Reviews (21)

Talk about life on the road!
Okay, what to say about Marco Polo based on his own recounting. First of all, it's amazing how much this guy saw. Even accounting for his embellishments, he was obviously getting around quite a bit. Over a period of decades he travelled through China and parts of India, usually at the behest of the Chinese Emperor Kublai Khan, one of their noteworthy historical figures. Some of the tales he tells are obviously fabricated, but others are familiar even to modern day historians. When the text recounts some of the actual events he either saw or at least heard about, the reader is treated to a succinct and pleasant story.
Marco Polo-The Travels
The Travels by Marco Polo. Penguin Books. 1958.
Fascinating and Enduring
This is a fascinating and timeless narrative for many reasons. On a somewhat superficial level, Polo's book is a must read for lovers of travel or adventure stories, as it reads like a great lost book of the Bible, rife with historic vengeance, heroic warriors, eccentric mystics, penultimate battles and rallying speeches that seem torn out of the best passages of Thucydides. Many of the practices and beliefs Polo witnessed -- specifically, polygamous peoples, perspectives on sexuality, methods of execution and the dazzling ways in which the people Polo came across attempted to please the gods and interpret the cosmos -- offer a memorable glimpse into a unique historical epoch. Particularly engrossing are the stories of violent tensions between Christian and Islamic sects in Polo's day and region. One gets a sense that not much has changed in the past 800 years as Polo details the struggles between the eastern and western world even then, many of which redound to financial issues (sound familiar?). Polo's insistence on portraying Moslems and Buddhists as savage rogues does make for a one-dimensional and distinctly Christian view of the world as it was in Polo's day, and his language is hardly the most attractive aspect of the book, which is written in a particularly conversational and redundant style. But the stories and characters contained within these pages are epic and unforgettable. I encourage lovers of Tolkein, C.S. Lewis and Rowling to read this book. Lovers of ancient history and philosophy are also bound to adore it. Most impressively, though, is the insight Polo offers into the birth of the now-infamous rift between the western and eastern worlds. This enduring relevance guarantees that we will be reading Polo's "Travels" for centuries to come. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Biography    2. Biography & Autobiography    3. Biography/Autobiography    4. Expeditions & Discoveries    5. General    6. History    7. History - General History    8. Italy    9. Mongols    10. Travelers    11. Voyages and travels    12. Biography & Autobiography / Adventurers & Explorers    13. Classic travel writing   

Reviews (4)

Strange And Dangerous Dreams: The Fine Line Between Adventure And Madness
Being an avid reader of mountaineering literature, both historic and contemporary, I was already familiar with the accomplishments (or lack thereof) of the climbers in this book. However, seen from writer Geoff Powter's perspective, who is both a practicing psychologist and a veteran of many important ascents in North America and the Himalaya, his arguments for inspired madness have breathed new life into what had once seemed all too familiar territory.
Those Whom the Gods Grant Vision, Then Make Them Crazy . . . .
A "human desire for heroes of virgin promise" is the foundation that winds through three areas, 1) the burdened (Lewis, Scott, Andree and Crowhurst), 2) the bent (Franklin, Batten and Crowley) and 3) the lost (Corti, Wilson, Denman and three Watermans). This is a frightening and compulsive read that visits your thoughts for a long time.
Strange and Dangerous Dreams
Climber and psychiatrist Geoff Powter tells the stories of explorers and climbers, from Meriwether Lewis to Aleister Crowley, who may have suffered from psychological ailments. In many of the cases, the individuals may have been driven to their desperate adventures by their mental and emotional suffering. Powter gives engaging sketches of their lives and addresses the difference between them and the risk-taking mountaineers and explorers who may be labeled 'crazy' by the public, but in fact are entirely sane. He has a relatively good sense of historical mentalities and the contexts in which his subjects lived. In the cases where he suggests clinical diagnoses, they seem sensible (he doesn't accuse anyone of having a random 'death wish') and based on evidence.
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Subjects:  1. Adventurers & Explorers    2. Biography    3. Biography & Autobiography    4. Biography / Autobiography    5. Biography/Autobiography    6. Explorers    7. General    8. Mental Illness    9. Mountaineers    10. Personal Memoirs    11. Travel writing   

Editorial Review

Never mind that upon her death in 1993, the then 100-year-old Dame Freya Stark rated a three-column obit in Read more

Reviews (27)

Passionate Nomad
Another amazing book about another amazing British lady of the ealy 1900's. Gertrude Bell (Desert Queen ) and Freya Stark are two incredible women who broke all the barriers of their era. Another must read for those interested in the development of the Middle East in the early 1900's, the cultures of these people and the strength and determination of an incredible woman in a time when only men ruled the world.

