| # | Author | Title | Format | Pages | Release | Publisher | Genre |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Joe Simpson | Touching the Void: The True Story of One Man's Miraculous Survival | Trade Paperback | 224 | 01 Dec 2004 | Perennial | Adventure |
Touching the Void: The True Story of One Man's Miraculous Survival Joe SimpsonReaderRating: 4.5 (123 votes) DateAdded: 05 Dec 2006 Summary: Concise and yet packed with detail, "Touching the Void", Joe Simpson's harrowing account of near-death in the Peruvian Andes, is a compact tour de force that wrestles with issues of bravery, friendship, physical endurance, the code of the mountains, and the will to live. Simpson dedicates the book to his climbing partner, Simon Yates, and to "those friends who have gone to the mountains and have not returned." What is it that compels certain individuals to willingly seek out the most inhospitable climate on earth? To risk their lives in an attempt to leave footprints where few or none have gone before? Simpson's vivid narrative of a dangerous climbing expedition will convince even the most die-hard couch potato that such pursuits fall within the realm of the sane. As the author struggles ever higher, readers learn of the mountain's awesome power, the beautiful--and sometimes deadly--sheets of blue glacial ice, and the accomplishment of a successful ascent. And then catastrophe: the second half of "Touching the Void" sees Simpson at his darkest moment. With a smashed, useless leg, he and his partner must struggle down a near-vertical face--and that's only the beginning of their troubles.
Subjects
Biography Biography / Autobiography Case studies General Great Britain Huayhuash, Cordillera Mountaineering Mountaineers Peru Search and rescue operations Simpson, Joe Special Interest - Adventure Sports Sports & Recreation Sports - General Yates, Simon Sports & Recreation / Mountaineering |
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| 2 | Charles A. Lindbergh | The Spirit of St. Louis | Hardcover | 496 | 01 May 1998 | Adventure Library | Adventure |
| 3 | Eric Blehm | The Last Season | Hardcover | 352 | 01 May 2006 | HarperCollins | Adventure |
The Last Season Eric BlehmReaderRating: 5.0 (14 votes) Dewey: 333.78/3/092 22 DateAdded: Summary: In the spirit of Jon Krakauer's bestselling Into the Wild, Eric Blehm's The Last Season examines the extraordinary life of legendary backcountry ranger Randy Morgenson and his mysterious disappearance in California's unforgiving Sierra Nevada. The granite spires of the High Sierra have historically been a refuge of inspiration and adventure for the likes of John Muir and Ansel Adams, as well as for the pioneering rock climbers of the 1960s. But these mountains are as perilous as they are beautiful: here is where the Donner Party was trapped and where scores of unlucky hikers must be rescued every year. The Last Season tells the inspiring, poignant story of Morgenson, who, over the course of twenty-eight summers living alone in this craggy wilderness, became a celebrated ranger in the National Park Service's most adventurous unit. For the solitary, introspective Morgenson, who grew up in Yosemite Valley and as a young man honed his mountaineering skills in the Himalayas, this was more than a job -- it was a calling. He became fiercely devoted to preventing outside forces from encroaching on the wilderness he loved. But over the years, the isolation Morgenson had once cherished took its toll, and he grew increasingly estranged from his wife and friends. When, at the height of his struggles, he went missing without a trace in Kings Canyon National Park, where he had long patrolled, many suspected suicide or foul play. Morgenson, after all, had once said, "The least I owe these mountains is a body." As one of the Park Service's most intensive search-and-rescue operations unraveled, some wondered if they were searching for a man who did not want to be found. Destined to become a classic in mountain literature, The Last Season is a work that is as captivating in its writing as it is compelling in its sense of adventure. It is the result of eight years of research by Eric Blehm to uncover the truth about one of the national parks' greatest mysteries. Blehm's reconstruction of a desperate search-and-rescue operation woven with Morgenson's riveting biography takes readers deep into the heart of the High Sierra and into the little-known and much-romanticized world of the backcountry rangers -- revealing in the end the mind and spirit of a complicated, original, and wholly fascinating man.
