Book Description
High adventure and grand history from a master of the craft in a beautifully illustrated volume.
With characteristic flair, Felipe Fernández-Armesto gives us an entertaining and insightful history of world exploration. Presenting the subject for the first time on a truly global scale, Fernández-Armesto tracks the pathfinders who, over the last five millennia, lay down the routes of contact that have drawn together the farthest reaches of the world. From the maritime expeditions connecting Queen Hatshepsut's Egypt to the exotic land of Punt in the second millennium BCE, through the merchants and missionaries of the ancient Silk Roads and the great Iberian explorers of the fifteenth century, to the nineteenth-century explorations of the polar regions, interior Africa, North America, and the South Pacific, Fernández-Armesto spins a grand narrative full of character and story. Deftly embedding these explorations in the cultures, politics, and technologies of their times, he creates a history with unusual depth and breadth. Here is an intellectual adventure as rewarding as it is thrilling. 16 pages of color; 48 maps; 44 illustrations.
Customer Reviews:
Excellent!.......2007-05-10
I only write reviews for books I like, and this one I liked a lot. An excellent overview of global exploration. The author looks at pretty much every culture on the planet, and how each searched the world around it, and how humanity spread and intermingled. This is extremely readable lay history, transforming much of the dry narrative we encountered in history texts at school into engaging story. Many new insights into familiar historical scenarios. For example, L'anse aux Meadows, the famous 'Norse' ruins on Newfoundland, may in fact be the remains of a settlement of Irish monks, not vikings. They shared a similar technology. Anything found there could have been brought by St. Brendan wannabes (spindle whorls and such). Great stuff!
Might buy this one as Christmas gifts for people.
Not really explaining all the reasons why things happen.......2007-03-07
Based on the reviews below, I was very much expecting a book that will explain to me why certain facts in history REALLY happened. To be true, the book offered some interesting insights to me, like it was better to sail into (against) the wind than with the wind, as the sailors have much better chance of coming home.
On the other hand, the author sometimes makes enormous statements without somehow backing them by evidence - like he claims that American civilizations (North and South) are so different that they must clearly be coming from different origins. I am actually believing this, but I would expect more analysis and not just one paragraph stating this.
However, what I lacked the most in the book is the non-attempt to explain why things happened. I mean the author tries to do it and sometimes he succeeds. But for the most interesting events, his reasoning and solutions provided are of the "scratch-the-surface" type. His long elaboration why the Americas were discovered in 1490s (and not in other time), ends with a statement that this is because the events that happened in 1480s - WHOA, but then he does not really come back to say, what made the 1480s happen in that time...making all his analysis standing naked as it could have happened any time. And there are many more of these unfinished or unfulfilling (at least to me) statements - sort-of half-solutions.
In summary, what I really liked about the book is:
1. It frames your thinking so that you can at least ask some of the very important questions... and try to find the answers to the questions. 2. It also does a really excellent job of summarizing the key facts in the history of exploration.
But if you are looking for well-reasoned answers to questions why the events happened, you will not always find the most satisfying ones.
My dad loved this!.......2007-01-04
This was a gift for my dad, who's a voracious reader and fascinated by people and history. He loved this book!
exploring who we are and who we were.......2006-12-02
I was always fascinated by the great explorers; Columbus, Magellan, Da Gama. The stories that we learned about these men in school seemed like cliche's. What were they really like? What were they really looking for?
This scholarly yet accessible book tells their stories as well as the tales of many explorers we have not heard about. Dr. Fernandez-Armesto probes deeply yet prudently. In a mere 400 pages he covers the history of exploration in chronological fashion. We travel across the sea to Brasil with Cabral. We visit the polar regions with Amundsen and Scott. Captain Cook takes us everywhere. We go into the Amazon and the heart of Africa.
This book is a marvel. Your children will be enriched. Adults will be illuminated. Beautifully written, smoothly flowing, a wonder to read. This reviewer came away stunned and delighted.
Pathfinders, a book to read and reread.......2006-09-12
I have had the opportunity of reading Professor Fernandez-Armesto`s book that describes the history of global exploration. I must confess that it has enlightened my mind up to the point of finding answers to many of the questions I have quoted since my school years. His original and provoking theories justify why Europeans seek the discovery of new then unknown lands (when boats where able to sail upwind, when the Canary Islands entered the map and when the determination of rulers and financiers made it possible) whilst other peoples with similar or even great development of sailing technology and enjoying of similar trade winds did not succeed in conquering other territories as they lacked the sense of long term view. I have it on my bedside table to refresh my memory on who did what. It has already given me the opportunity of sharing what I have learnt through its lecture with my friends and I am sure each time I review it, will be able to gather new interesting information. I strongly recommend scholars and everyone interested in history to browse its pages and glean ideas from our history to learn about our future.
Amazon.com
In the summer of 1914, Sir Ernest Shackleton set off aboard the Endurance bound for the South Atlantic. The goal of his expedition was to cross the Antarctic overland, but more than a year later, and still half a continent away from the intended base, the Endurance was trapped in ice and eventually was crushed. For five months Shackleton and his crew survived on drifting ice packs in one of the most savage regions of the world before they were finally able to set sail again in one of the ship's lifeboats. Alfred Lansing's Endurance: Shackleton's Incredible Voyage is a white-knuckle account of this astounding odyssey.