A fascinating historical landmark
The book offers a well-researched and - presented insight into the life a remarkable woman who had a passion for the region we know as the Middle-East; who lived amongst the people in the region and observed their way of life and worldview with an open mind and with immense humanity, an attitude uncharacteristic of her compatriots.

Top Notch Biography
Very readable biography of a most unusual woman. I read a few of Freda Stark's books and thus was drawn to this biography. I was not disappointed. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Adventurers & Explorers    2. Biography    3. Biography & Autobiography    4. Biography / Autobiography    5. Biography/Autobiography    6. Great Britain    7. Stark, Freya    8. Women    9. Women Orientalists    10. Women travelers    11. Biography & Autobiography / Women    12. Biography: general    13. Travel writing   

Reviews (4)

Manly pursuits in the last frontier of the United States
I first handed this off to the hunter-male of the house. "Wild Men, Wild Alaska" met with his complete approval. "Great set of short stories" was his terse reply. While not an in-depth review, I feel you can confidently gift any manly men in your life with this excellent set of 14 short stories or essays about life in Alaska.
The Ultimate Armchair Adventure Opportunity . . . and Room for Helpful Reflection
Wild Men, Wild Alaska is the best hunting and fishing book I've ever read. Hemingway's great novels about hunting and fishing fall short of Rocky McElveen's impressive real life experiences. If you've never been to Alaska, this book will call you there.
'You have to read this book' - OUTDOORSMAN.com
Truly captivating.I could not stop reading.I needed to finish this book, but hoped it would never end.
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Subjects:  1. Adventurers & Explorers    2. Biography / Autobiography    3. Christian Life    4. Christianity    5. Christianity - Christian Life - General    6. Fishing    7. Fishing - General    8. Fishing Sports    9. Hunting    10. Hunting - General    11. Men    12. Religion    13. Religion - Christian Living    14. Religious aspects    15. Religious life    16. Spirituality - General    17. Religion / Spirituality   

Reviews (8)

A great read on a great person
I thoroughly enjoyed "Story, the Way of Water".It is a gripping book that keeps you riveted to the development of Story's life as he overcomes the problems he encountered.The book gives a clear picture of his strong character, intelligence, and robustness. The great part of the book is that
Biography with a difference
This is a biography with a difference about a man whose lifetime achievements are incredible; leaving school unqualified, obtaining multiple degrees, more hours on the T38 jet than any other human being, astronaut, multiple spaceflights, multiple space walks, poet etc.
Motivational
This book is the first major work by a young author. It has been written with passion, based on incredible research. This book is both educational and motivational as you witness Story's persistent efforts leading to extraordinary achievements. You are encouraged to follow his example in some small way in your own environment.
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Subjects:  1. Adventurers & Explorers    2. Biography & Autobiography    3. Biography/Autobiography   

Reviews (15)

A good history
Fewer things are better than a good sea story dealing with unexplored regions of the world. Captain James Cook's British Naval expeditions in the late 1700's were some of the last expeditions to the unexplored parts of the world. For introducing the subject and telling a good story, Thomas does an excellent job of introducing the reader to the inherent problems in leading a naval and scientific expedition and first contact with Pacific Islanders.
The People on the Beach
Before reading this book, most of what I knew about Captain Cook was from high school (not much) and from a vacation or two in Hawaii complete with visits to historic sites.I saw it at the library and checked it out because I am enrolled in a "Pacific Islanders in the U.S." course at my local junior college, and because I'm planning another vacation in Hawaii and want to feel more grounded in the history of the place while I'm there.
A good read, strange word choice at times.
The history, anthropology and sociology presented are well written at least 90% of the time.At other times the writer seems to get bogged down in making hindsighted judgments about certain situations and injects quite a bit of his personal thoughts... but hey it's his book and it's not sold as being a dry history book.It is all about Cook and the impact his expeditions had on the local islanders.
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Subjects:  1. 1728-1779    2. 18th century    3. Adventurers & Explorers    4. Biography    5. Biography / Autobiography    6. Cook, James,    7. Europe - Great Britain - General    8. Expeditions & Discoveries    9. Explorers    10. Great Britain    11. History    12. History: World    13. Maritime History    14. Modern - 18th Century    15. Travel    16. Voyages around the world    17. World - General   

