to the settler-dominated polities of Africa during the twentieth century. Its twenty-nine inter-disciplinary chapters focus on single colonies or on regional developments that straddle the borders of present-day states, on successful settlements that would go on to become powerful settler nations, on failed settler colonies, and on the historiographies of these experiences.Taking a fundamentally international approach to the topic, this book analyses the varied experiences of settler colonialism in countries around the world. With a synthesizing yet original introduction, this is a landmark contribution to the emerging field of settler colonial studies and will be a valuable resource for anyone interested in the global history of imperialism and colonialism.Trade Review"This volume shows how the deep history of settler colonialism has shaped our world today. As settlers move to new lands, the result is almost always unsettling. We need studies like this to better appreciate the ongoing consequences of our shared colonial legacies."Coel Kirkby, University of Melbourne, Australia"This volume shows how the deep history of settler colonialism has shaped our world today. As settlers move to new lands, the result is almost always unsettling. We need studies like this to better appreciate the ongoing consequences of our shared colonial legacies."Coel Kirkby, University of Melbourne, Australia"The essays in this work as a collection and as individual studies are a useful and thought-provoking addition to the topic of settler colonialism that can shed light on it as a global phenomenon that is at once universal and peculiar to particular places. What is more, they offer a challenge to the field of global history to utilize settler colonialism as a lens or dispose of it as too broad, ineffective, or too ill-defined to be useful."Jack Seitz is a PhD Candidate in the Rural, Agricultural, Technological, and Environmental History program at Iowa State University, World History ConnectedTable of ContentsAcknowledgementsList of contributorsIntroduction: settler colonialism as a distinct mode of dominationPART ISettler colonialism in the ‘Old WorldIntroduction to Part I1 – Settler colonialism from the Neo-Assyrians to the Romans2 – Settler colonialism in ancient Israel3 – Mediterranean and Atlantic settler colonialism from the late fourteenth to the early seventeenth centuries4 - Settler colonialism in Ireland from the English conquest to the nineteenth century5 - Northern Ireland and settler colonialism to the Good Friday Agreement of 1998PART IIThe AmericasIntroduction to Part II6 - Colonies of settlement and settler colonialism in Northeastern North America, 1450-18507 – Atlantic North America from contact to the late nineteenth century8 - Settler colonialism in New Spain and the early Mexican republic9 - Northwestern North America (Canadian West) to 190010 - Settler colonialism in postcolonial Latin America11 - Settler colonialism and the consolidation of Canada in the twentieth century12 - Adaptation, resistance, and representation in the modern US settler statePART IIIAfricaIntroduction to Part III13 - Settler colonialism in South Africa, 1652–189914 - French Algeria, 1830-196215 - Americo Liberia as a settler society16 - Settler colonialism in Kenya, 1880-195017 - Settler rule in Southern Rhodesia, 1890-197918 - The Italian fascist settler empire in Ethiopia, 1936-194119 - White settler politics and Euro-African nationalism in Angola, 1945-197520 - Settler colonialism in South Africa: land, labour, and transformation, 1880-2015PART IV AsiaIntroduction to Part IV21 – Russian settler colonialism22 – Settler colonialism in the making of Japan’s Hokkaidō23 - Theorizing Zionist settler colonialism in Palestine24 - A dying settler colonialism: Israel and the Palestinians after 1948PART VAustralasiaIntroduction to Part V25 - Australian settler colonialism over the long nineteenth century: new insights into history, gender and biopolitics26 - Settler colonialism in New Zealand, 1840-190727 - Settler colonialism in New Caledonia, 1853 to the present28 - Settler Australia in the twentieth century29 - Settler colonialism in twentieth-century New ZealandIndex

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Book SynopsisIn 1875, a team of cartographers, geologists, and scientists entered the Four Corners area for what they thought would be a calm summer's work completing a previous survey. By skillfully weaving the surveyors' diary entries, field notes, and correspondence with newspaper accounts, this book brings the survey to life.Trade ReviewA book like this from such seasoned and highly respected scholars as Robert McPherson and Susan Rhoades Neel is cause for rejoicing. It is timely in demonstrating that the headlong rush to development is not just a fact of contemporary life, but a fact of history as well. More than entertainment, this is a work of high literary art and scholarship, exactly the kind of gritty and dramatic western history sought by all types of readers, including backpackers, river runners, and tourists."" - Gary Topping, Archivist of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Salt Lake City and author of Utah Historians and the Reconstruction of Western History

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Book SynopsisThe story of Celso Cesare Moreno who traveled the world lying, scheming, and building an extensive patron/client network to expand western trade and imperialism in Asia, traffick migrant workers and children in the Atlantic, influence the fate of Hawaii, and meddle in international affairs during a critical era of imperial expansion.Table of ContentsPreface Rudolph J. Vecoli vii Prologue Francesco Durante ix Introduction to the English-Language Edition: “Was Moreno a Sociopath?” Donna R. Gabaccia xi Translator’s Note xix 1. The Traveler’s Spirit 1 2. The Treasures of Asia 15 3. The Challenge of the Pacific 43 4. The Little Italian Slaves 63 5. The Enchanter of Hawaii 79 6. Celso’s Vendetta 95 7. Electoral Intermezzo 110 8. The New Italian America 123 9. The Destiny of Hawaii 155 10. The Sunset Road 172 Notes 187 Bibliography 215 Index 223

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Book SynopsisDiscover why Britain''s remaining marginally wild equine herda are facing extinction in their semi-natural habitats, and how we might protect them.Explore informally, during rendezvous with expects, inspiring facets of a landscape partially shaped by the ancestors of Britain''s modern-day native houyhnhnms.