Through the diaries of team members and interviews with survivors, Lansing reconstructs the months of terror and hardship the Endurance crew suffered. In October of 1915, there "were no helicopters, no Weasels, no Sno-Cats, no suitable planes. Thus their plight was naked and terrifying in its simplicity. If they were to get out--they had to get themselves out." How Shackleton did indeed get them out without the loss of a single life is at the heart of Lansing's magnificent true-life adventure tale.
Book Description
The astonishing saga of polar explorer Ernest Shackleton's survival for over a year on the ice-bound Antarctic seas, as Time magazine put it, "defined heroism." Alfred Lansing's scrupulously researched and brilliantly narrated book -- with over 200,000 copies sold -- has long been acknowledged as the definitive account of the Endurance's fateful trip. To write their authoritative story, Lansing consulted with ten of the surviving members and gained access to diaries and personal accounts by eight others. The resulting book has all the immediacy of a first-hand account, expanded with maps and illustrations especially for this edition.
Customer Reviews:
Leaders aren't what they used to be.......2007-10-13
People bandy about the word "classic" without considering its significance, but this all-time bestseller will remain in print many more years. It's a true classic, ranking among the top adventure books. Nowhere will you find a more gripping account than Endurance, the survival story of polar explorer Ernest Shackleton and his crew of 27 men, in 1915. This cliff-hanger of a book stays with you. Could it be that today's leaders pale beside the likes of Shackleton?
It is the story about what makes the British so different.......2007-10-12
Shackleton is always calm. He is resourceful and undaunted. He is not always right, many times he is just absolutely wrong. But his courage is simply breathtaking.
You must know many British famous sentences as those: "I am going out and will be for some time" or "Dr Livingstone, I presume".
Shackleton probably did not utter so famous remark. But still his above-the-all-odds behaviour makes him one of the greatest British heroes. And the mankind's. Read the story you will never forget. Read and think, how you could possibly behave in those utmost terrifying circumstances.
(I am Polish so my English is poor. Please forgive me).
Mind boggeling.......2007-05-29
This is an amazing story of leadership, and man's ability to persevere under extraordinary circumstances. It is really unbelievable. I was staggered by the odds these men overcame and their determination to press on. The book is well written and easy to read.
Amazing story.........2007-05-19
This is a great book that will make you feel as though any hardship you have ever encountered is really not so bad when you think about what these men endured. Imagine being cold, wet, hungry, tired for basically 2 years while in the back of your mind you know that the chances of ever seeing the civilized world is remote at best. These men handled it well. Very good historical account written based on interviews, historical accounts, and actual diaries of the men on the journey.
Finest adventure book ever written.......2007-04-21
I am working my way through the top 100 Adventure Books of all time. This one is, so far, the best. It is the concatenation of several adventure books, since almost every type of mishap and obstacle is encountered. Shackleton must go down as a true hero, as well as his crew. The version of the book with the glossies in the middle was captivating... I spent a good bit of time staring at the remarkable pictures. The story of how those film plates survived this oddysey is, in itself, remarkable.
A good adventure would be ruined by poor writing. Lansing is superb and does credit to this story.
This story could never be made into the movie because it would be considered too "far-fetched" to be believable. Note that there is a documentary DVD that (in a nutshell) describes some of the story, as well as lets you see an interesting reunion of the Endurance crew's children. Try to get this video right after you read the book.
Book Description
For decades after his death in 1789, John Ledyard was celebrated as the greatest explorer America had ever produced. A veteran of Captain Cook’s final voyage, he walked across nearly all of Russia and suggested to his friend Thomas Jefferson that traversing the American continent was feasible—inspiring the Lewis and Clark expedition. When he died he was preparing to venture into Africa. Once as famous as the Founding Fathers whom he had befriended and beguiled, the “American traveler,” as Ledyard was called, fell into obscurity over the years, reduced to becoming a footnoted reference in Moby Dick.
Bill Gifford reenacted Ledyard’s 1773 escape from Dartmouth College in a canoe and followed Ledyard’s trail down the length of the Lena River in Siberia. In Ledyard he reveals the man in the legend, bringing back an American original and giving us a story that until now has not been fully told.
Customer Reviews:
A Great Yarn.......2007-07-11
Gifford is a master storyteller, and Ledyard is one of the great untold stories in American history--a sort of super-Zelig. I'm hoping that Spielberg reads this book and makes a movie. Meanwhile, I'll settle happily for this page-turner.
Good read, bad explorer ;).......2007-06-25
The book's title is a bit of an overpromise when it comes to Ledyard's qualities as an explorer. He was a great dreamer, a traveller, and a very 'singular' character (as it is called in the book), but not much of an explorer. The title of the other book about Ledyard "The man who dreamed of walking the world" is more to the point. He tried to be an explorer, but he didn't realise any of his goals.