Reviews (1)

More than meets the eye
What is relegion?Why do we believe what we believe?These are important questions since all of us look for meaning within our existence.This book offers valuable insight into those issues. Not just a travel book.
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Subjects:  1. 1968-    2. Adventurers & Explorers    3. Australia & Oceania - General    4. Description And Travel    5. Essays & Travelogues    6. Manners And Customs    7. Melanesia    8. Montgomery, Charles,    9. Oceania    10. Religious life and customs    11. Travel    12. Travel - Foreign    13. Biography & Autobiography / Adventurers & Explorers   

Reviews (10)

An amazing memoir
I can count on one hand the number of books that have truly and wholly transported me to another time and place. The Last Gentleman Adventurer easily joins the work of Jack London and Herman Melville in this regard, with the happy and astonishing distinction of being a true account rather than fiction. The author, Edward Maurice writes with a rare kind of insight, humane and honest. His adventures are at once breathtaking and sobering. My only regret is that this was his only book.

The Dawn of His Life but the Twilight of an Era
Edward Beauclerk Maurice, in his waning years, looked back on his first job, a job so distant in time and space that it might as well have been hundreds of years ago:In the 1930s, Maurice was recruited as a teenager to run one of the last fur-trading outposts in Arctic Canada operated by the Hudson Bay Company.Dropped off in a tiny Inuit village with a year's worth of trading supplies, he is meant by the Company to be both purveyor and parent to the local people.Of course, as an unexperienced teenager he had no skills for either role, and it is only through the benevolence of the villagers that he is able to cope.
Coming of Age in the Arctic
"The Last Gentleman Adventurer" is a delightful, even beautiful account by Edward Maurice of his time as a young clerk for the Hudson's Bay Company in the Canadian Arctic of the 1930's.Maurice was working literally at the intersection of the Inuit and European worlds.We are most fortunate as readers that the author was unjaded, exceptionally observant, and open to the possibilities of life in that time and place.
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Subjects:  1. 20th century    2. Adventurers & Explorers    3. Biography    4. Biography & Autobiography    5. Biography / Autobiography    6. Biography And Autobiography    7. Biography/Autobiography    8. Canada    9. Canada, Northern    10. Customs & Traditions    11. Description and travel    12. Discovery And Exploration (General)    13. Explorers    14. Frontier and pioneer life    15. Inuit    16. Maurice, Edward Beauclerk    17. Personal Memoirs    18. Polar Regions    19. Social life and customs    20. Biography & Autobiography / Adventurers & Explorers   

Reviews (20)

Does The World Need Another Astronaut Biography?
In the case of "Sky Walking," by Dr. Thomas D. Jones, the answer is a resounding "Yes." This book stands head and shoulders above many of the other works by former astronauts in terms of its story, style and substance. Immensely readable and presented at just the right level of detail, "Sky Walking" chronicles Dr. Jones' spaceflight career, which spanned more than a decade and included four Space Shuttle flights. His description of the sights, sounds and sensations of his first launch aboard Endeavour in April 1994 on mission STS-59, for which he was a Mission Specialist for the first Space Radar Laboratory flight (SRL-1), is the best I've ever read. He was Payload Commander for the SRL-2 mission (STS-68) in October 1994, and later flew on two additional Shuttle missions. STS-80, in addition to setting a Shuttle endurance record of 18 days in orbit, involved satellite deployment and retrieval. STS-98, in February 2001, delivered and installed the Destiny Laboratory Module for the International Space Station (ISS), a mission on which Dr. Jones made three spacewalks lasting more than 19 hours.
An outstanding insight into an underrated NASA decade...
This book was a wonderful read. The first thing I noticed was how generous the author was to all who worked with him - there are not too many astronaut autobiographies where you get a sense of the astronaut working as a team with hundreds of people who never see the limelight. This book gives a very clear and accurate impression of that. I'm guessing Jones was well-liked by everyone he worked with, and he's put as much dedication into this marvellous tale as he did into any flight.
So Well Written I Felt Airsick
This memoir is outstanding reading for anyone who is interested in being an astronaut.The author takes us along as he applies to NASA, interviews, and begins training as an "Ascan" (astronaut candidate).Completing his year of training, he awaits his first assignment to a shuttle crew, and subsequently goes on four shuttle missions.We get to experience every step along the way as he trains for each mission, and when the fateful day of lauch comes, we are there - stepping into the orbiter, strapping in, feeling every vibration and hearing every noise as the gigantic machine roars into liftoff.Then we go along with the author during his missions, including the joys and frustrations experienced, and ride along for the tense suspense of reentry.(Made all the more poignant as we recall the moments during the same procedures when the Challenger and the Columbia were lost.)
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Subjects:  1. Adventurers & Explorers    2. Aeronautics & Astronautics    3. Astronauts    4. Astrophysics & Space Science    5. Biography    6. Biography / Autobiography    7. Biography/Autobiography    8. Extravehicular activity (Manned space flight)    9. Manned Space Exploration    10. Military    11. Science    12. Scientists - Astronauts    13. Scientists - General    14. Space flights    15. United States    16. Science / Astrophysics & Space Science   