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Book SynopsisIn the years leading up to Charles Darwin's 1832â6 voyage on the Beagle, the ship and its captain Robert Fitzroy (1805â65) had participated in an expedition to the desolate southern coast of South America. This three-volume work, published in 1839, describes both voyages. Volumes 1 and 2, compiled by Fitzroy, contain accounts by professional mariners. Volume 3 is the first published version of the young Darwin's now famous journal. It later appeared as a free-standing publication (1840) and in a more popular second edition (1845), both reissued in this series. Darwin's preface refers to the detailed scientific publications resulting from his research: the geological studies of volcanic islands and coral reefs (also available in the Cambridge Library Collection), and the co-authored, multi-volume zoology. Darwin expresses thanks to Fitzroy for his 'most cordial friendship', to the ship's officers for their 'undeviating kindness', and particularly to his Cambridge mentor John Stevens HenTable of ContentsPreface; 1. Porto Praya; 2. Rio de Janeiro, excursion north of Cape Frio; 3. Monte Video, excursion to R. Polanco; 4. Rio Negro; 5. Bahía Blanca; 6. Set out for Buenos Ayres; 7. Excursion to St. Fe; 8. Monte Video, excursion to Colonia del Sacramiento; 9. Rio Plata; 10. Santa Cruz, expedition up river; 11. Tierra del Fuego; 12. Falkland Islands; 13. Strait of Magellan; 14. Valparaiso, excursion to base of Andes; 15. Chiloe; 16. San Carlos, Chiloe; 17. Valparaiso, passage of Andes by Portillo pass; 18. Bell mountain, excursion to Cordillera; 19. Galapagos Islands volcanic; 20. Tahiti, New Zealand; 21. Sydney, Van Diemen's Land; 22. Keeling Island; 23. Mauritius, Brazil, Azores; Addenda; Index.

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Book Synopsis‘A riveting detective story … Revelation follows revelation.’ – Benedict Allen, author, explorer and TV presenterJames Fitzjames was a hero of the early nineteenth-century Royal Navy. A charismatic man with a wicked sense of humour, he pursued his naval career with wily determination. When he joined the Franklin Expedition he thought he would make his name; instead the expedition completely disappeared and he never returned. Its fate is one of history’s great unsolved mysteries, as were the origins and background of James Fitzjames – until now.Fitzjames packed a great deal into his thirty-two years, from trips down the Euphrates to fighting with spectacular bravery in Syria and China. But he was not what he seemed. He concealed several secrets, including the scandal of his birth, the source of his influence and his plans for after the Franklin Expedition.In this definitive biography of the captain of HMS Erebus, William Battersby draws extensively on Fitzjames’ personal letters and journals, as well as naval records, to strip away 200 years of misinformation, enabling us to understand for the first time this intriguing man and his significance.Trade ReviewWilliam Battersby’s work is the first to delve with any depth into the life of the third-in-command (of the Franklin Expedition) – James Fitzjames. Through painstaking research Battersby has detailed the life of the ambitious, accomplished and personable young naval officer. -- David WoodmanI commend this intriguing and interesting life of James Fitzjames, captain of HMS Erebus, during her ill-fated Arctic voyage, under Sir John Franklin’s overall command. -- Ann SavoursA riveting detective story that reveals a whole host of compelling details about the nature of nineteenth-century maritime endeavour, and the fated, enigmatic Captain Fitzjames … Revelation follows revelation – a worthy addition to the distinguished literature on the greatest Arctic naval disaster in history. -- Benedict AllenA well-crafted, highly readable biography. -- William Barr * Arctic *