Ledyard was at the very best somewhere at the sideline of history. His tales are a nice introduction to 18th century American and European history, for he seems to have mingled with a lot of people and visited the places that mattered in those times. It's nice to view the world of that time from the standpoint of this unique traveller, but don't expect a history of real exploration.
Fascinating story .......2007-05-11
Hardly anyone's ever heard of John Ledyard. I wasn't sure I'd enjoy this book about an obscure American explorer. Only a few pages into the book I realized I not only liked the book, but I wish I could have known Ledyard.
A dichotomy of differences--restless, yet lazy; chivalrous, yet not interested in celibacy; idealistic, yet clearly motivated by money--Ledyard's life was predictably unpredictable. His keen intellect and adventurous spirit won the admiration of notables, including Thomas Jefferson.
He frustrated his family. He irritated the head of his college. He broke hearts along the way. And he was always in need of funds. But he never lost his spirit.
Unable to pay for his schooling at Dartmouth, Ledyard carved a canoe out of a fallen tree, packed a lunch, pushed off from shore, and reclined in his new vessel as he let the water's current take him where it may. That it took him to the waterfalls and he barely escaped with his life didn't detour him from other adventures.
Ledyard sailed with Captain Cook on Cook's last journey, tried to reach the west coast of America (from Europe) by heading east through Siberia, and got arrested by Catherine the Great's men who tossed him out of Russia.
Using Ledyard's few remaining letters and journal notes, Gifford adds his own experience in following Ledyard's path. Gifford took a voyage on a replica of the ship Resolution that Ledyard sailed on and shared a bit more detail than I needed, but at least I got an idea of the conditions Ledyard endured.
Ledyard died in a filthy convent room at age 37, most likely the victim of his own self-medication. "He was seized with a pain in his stomach occasioned by bile and undertook to cure himself. Excessive vomiting ensued, in consequence of which he broke a blood vessel," wrote Carlo Rosetti, a Cairo merchant.
Armchair Interviews says: Ledyard may have departed this world too soon, but he left a story worth reading. We're fortunate Bill Gifford brought it to us.
Restless feet, amazing man.......2007-04-06
When reading of early exploration, John Ledyard's legacy is usually summarized in a few sentences, or a paragraph at most. This deserving study by Bill Gifford sheds enormous light not only into who this man was, but also his unsurpassed exploratory efforts.
From the time he dropped out of Dartmouth College and canoed a hundred forty miles down river, the man felt that there was something more to life.
While on Cook's third voyage he experienced the world and craved for more. His thoughts on the Pacific Northwest and its untapped fur trade possibilities revolutionized his ideas even further to walking across America (from west to east) and claiming the land for our new nation.
When in Paris, he caught the attention of Jefferson who backed him on this endeavor. Ledyard was to go across Siberia, hitch a ride on a Russian ship and eventually land at Nootka Sound, then walk across America. Although apprehended by Russian authorities and his dreams shattered, his zest for fulfillment never ceased. He was then sent off to explore Africa where he ultimately died. It is no wonder he has been referred to as "The Traveller"
As he himself had said, "he traveled under the common flag of humanity" and "served the world at large". Although most times penniless and lacking in clothing, he always managed to find companionship wherever he was in the world.
And just as Mr. Gifford points out, he survived so much but not his temper.
A great read.
Great account of an amazing life.......2007-03-28
This is a great account of the life of a very interesting character. As an avid follower of the adventure/explorer genre, I found this account of Ledyard to rank among the best. What makes this book so compelling is the work the author did in retracing Ledyard's steps, a technique which breathes life into the story, making it much more interesting than a straight historical account.
Don't let the picture on the cover of Ledyard in 18th century formal wear fool you, this guy was as rugged, and at times crazy, as anyone you will find in a Krakauer book.
I strongly recommend this book for anyone who marvels at the exploits of the early explorers or who wonders what would compel someone to want to walk across a continent.
Amazon.com
A biography of Meriwether Lewis that relies heavily on the journals of both Lewis and Clark, this book is also backed up by the author's personal travels along Lewis and Clark's route to the Pacific. Ambrose is not content to simply chronicle the events of the "Corps of Discovery" as the explorers called their ventures. He often pauses to assess the military leadership of Lewis and Clark, how they negotiated with various native peoples and what they reported to Jefferson. Though the expedition failed to find Jefferson's hoped for water route to the Pacific, it fired interest among fur traders and other Americans, changing the face of the West forever.
Book Description
In this sweeping adventure story, Stephen E. Ambrose, the bestselling author od D-Day, presents the definitive account of one of the most momentous journeys in American history. Ambrose follows the Lewis and Clark Expedition from Thomas Jefferson's hope of finding a waterway to the Pacific, through the heart-stopping moments of the actual trip, to Lewis's lonely demise on the Natchez Trace. Along the way, Ambrose shows us the American West as Lewis saw it -- wild, awsome, and pristinely beautiful. Undaunted Courage is a stunningly told action tale that will delight readers for generations.