Editorial Review

Captain James Cook's three epic 18th-century explorations of the PacificOcean were the last of their kind, literally completing the map of the world.Yet despite his monumental discoveries, principally in the South Pacific, Cookthe man has remained an enigma. In retracing key legs of the circumnavigator'sjourney, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Tony Horwitz chronicles the culturaland environmental havoc wrought by the captain's opening of the unspoiledPacific to the West, as well as the alternately indifferent and passionatereactions Cook's name evokes during the writer's journeys through Polynesia,Australia, the Aleutians, and the explorer's native England. Horwitz skillfullyweaves a biography and travel narrative with warm humor that is natural and human-scale, and his restless inquisitiveness quickly infects the reader. Whilestriking dichotomies abound throughout that journey--Maori toughs who adopt Naziimagery to symbolize their own fight against white domination, millennia-oldPolynesian sexual mores that would shame the Reeperbahn, a sense thatChristianity decimated native cultures at least as effectively as Westernvenereal diseases did--few are more poignant than the ones that abound in Cook'sown life. This fine work is an adventurous reminder that answers to historicalriddles are elusive at best--and seldom as compelling as the myriad newquestions they pose. Read more

Reviews (79)

entertaining (3-1/2 stars)
This account of Captain James Cook's three voyages is juxtaposed with accounts of what the author encountered two and a half centuries later at venues on Cook's itinerary. The reader switches between Cook's history (upbringing, family, strengths, faults, patrons) and the author's humorous travel impressions.
Great laid back, meandering read
Though the prose wanders a bit in places, one of the most entertaining travelogues I have read.Best read on a beach somewhere in the Pacific.The style is easygoing, but the author gets his point across.Read it!

Looking for an easy-going but comprehensive chronicle of Cook's journeys?
During a round-the-world trip, I travelled to Australia, New Zealand, the Cook Islands, Tahiti, Bora Bora and Easter Island. I came across lots of places visited by Captain Cook or otherwise connected with him, as well as plenty of monuments with snippets of information about his journeys. I was interested to learn more, but at the same time wanted to avoid academic histories. This book was recommended by my guidebook, and it was perfect. Tony Horwitz combines a chronicle of Cook's journeys in the Pacific with his own experiences of modern-day travel in some of the same regions. It's light-hearted and entertaining, as well as being interesting and informative. It's travel literature, not a literary classic, but it's perfect if you're after an easy-going but comprehensive description of Cook's journeys. Definitely recommended.
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Subjects:  1. 1728-1779    2. Adventurers & Explorers    3. Biography & Autobiography    4. Biography/Autobiography    5. Cook, James,    6. Discovery and exploration    7. Expeditions & Discoveries    8. History - General History    9. Modern - 18th Century    10. Oceania    11. Travel    12. Voyages around the world    13. Travel / Adventure   

Reviews (16)