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Book SynopsisWilliam Balfour Baikie was a surgeon, naturalist, linguist, writer, explorer and government consul who played a key role in opening Africa to the Europeans. As an explorer he mapped and charted large sections of the Niger River system as well as the overland routes from Lagos and Lokoja to the major trading centres of Kano, Timbuctu and Sokoto. As a naturalist, major beneficiaries of his work included Kew Gardens and the British Museum for the rare and undiscovered plant and animal species and yet today he remains largely unknown. On 10th December, 1864 Baikie was on his way back to London and was living in his temporary quarters in Sierra Leone. There he worked to regain his health and to complete the various reports and publications expected by the Colonial and Foreign Offices. He had been away from England for seven years and living conditions in West Africa had caused his health to suffer. While his wife and children waited for his return 600 miles away in Lokoja, the city in Nige-ria he had founded, his father waited for his return to Kirkwall, Orkney. Baikie would never return to his wife, nor ever see his father again. In two days, he would be dead and buried at Sierra Leone before his fortieth birthday. In his short life Baikie became such a hero among the Nigerian people 150 years ago that white visitors to the region today are still greeted warmly as 'Baikie'. After studying at University of Edinburgh he was assigned to the Royal Hospital Haslar where he worked with the noted explorers Sir John Richardson and Sir Edward Perry. Baikie's reputation as a naturalist, and the sphere of influence provided by Richardson and Perry, allowed him to enter the elite British scientific community where he also worked alongside the most famous naturalist of the time, Charles Darwin. During his time at Haslar, Baikie made two voyages exploring the Niger and Benue Rivers to establish trading centres for the Liverpool merchant Macgregor Laird. The first was a resounding success. He conducted the first clinical trial using quinine as a preventative for malaria. For the first time in history, his initial exploration of these rivers was conducted without the loss of a single life to fever. Returning to London to a hero's welcome, he was nominated for one of the Royal Geographic Society's prestigious awards. His second voyage was a pure disaster. His ship was wrecked; members of the expedition died and he was stranded for over a year in the vast remote territory known as the Sokoto Caliphate. Following his rescue, he elected to remain alone in Africa for what would be his final years in order to complete his personal mission. Although he was born 4,000 miles away in Orkney, Baikie was designated the King of Lokoja by the ruler of the Sokoto Caliphate. This book defines the man and his accomplishments and reveals how he is so fondly remembered by the Nigerians and yet apparently so totally forgotten by the rest of the world.

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Book SynopsisThe life of the great Portuguese explorer who dared to sail beyond the horizon The Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan (1480-1521) is one of the most famous navigators in history-he was the first man to sail from the Atlantic to the Pacific Ocean, and led the first voyage to circumnavigate the globe, although he was killed en route in a battle with natives in the Phillipines. In this biography, Zweig brings to life the Age of Discovery by telling the tale of one of the era's most daring adventurers. In typically flowing and elegant prose he takes us on a fascinating journey of discovery ourselves. Stefan Zweig (1881-1942) was born in Vienna, into a wealthy Austrian-Jewish family. He studied in Berlin and Vienna and was first known as a poet and translator, then as a biographer. Zweig travelled widely, living in Salzburg between the wars, and was an international bestseller with a string of hugely popular novellas including Letter from an Unknown Woman, Amok and Fear. In 1934, with the rise of Nazism, he moved to London, where he wrote his only novel Beware of Pity. He later moved on to Bath, taking British citizenship after the outbreak of the Second World War. With the fall of France in 1940 Zweig left Britain for New York, before settling in Brazil, where in 1942 he and his wife were found dead in an apparent double suicide. Much of his work is available from Pushkin Press.Trade ReviewZweig's readability made him one of the most popular writers of the early twentieth century all over the world, with translations into thirty languages. His lives of Mary Stuart and Marie Antoinette were international bestsellers -- Julie Kavanagh The Economist Intelligent Life Zweig's accumulated historical and cultural studies, whether in essay or monograph form, remain a body of achievement almost too impressive to take in... Full-sized books on Marie-Antoinette, Mary Stuart, and Magellan were international best sellers -- Clive James Cultural Amnesia Stefan Zweig cherished the everyday imperfections and frustrated aspirations of the men and women he analysed with such affection and understanding -- Paul Bailey Times Literary Supplement

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Book SynopsisTrekking a Thousand Kilometres Across Nepal Walking is a posture, a way of self-cultivation and a way of life. It is a state of physical and spiritual freedom that anyone can achieve if their natural instincts are sincere and forthright. Pearl is a city girl, living a hectic life in one of China's most bustling cities. She thought herself incapable of walking a thousand kilometres to the roof of world. When asked how she mustered the courage to complete this great journey, she replies that she just took one step after another before eventually reaching her destination. No courage is needed in taking just a single step.

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Book SynopsisThe volume discusses the world as it was known in the Medieval and Early Modern periods, focusing on projects concerned with mapping as a conceptual and artistic practice, with visual representations of space, and with destinations of real and fictive travel. Maps were often taken as straightforward, objective configurations. However, they expose deeply subjective frameworks with social, political, and economic significance. Travel narratives, whether illustrated or not, can address similar frameworks. Whereas travelled space is often adventurous, and speaking of hardship, strange encounters and danger, city portraits tell a tale of civilized life and civic pride. The book seeks to address the multiple ways in which maps and travel literature conceive of the world, communicate a 'Weltbild', depict space, and/or define knowledge. The volume challenges academic boundaries in the study of cartography by exploring the links between mapmaking and artistic practices. The contributions discuss individual mapmakers, authors of travelogues, mapmaking as an artistic practice, the relationship between travel literature and mapmaking, illustration in travel literature, and imagination in depictions of newly explored worlds.

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