Customer Reviews:
Corps of Discovery - a truely American Story.......2007-09-10
In this day of relentless boredom for most people, this book provides a venue for the imagination to travel in time that has almost been forgotten. The details of what went on before and after the "Corps of Discovery" allow the reader to understand more than the trip itself. This view from the balcony allows the reader to have closure on the leaders, members of the crew, and the adventure. If you are thinking of trying a new direction in life, read this book to see what others have gone through to explore a new frontier. You will find that the trials, discovery of wonders, and strengthening of your character can be very rewarding.
A courageous book!.......2007-07-03
Undaunted Courage is a comprehensive account of the Lewis and Clark expedition that was exhaustively researched and written by Stephen Ambrose. It will take time to read but you won't be disappointed. There are interesting stories and facts all along the way and it will give you a good slice of Amrerican History from that period.
excellent.......2007-06-24
This book is primarily about Meriwether Lewis and his role in the
expedition across the continent. Stephen Ambrose is phenomenally gifted in bringing history to life.
He sticks very close to the sources and only occasionally takes detours to make conjectures
about things about which the historical record is silent. Despite this the
book is a real page-turner. While Ambrose does an excellent job in describing the ups and downs
of the expedition, I do think that it is a very worthwhile reading the original journals.
I have only read excerpts, however, I believe they surpass even this book. Also, the recent PBS documentary
shows many of the locations described in this book. It is well narrated definitely worth seeing.
a compelling narrative of a courageous American's contribution.......2007-06-21
Many know the overall story of Lewis and Clark. Yes, those two strapping chaps who traversed across our country with that teenage Indian girl before anyone else did. Indeed, before reading Stephen Ambrose's near 600-page book "Undaunted Courage" I doubted how much truly "interesting" detail could exist in their journey. After seeing a few History Channel specials, I was convinced I knew the gist of their journey more than most, and felt that was probably sufficient. What else was there to really consider? As it is with most detailed historical nonfiction I read, I was surprised instantly. Not only did this book provide an intense examination of exploration in early 19th century America, but it is, in general, the most intriguing, intense, suspenseful, joyous, depressing, and inspiring book I've read in a long time. How Ambrose is able to exude such a variety of emotions in his writing I hope to one day discover. How Lewis was able lead people and conquer unknowns so successfully while fading so tragically I doubt I will ever be able to comprehend.
The book's title comes from a characteristic given to Meriwether Lewis both during childhood by a schoolmate, and, after his death, by Thomas Jefferson. It may seem strange that two friends of Lewis so separated from each other at such separate times in Lewis' life would choose the words "undaunted courage" to describe him, but if one is to simply observe the broadest aspects of Lewis' personality, such a description would only be expected. Indeed, the book is more of a biography of Lewis' life and his "undaunted courage" than a historical account of the journey itself. Certainly Ambrose dives into great detail of the journey, but it is always done through Lewis' eyes. The book begins with Lewis' childhood and ends with his death, giving the legendary expedition only about 3/5 of the book's content. This is not a downside by any means.
Ambrose's detailed description of Lewis' childhood, family, education, connection to Jefferson, and military history is not only valuable in understanding Lewis' complex personality, but is beneficial in understanding how Lewis was able to manage the expedition so well. From the very beginning there is a sense, as Ambrose hints at, that Lewis' upbringing prepared him for the unknown journey ahead better than anyone could've planned. The implicit vocational thoughts that come to mind are intriguing to say the least. Ambrose's pre-expedition account doesn't stop with Lewis biographical detail and, alongside his outline of Lewis' evolution from boy to man, he examines the economic and political aspects building up to the expedition from America's infancy to its firmer nationalism. This sort of context is not only helpful, but is essential for understanding the fair-weather friendship between the American people and the expedition before, during, and after the expedition. Details given, like Lewis' firm Democratic-Republican politics, may not appear a necessary issue in understanding the men as they pursue the landscape on the expedition, but in the pre- and post-expedition situations there is high relevance to Lewis' political relations with Jefferson as well as the influential Federalist voices at the time.
After outlining the events leading up to the expedition, Ambrose dives into the detailed planning Lewis put into the journey, his uniting with Clark on the Missouri River, and their party's expedition to and from the Pacific. Ambrose's narrative abilities had, up to this point, done well enough with the biographical and political context, but now, along with the heavy use of Lewis' highly narrative journals, they completely satisfied my reading wants. With the amount of Lewis' journals used in the narrative of the journey, one could even see the book as being written by both Ambrose and Lewis. Given that Lewis may be an even better narrative writer than Ambrose, the book is enhanced to the highest level of narrative historical nonfiction one could ask for. Accounts are always detail-abundant, and mostly firsthand in their variety of descriptions: relations with Indians both peaceful and bloody; songs sung and issues chatted around the bonfire; unique imagery of the plains, Rockies, and Pacific costal forests; hunting expeditions chasing and being chased by grizzlies; feasting on elk and buffalo; starving and scraping by on horse meat and roots; arguments turned to whipping and tribunals. Nearly every aspect one could want in an adventure is given with enough narrative vigor to turn its historical detail to an inspirational asset. Ambrose covers all sides of every account he is able to attain and after it all I felt as though I knew not only Lewis, but Clark and the rest of the party's members. I knew who was a good hunter and who wasn't. Who complained and who was helpful. Who Lewis liked and who he didn't care for. These are the types of details that make you feel a part of something (and to feel a part of the Core of Discovery is no boring trip).