A Fusion of Physical and Spiritual Enlightenment
How does a writer condense fifteen years of a journey to seek the sacred places of Tibet? Enter the covers of this fascinating if overly long book, release your sense of time, absorb the tenants of Buddhism, and discover how an obsession controlled the life and vision of one Ian Baker.
To the heart of the lotus realm "obscured by clouds"
Reactions here of readers appear to be largely ecstatic: it's a testament to Baker's evocative powers of description. I read this over a couple of weeks filled with unusual tension & stress personally, and it seemed as if the first half of the book took as long for me to traverse as the events did for Baker. Taking the journey vicariously with the author forced me to slow down, and adapt to a quite different mental as well as physical atmosphere. Exotic, Engrossing, Enchanting
An incredible book for anyone intrigued by the mysteries of Asia. The tale begins in 1982 when Baker overhears a conversation about a Tibetan sage who found a hidden paradise between vaulting cliffs in a little-explored corner of Tibet. Baker was curious. He had heard about Tibet's `hidden lands,' secret places that - Tibetans believe - can only be found by a devout pilgrim who can endure physical challenge, and spiritual challenge, too. Baker, an accomplished climber and a determined student of Tibetan culture,resolved to find out more. Read more

Subjects:  1. Adventurers & Explorers    2. Biography / Autobiography    3. Buddhism    4. Buddhism - General    5. Buddhism - Tibetan    6. Description and travel    7. Discovery And Exploration (General)    8. Discovery and exploration    9. Essays & Travelogues    10. Exploration    11. Religion - World Religions    12. Religious    13. Travel    14. Tsangpo Gorges (China)    15. Tsangpo Gorges Region (China)    16. Religion / Buddhism   

Editorial Review

David Breashears has climbed Mt. Everest four times. For this, he is known as a world-class mountaineer. A lengthy career in documentary filmmaking--including the Imax film, Read more

Reviews (64)

Interesting, But Not Gripping
I must agree witht he reviewer who commented about the book being written by committee. The narrative is choppy and lacking not only key details, but also historical background. Because it's an autobiography, I don't necessarily think that it's fair to damn the book for being self-centered; it IS about him. I do feel, however, that the book needs better editing and a bit more self-examination.
Written by a Committee
It's an enjoyable, occasionally exciting, read, yet a flawed and problematic work. For one thing, Breashears, who never went beyond high school, and by his own admission isn't much of a writer, had the help of a stable of ghost writers and editors. The book has the feel of having been pasted together by a committee. The narrative often flows, but as often drops away or skips over important points. For example, Breashears mentions a falling out with his friend Geoff Lowe but never tells us why. He seems to accept some blame for his failed marriage - he admits he was seldom home - but gives only a very sketchy account that hints at issues without providing answers. His mountaineering exploits are impressive; sometimes there is ample detail, at other times the narrative just cuts off seemingly in the middle of a story.
A Quiet Intelligence
I was prepared for stories of physical prowess, for tales of overcoming the elements and vicious forces of nature, and even for another perspective on the now famous 1996 Everest disaster.What I didn't expect-but found as a wonderful thread throughout this multi-layered and surprising introspective and humble work-is the high level of thoughtfulness and intelligence that Breashears brings to his writing.He isn't afraid to place blame where it belongs, especially if that blame belongs on himself, as he demonstrates as he gradually reveals the deterioration of his marriage.Most men can't do that, especially those who lives routinely depend upon physical capability over emotional vulnerability.Despite his career triumphs and rise to the epitome of mountaineering accomplishments, Breashears presents a self-effacing and modest work which calls little attention to the incredible feats he accomplished...and therein lies the only fault I have with this book.In the natural reservation of his character and his modesty, he nearly glosses over the physical difficulties and demanding situations of mountaineering, making it seem as if anyone could do what he has done, if they only possess the same caution and determination.Not true.Not by a long shot.
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Subjects:  1. Adventurers & Explorers    2. Biography    3. Biography / Autobiography    4. Cinematographers    5. Mountaineering    6. Mountaineers    7. Sports    8. Sports & Recreation    9. Sports - General    10. United States    11. Biography: general    12. Climbing & mountaineering    13. Travel / Adventure   

Reviews (3)

Romance in the Rockies
"It is hard to recall another woman in any age or country who traveled as widely, saw so much, and who left so perceptive a record of what she saw," says Daniel Boorstin who wrote an introduction to an edition of "A Lady's Life in the Rocky Mountains."