Subjects
1942- Biography Biography & Autobiography Biography / Autobiography Biography/Autobiography General Morgenson, James Randall, Mountains Outdoor Skills Park rangers Parks Sequoia National Park (Calif.) Sports - General United States Nature / General |
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| 4 | Joshua Slocum | Sailing Alone Around the World | Hardcover | 246 | 26 May 1995 | Adventure Library | Adventure |
Sailing Alone Around the World Joshua SlocumSeries: The Adventure Library Series ReaderRating: 4.5 (38 votes) Dewey: 910.4/5 20 DateAdded: Summary: New York Times, August 1995 ...a literate and absorbing yarn published in 1900 and still in print....His story is a convincing tale of the intelligence, skill and fortitude that drove a master navigator. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition. From AudioFile When Joshua Slocum sailed alone around the world, he traveled in good company. He found himself particularly well suited to the adventure. While Slocum relished the companionship he found in port, he was equally at peace when alone on the face of the deep. The secret to his successful voyage? "I made companions with what was around me." Alan Sklar's warm, unhurried reading conveys the author's genial practicality and the good humor with which he approached the wonders and challenges of three years and forty thousand miles. Sklar's precision and ease with nautical terms add authenticity to his performance. T.J.W. © AudioFile 2004, Portland, Maine-- Copyright © AudioFile, Portland, Maine--This text refers to the Audio CD edition.  See all Editorial Reviews
Subjects
Special Interest - Adventure Travel Slocum, Joshua |
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| 5 | Mary Kingsley | Travels in West Africa | Hardcover | 280 | 26 May 1997 | Adventure Library | Adventure |
Travels in West Africa Mary KingsleySeries: The Adventure Library Series ReaderRating: 5.0 (10 votes) Dewey: 916.604/312 21 DateAdded: Summary: Book Description No European woman had ventured where Kingsley would venture, and no man either. In defiance of Victorian notions about women's roles, she journeyed through West Africa, climbed mountains, experienced harrowing adventures, dwelled among cannibals, and lived to write one of the most admired books of high adventure of all time. First published in 1897 Appreciation of Mary Kingsley by Evan Connell New maps 280pp From the Publisher Founded in 1906 by J.M. Dent, the Everyman Library has always tried to make the best books ever written available to the greatest number of people at the lowest possible price. Unique editorial features that help Everyman Paperback Classics stand out from the crowd include: a leading scholar or literary critic's introduction to the text, a biography of the author, a chronology of her or his life and times, a historical selection of criticism, and a concise plot summary. All books published since 1993 have also been completely restyled: all type has been reset, to offer a clarity and ease of reading unique among editions of the classics; a vibrant, full-color cover design now complements these great texts with beautiful contemporary works of art. But the best feature must be Everyman's uniquely low price. Each Everyman title offers these extensive materials at a price that competes with the most inexpensive editions on the market-but Everyman Paperbacks have durable binding, quality paper, and the highest editorial and scholarly standards.--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Subjects
1862-1900 Africa Africa, West Description and travel Kingsley, Mary Henrietta, Travel Journeys Kingsley, Mary Henrietta |
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| 6 | Piers Paul Read | Alive: The Story of the Andes Survivors | Hardcover | 307 | 01 May 1996 | Adventure Library | Adventure |
Alive: The Story of the Andes Survivors Piers Paul ReadSeries: The Adventure Library Series ReaderRating: 4.5 (17 votes) Dewey: 982/.6 21 DateAdded: Summary: Book Description Acknowledged throughout the world as one of the most moving and inspiring stories of survival ever written. In 1973, sixteen Uruguayan boys, most of them teenagers, were rescued after surviving for ten weeks in the snowy wastes of the high Andes after their plane crashed. This is the story of their survival, told with compassion, understanding, and restraint. First published in 1974 New afterword by the author New material by and about the survivors Maps, photographs
Subjects
Travel Adventure Special Interest - Adventure |
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