After experiencing both the emotional peaks of success and the devastating disasters, I felt as though I didn't want the trip to simply return and have the book end. Perhaps Ambrose understands his ability to foster intrigue, because most of the detail he delves into post-expedition would probably feel unnecessary and boring without the companionship and connection to Lewis that is developed in the book. While the last leg of Lewis' life as a politician and national hero is probably the most emotional and depressing of the book, this section would not seem so intense and personal without understanding Lewis' somewhat supernatural vitality and leadership skills exhibited up until his return. Therefore, Ambrose wraps the book up in a successful manner I would think impossible, given the complexity of Lewis as a person. I felt as though every aspect one could inquire of Lewis was covered with such comprehensiveness and wrapped up with such clarity that even the most emotionally disappointing instances were covered in full by the artistic and historical impression Ambrose impressed. The reality of it all felt more inspiring than anything.
The book is quite long and took me a considerable amount of time to "plow through", but it never felt tiresome given Ambrose's ability to convey a wealth of information in a way that is concise with its detail and both paced and climactic. I recommend this book for any American whether or not you are interested in history. It reads better than any modern fictional novel would, but it is valuable in the way it describes the type of courage and determination that this country was built on and the fact that that brand of courage was not just some author's fabrication. It is by the daring and courageous efforts of men like Lewis and Clark that we are allowed to enjoy a country not only free from countries like Britain, Spain, and France, but one that ranges from coast to coast and from sea to shining sea.
A little up-and-down in its narrative.......2007-06-05
I have two favorite historians: David McCullough and Stephen Ambrose. When trying to describe their differences to my husband, I told him that David Ambrose is a tweed jacket with patches, a snifter of brandy and a roaring fireplace. Ambrose is a shot of whisky, jeans and flannel and an audience around a campfire. I appreciate Ambrose's style, for the most part, and knowing that he actually retraced most of the voyage in doing his research leaves me in awe of him. But the nature of this narrative is rather up-and-down, particularly working up to the party setting off from St. Louis. I recognize that the pre-journey preparations were important to telling the tale, but I got the idea that he was rather bored with it, and as a result the details weren't too compelling. I had to keep setting the book aside and coming back to it. But once he got to the story of the exploration itself, the momentum picks up, and so does his writing style. I appreciated his use of the actually writings of the Captains, but there were a few places where their entries were used too frequently in place of him conveying their story in a possibly more riveting style. But over all it was a well-written book, and I would recommend it to anyone that I already knew was interested in the Lewis and Clark expedition.
Average customer rating:
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The Oxford Companion to World Exploration: Two-volume Set
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Book Description
Covering all aspects of global exploration, from Antarctica to the North Pole, The Oxford Companion to World Exploration examines the lives and expeditions of heroic and influential explorers. This coverage includes biographies, including Lewis and Clark, Ferdinand Magellan, Cheng Ho, Hernan Cortes, Ibn Battuta, Vitus Bering, and Christopher Columbus; national expeditions, including Portuguese, British, French, Chinese, Dutch, and Spanish; and navigational and marine sciences, such as navigational techniques, ancient and medieval navigation, ocean currents and winds, longitude, cartography, and aerial surveys. The Companion's temporal scope ranges from the ancient cultures of Egypt, Persia, Greece, Byzantium, China, Polynesia, and Rome, through to modern space exploration. The articles have been written by leading scholars from across the globe, utilizing the most current scholarship in the field of exploration studies. The Companion contains 800 entries, supplemented by 150 black-and-white and 50 full-color photographs and maps. Annotated primary source materials, such as travel logs and personal letters, supplement select biographies. Each entry is signed by a leading scholar in the field, contains a bibliography for further reading, and is cross-referenced to other useful points of interest within the Companion. Published in association with the Newberry Library in Chicago, the Companion will reproduce more than 100 images from its world-renowned collection.
Book Description
A harrowing, subterranean Into Thin Air, BEYOND THE DEEP is the perilous odyssey of the cavers who explored the Mt. Everest of the undergroundthe Huautla.The Huautla in Mexico is the deepest cave in the Western Hemisphere, possibly the world. Shafts reach skyscraper-depths, caverns are stadium-sized, and sudden floods can drown divers in an instant. With a two-decade obsession, William Stone and his 44-member team entered the sinkhole at Sotano de San Augustin. The first camp settled 2,328 feet below ground in a cavern where headlamps couldnt even illuminate the walls and ceiling. The second camp teeter-ed precariously above an underground canyon where two subterranean rivers collided. But beyond that lay the unknown territorya flooded corridor that had blocked all previous comers, claimed a divers life, and drove the rest of the team back. Except for William Stone and Barbara am Ende, who forged on for 18 more days, with no hope of rescue, to set the record for the deepest cave dive in the Western Hemisphere.
Customer Reviews:
Awesome story...flawed presentation.......2005-12-23
I still recommend this book highly. The story of these explorers is simply amazing. As someone who is very very claustrophobic (my worst fear is being stuck in some confined space), I have to be an "armchair" explorer, and this book makes you confront these fears. In the end it's very rewarding.
The book's only flaw is the "reconstructed" dialogue. I don't know who recommended the author(s) adopt this format, because it is really awkward in places. The narrative of, say, a Jon Krakauer book or a Simon Winchester book is much, much more effective than a lot of the bogus, even boring dialogue that comes across here. There are a lot of characters the author(s) and the readers have to deal with, so perhaps giving most of them "voices" was thought of as the best way to do it, but after a while it gets a little tiring and actually disrupts the build-up of the action.
Still, it's an awesome story of exploration and what drives us to keep pushing the limits.
The willys!.......2004-11-01
I'm a scuba diver. I have also done a lot of spelunking in my late teens and early 20's. I never really considered combining the 2. It just didn't cross my mind.
Now I never will.
There were so many times in this book that I simply got the willies. (Did I spell that right?) It became more frightening that some of the horror I've read.
It also (in my humble opinion) addresses one of the greatest downfalls of some explorers; Not taking into consideration one's mortality.
While I doubt I'll ever willingly mix traditional scuba diving with spelunking I may consider it if I had access to the re-breathers this team used.
This book is NOT for the claustrophobic.
I Really Wanted to Like This Book..........2003-10-15
I really wanted to like this book but I found myself struggling to finish it. No doubt, the experience itself was immeasurably exciting / interesting, but the book was, well, kind of boring.
It could have easily been half the length and not lost much, and as another reviewer indicated, I never really got a feel for what is so great about crawling though caves. I'm sure it IS great, at least to those who are as into it as these people are, but I didn't get why or how from the book. I also found the third-person writing style a bit contrived, somehow.
If you DID like this book, I would highly recommend 'The Last Dive' which is in a similar vein but I found very exciting and extremely well written.
DIVING INTO DISASTER.......2003-07-20
Fascinating book about the ultimate 'adventure' junkies-- who explore the world's most treacherous cave in Mexico. An amazing crew of people. What's so unusual is that these are divers-- deep see divers, not just guys and gals who go down into the cave on ropes or climb rocks. They call themselves CAVERS -- details make the true-life adventure come alive. What's disturbing though is that lives were lost on this expedition and the authors tend to gloss over those lost in their quest for the ultimate experiences. Cinematic and even outrageous tale of diving into disaster.
What Drives Divers To Descend To Unbelievable Depths?.......2003-04-21
What is it that drives cave explorers to descend to unbelievable depths, as if they were involved in an international game of subterranean chess?
Perhaps the clues are to be found within the pages of a book entitled Beyond The Deep that chronicles the breathtaking 1994 San Agustin Expedition as told from the perspective of Bill Stone and Barbara am Ende.
Much of the information was gleaned from their logbooks, diaries, and recollections, as well as from dozens of interviews conducted by their co-author Monte Paulsen.
In 1977, 1979 and 1981 cave divers were unsuccessful in exploring the San Agustin sump or the underground tunnel that was flooded entirely with water. This sump is the deepest point in a cave known as Sistema Huautla, Oaxaca, Mexico.
Many of the difficulties were the result of using traditional equipment as well as the inability to effectively transport the supplies and gear necessary to accomplish this incredible feat.
In 1994 international exploring expert Bill Stone completed the constructing of an closed cycle life support system or as he termed it a "rebreather." This piece of apparatus was called the Mk-ll.
This would permit the cavers and divers to explore the San Agustin Sump far longer than anyone was able to accomplish in the past.
It was Stone's contention that the problem was primarily a technological challenge. Once this was overcome, the rest would fall into place.
The next step entailed the meticulous organization of the various components of the team.
There was expedition leader Stone, six dive team members, 35 support team participants and 5 members of the photo team.
These individuals wanted to "place their own boot where no one hand before." According to Stone, "every member had made enormous personal sacrifices in the pursuit of this elusive grail. They'd left family behind for a third of a year; had trained relentlessly for two years just to get there; had gone deeply into debt; and were subjecting themselves daily to physical hardships."
Why do it? Perhaps Stone sums it up when he asserts, "after so many years of struggle, he'd found the route, the secret doorway to the gaping, unexplored beyond."
One of the shortcomings of the book is the extensive use of technical jargon. The authors did indicate in the introduction that they have substituted common words for technical jargon wherever possible.
However, unfortunately, far too often I had to refer to the glossary at the back of the book to understand a paragraph or sentence. No doubt this deflated some of the suspense of the saga.
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The Life and African Exploration of David Livingstone
David Livingstone
Manufacturer: Cooper Square Press
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Into Africa: The Epic Adventures of Stanley and Livingstone
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Through the Dark Continent:Volume 1
ASIN: 0815412088 |
Book Description
This book is the author's account of his lifelong African journeys and adventures, exciting exploits that tell a story of unsurpassed courage and determination.
Customer Reviews:
This is a biography.......2003-07-12
This is an interesting book, with many quotations from the great explorer, including 100 or so pages of his last journal entries (with minimal and helpful editorial comments).
It has some fascinating comments from the anonymous author, including details regarding the Sahara's sub-marine past (existence, in the nineteenth century Sahara, of fossils of contemporary forms of marine life, and great areas of salt flats), and also later intimations of lost civilisations beneath the great desert's sands.
However, not all of the book's 640 pages, by any means, are direct quotes from the missionary/explorer, which I felt I was led to expect.
The book is, nevertheless, a fascinating volume originally published in 1874, just one year after Livingstone's death. It contains generous extracts from the associated writings of American journalist Stanley, and of contemporary explorers/hunters. It is, therefore, well worth the read and a good first volume for those interested in Livingstone and/or the Africa of his days. I was especially intrigued by the accounts of the various native tribes and native villages Livingstone met with. I also enjoyed reading of the geology, geography, and zoology of the continent.
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- And the Spaniards also suffer
- An extraordinary man -- an extraordinary story!
- Absolutely basic to anyone living in Texas and the Southwest
- Tale by de Vaca himself of his trials in America
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Castaway: The Narrative of Alvar Núñez Cageza de Vaca
Manufacturer: University of California Press
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The Autobiography of St. Ignatius Loyola
ASIN: 0520070631 |
Book Description
This enthralling story of survival is the first major narrative of the exploration of North America by Europeans (1528-36). The author of Castaways (Naufragios), Alvar Núñez Cabeza de Vaca, was a fortune-seeking nobleman and the treasurer of an expedition to claim for Spain a vast area that includes today's Florida, Louisiana, and Texas. A shipwreck forced him and a handful of men to make the long westward journey on foot to meet up with Hernán Cortés.
In order to survive, Cabeza de Vaca joined native peoples along the way, learning their languages and practices and serving them as a slave and later as a physician. When after eight years he finally reached the West, he was not recognized by his compatriots.
In his writing Cabeza de Vaca displays great interest in the cultures of the native peoples he encountered on his odyssey. As he forged intimate bonds with some of them, sharing their brutal living conditions and curing their sick, he found himself on a voyage of self-discovery that was to make his reunion with his fellow Spaniards less joyful than expected.
Cabeza de Vaca's gripping narrative is a trove of ethnographic information, with descriptions and interpretations of native cultures that make it a powerful precursor to modern anthropology. Frances M. López-Morillas's translation beautifully captures the sixteenth-century original. Based as it is on Enrique Pupo-Walker's definitive critical edition, it promises to become the authoritative English translation.
Customer Reviews:
And the Spaniards also suffer.......2007-04-03
I have learned to dispise the Spanish colonizers for their actions in the New World. I have read enough of their sharpening their swords and practicing on the Native Americans and slaying the men, women and children of native settlements if they didn't convert to Christianity or produce enough gold. So this is a new perspective, that of the Spanish failing and suffering through unimaginable hardship and all along the coast that is now our destination of choice for retirement.
This is a nearly fantastic book, only nearly so because it is true (unless De Vaca embelished his story). If you are intrigued with pre-settlement America and the cultures of Native Americans you will appreciate this read in addition to the survival story. This is a look at Florida and Texas in a different era. This is a story about the ambitions of Spain and the privations men could endure for their religion and their country. Even the style of the writing adds to the true insight into the time and perspective on their outlook on the new world. The chapter titles such as "Of What Befell Lope de Oviedo with Some Indians" and "How We Departed After Eating the Dogs" give you the idea of how the book is structured in addition to how they suffered.
In many historical accounts the Spanish are said to have believed that the New World was the dominion of the devil and all its' people,lands, forests and creatures were works of the devil. It is in accounts like this that you can start to understand their reasoning and belief.
An extraordinary man -- an extraordinary story!.......2006-09-11
Cabeza de Vaca's first hand narrative of his experiences in the New World is one of the most gripping true life adventure stories that you can find.
The story is almost five hundred years old. It begins with his selection as treasurer for a Spanish invasion force of six hundred that was intended to conquer Florida (then thought to be an island), sieze the natives' gold and add their bodies to the Spanish crown while their souls would be dedicated the the Christian God.
Everything went wrong. A hurricane hit. The expeditionary force was separated from their ships and ended up marooned on the Florida Gulf Coast, surrounded by hostile, deadly Indians. Eventually, the survivors slaughtered their horses for food, then melted down their armor to make nails and built boats in the hope of finding their way to Mexico.
Many more men were lost before they made their way to what is now known as Galveston. The survivors experienced starvation, the cowardice of their leader, slavery and even cannibalism. Out of six hundred conquistadores, only four men survived.
Those four men walked across the rest of Texas, wandering almost aimlessly in a search for the Spanish colony of Mexico. By the time they finally arrived in Mexico, after years of privation, they were no longer the same self-sure conquerors who had sailed from Spain. They had developed a following of hundreds, perhaps thousands, of Indians who hailed them as "Children of the Sun". Cabeza de Vaca, who had emerged as their leader, fit the description of an Old Testament prophet. His hair had not seen a comb or scissors for several years, while his feet had not seen shoes for almost as long.
Here's an extended quote from Chapter 19:
"A few days after these four Spaniards had departed there came a time of cold and storms so severe that ... five Christians who were encamped on the beach came to such straits that they ate one another until only one was left, who survived because there was no one left to eat him.... The Indians were so indignant about this, and there was so much outrage among them, that undoubtedly if they had seen this when it began to happen they would have killed the men, and all of us would have been in dire peril: in a word, within a very short time only fifteen of the eighty men from both parties who had reached the island were left alive; and after the death of these men, a stomach ailment afflicted the Indians of the land from which half of them died, and they believed it was we who were killing them; and as they were wholly convinced of this, they agreed among themselves to kill those of us who were left."
How's that for action? It's true that the narrative style itself is archaic and stilted at times. But this translation emphasizes simple modern English and cuts through a lot of the difficulty of reading a story that's half a millenium old.
I've read the story of Cabeza de Vaca two or three times over the years. In it, I see an almost mirror image many of the other explorers like De Soto or Cortez: a man who learned to view the New World in a different way, and who became a different man by the experience. His story has action, sure: hurricanes, starvation, slavery, faith healing, a stupid, greedy leader, and a cast of thousands. But at the heart of this journey is the journey of one man's heart.
Absolutely basic to anyone living in Texas and the Southwest.......1999-07-11
To read so much live detail about the way of life of the original inhabitants of parts of Texas and the Southwest is to have one's very conceptions about these places changed. It's an amazing, short read and the editor helps with notes in critical places. I think this is basic reading for anyone even part-way interested in the history of Texas and neighboring states. Cabeza de Vaca's account covers hair-raising events which occurred in the 1530s right here on Galveston Island, so it gives a longer sense of post-Columbian history than one usually gets as a lay reader of Texas and Southwest history. I too don't know why more folks aren't talking about this book. I'm buying copies to give away.
Tale by de Vaca himself of his trials in America.......1998-12-12
Hard to follow at times, you get confused as to how many people are actually following him! It is sometimes slow reading. Yet, the informantion in the book is good.
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- marco? polo!
- ADVENTURES OF MARCO POLO comes to life more than your usual elementary-level biography.
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Adventures Of Marco Polo
Russell Freedman
Manufacturer: Arthur A. Levine Books
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ASIN: 043952394X |
Book Description
He claimed to have seen rocks burn, bandits command sandstorms, lions tamed with a look, and sorcerers charm sharks while divers gathered pearls on the ocean floor. Marco Polo shook Europe with descriptions of the world he'd seen on his epic journey to the court of Kublai Khan. But was Marco Polo the world's most accomplished explorer? Had he really seen the "Roof of the World" in Central Asia, and the "City of Heaven" in far-off China? Or was he a charlatan who saw nothing more than the conjurings of his inventive mind? Join Russell Freedman as he tackles a centuries-old mystery.
Customer Reviews:
marco? polo!.......2007-03-11
Marco Polo told many tales of adventures that he went on with his family. He wrote a book called The Description of the world. To this day scholars are unsure if any of Marco's tales are true. Read this biography to see if you can decide for your self what you believe!
ADVENTURES OF MARCO POLO comes to life more than your usual elementary-level biography........2006-12-10
Russell Freedman's THE ADVENTURES OF MARCO POLO covers all the controversies surrounding the legendary explorer who claimed to have seen rocks burn and met bandits who could conjure up sandstorms. Marco's vivid, often fantastical descriptions of his travels shook Europe: was he a courageous adventurer, or a fake with a vivid imagination? In exploring the rumors surrounding Marco Polo, ADVENTURES OF MARCO POLO comes to life more than your usual elementary-level biography.
Book Description
Long before Harry Houdini thrilled the world with his impossible deeds, America had produced an escape artist whose biography reads like an adventure novel.
Many readers will know John Smith as the man rescued from death by Pocahontas, but Smith's story included a series of fantastic episodes: escape from imprisonment, ambush by Indians, attacks by ruthless sea pirates, and more escapades than seem possible in one life.
Now, just in time for the 400th anniversary of the founding of Jamestown, author Rosalyn Schanzer recounts the full details of John Smith's eventful life in her engaging storytelling style, complemented with a series of entertaining illustrations.
Smith's role as the president of the pioneering colony of Jamestown is well known to schoolchildren. Schanzer's compelling narrative adds the perspective of Smith's English background to his better known adventures in America. Readers are given a complete portrait of the intrepid explorer and adventurer, of the fighter whose battling spirit always prevailed, and of the writer whose work was to shape the idea of the American Dream.
Smith's story is punctuated by several impossibly daring escapes. His final escape left us with the rich legacy of his life story: through his writings, he escaped the fate of dying unknown. He returned to England as a poor man with a rich trove of memories, spending his final years writing the popular books that defined colonial America in tales of excitement and courage.
Customer Reviews:
John Smith Escapes Again!.......2007-04-24
A delightfully illustrated adventure book for children telling a true story. The author has thoroughly researched the life of John Smith 1580 - 1631, who was a famous son of Lincolnshire, England and who became the first president of Jamestown in Virginia Colony, America. This was the first permanent English settlement in the New World. Rosalyn Schanzer's attention to authentic detail and her beautifully drawn illustrations are excellent. This book brings history alive for children - and their parents!
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