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The Darkest White: A Mountain Legend and the Avalanche That Took Him
By Eric Blehm. 2024
“Eric Blehm offers an insightful perspective on how Craig Kelly became the effortless icon that we all revered as well…
as sobering details of how his heroic journey tragically ended. The Darkest White is a must read, not just for fans of snowboarding, but for anyone looking for inspiration from an unlikely hero.”—Tony HawkFrom Eric Blehm, the bestselling author of The Last Season and Fearless, comes an extraordinary new book in the vein of Into the Wild, the story of the legendary snowboarder Craig Kelly and his death in the 2003 Durrand Glacier Avalanche—a devastating and controversial tragedy that claimed the lives of seven people.On January 20, 2003, a thunderous crack rang out and a 100-foot-wide tide of snow barreled down the Northern Selkirk Mountains in British Columbia, Canada. More than a dozen skiers and snowboarders were thrust down the mountain, buried beneath several tons of rock-hard snow and ice in the Durrand Glacier Avalanche. A heroic search and rescue ensued. Among those buried was Craig Kelly—“the Michael Jordan of snowboarding”—a man who had propelled the sport into the mainstream before walking away from competitions, to rekindle his passion in the untamed alpine wilds of North AmericaThe Darkest White is the story of Craig Kelly’s life, a heartbreaking but extraordinary and inspiring odyssey of a latchkey kid whose athletic prowess and innovations would revolutionize winter sports, take him around the globe, and push him into ever more extreme environments that would ultimately take his life. It is also a definitive, immersive account of snowboarding and the cultural movement that exploded around it, growing the sport from minor Gen X cult hobby to Olympic centerpiece and a billion-dollar business full of feuds and rivalries. Finally, The Darkest White is a mesmerizing, cautionary portrait of the mountains, of the allure and the glory they offer, and of the avalanches they unleash with unforgiving fury.“Eric Blehm took on this biography as I imagine Craig Kelly took on the halfpipe. He studied it, chose his line, and pulled everything off—even tough parts—with grace and style. It’s not just a terrific story of an amazing life, not just the origin story of an entire sport, but a riveting disaster narrative that builds tension masterfully. The Darkest White grabbed me and didn’t let go."—Jack Carr, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Terminal List seriesFearless: Harriet Quimby A Life without Limit
By Don Dahler. 2022
In the spirit of the bestseller Fly Girls comes the definitive and compelling true story of Harriet Quimby, the first…
American woman to receive a pilot's license.In the early twentieth century, headlines declared that "the era of women has dawned." Against this changing historical backdrop, Harriet Quimby's extraordinary life stands out as the embodiment of this tumultuous, exciting era—when flight was measured in minutes, not miles.This untold piece of feminist history unveils Quimby's incredible story: rising from humble beginnings as a dirt-poor farm girl to become a globe-trotting journalist, history-making aviator, and international celebrity. With her tragic death in 1912 at the age of thirty-seven, her story faded, with her many accomplishments—the first woman to fly solo over the English Channel among them—overshadowed by major events, including the sinking of the Titanic.With black and white illustrations throughout, Fearless is the definitive biography of the first licensed female American pilot: one of the most inspiring hidden figures of history.A Woman in the Polar Night (Pushkin Press Classics)
By Christiane Ritter. 2019
&“An epic story, elegantly told and full of mystery.&” — Maggie Shipstead, author of Great CircleA rediscovered classic memoir -…
the mesmerizingly beautiful account of one woman's year spent living in a remote hut in the ArcticThis rediscovered classic memoir tells the incredible tale of a woman defying society's expectations to find freedom and peace in the adventure of a lifetime.In 1934, the painter Christiane Ritter leaves her comfortable life in Austria and travels to the remote Arctic island of Spitsbergen, to spend a year there with her husband. She thinks it will be a relaxing trip, a chance to 'read thick books in the remote quiet and, not least, sleep to my heart's content', but when Christiane arrives she is shocked to realize that they are to live in a tiny ramshackle hut on the shores of a lonely fjord, hundreds of miles from the nearest settlement, battling the elements every day, just to survive.At first, Christiane is horrified by the freezing cold, the bleak landscape the lack of equipment and supplies... But as time passes, after encounters with bears and seals, long treks over the ice and months on end of perpetual night, she finds herself falling in love with the Arctic's harsh, otherworldly beauty, gaining a great sense of inner peace and a new appreciation for the sanctity of life.Two Left Shoes
By Kenneth Roger Adams. 2018
Discover the story of a determined mother who fought hard to keep her family together during wartime and its aftermath,…
with hardly any support from others. The battle didn’t end with the war; it extended into my own life. Growing up in poverty, I faced my own set of challenges that made every step towards success feel like a steep climb. However, these trials pushed me to strive harder and sparked a desire to help others. This tale follows our family’s journey through hard times, my own fight to achieve my goals, and how these experiences ignited a passion for giving back.Journey (DK Definitive Visual Histories)
By Dk. 2017
Follow the voyages of the Vikings, pursue plundering pirates, trace the Hippie Trail, or set off on a flight to…
the Moon. A thrilling expedition awaits you on every page.Journeys have arisen from all manner of impulse, from migration and the search for food to pilgrimages, trade, scientific curiosity, or simply the quest for adventure.Packed with stories of human movement and endeavor, Journey lets you experience the excitement and romance of travel, covering everything from quests across the Silk Road and the adventures of Marco Polo to explorations in space and underwater. Discover ancient maps, biographies of conquerors, explorers and travelers, stories of scientific discovery and technological innovation, stunning works of art, and catalogs of travel-related memorabilia.This truly worldwide account is a glorious celebration of human journeys and will make an impressive gift for any lover of travel and history.Grands marins: de Cartier à Charcot, la saga des explorateurs français
By François Bellec. 2023
Une mise en lumière des explorations et des découvertes faites dans le monde entier par sept grands navigateurs français entre…
les XVIe et XXe siècles : Jacques Cartier, Samuel Champlain, Jean-François de La Pérouse, Louis-Antoine de Bougainville, Jules Dumont d'Urville, René Bellot et Jean-Baptiste Charcot.Cauchemar en Antarctique: le voyage de la Belgica dans la nuit polaire (Voyageurs)
By Julian Sancton. 2023
En 1897, la Belgica quitte Anvers pour le pôle Sud avec à son bord 23 marins aux ordres du capitaine…
Adrien de Gerlache et de Roald Amundsen, son second. Le vieux baleinier est vite pris dans les glaces. C'est le début de treize mois d'hivernage en Antarctique dans un isolement extrême. Ce récit offre une plongée au plus profond de la détresse de l'équipage et des dangers qu'il affronte.Nathaniel's Nutmeg: How One Man's Courage Changed the Course of History
By Giles Milton. 1999
'To write a book that makes the reader sit in a trance, lost in his passionate desire to pack a…
suitcase and go to the fabulous place - that, in the end, is something one would give a sack of nutmeg for' Philip Hensher, The SpectatorIn 1616, an English adventurer, Nathaniel Courthope, stepped ashore on a remote island in the East Indies on a secret mission - to persuade the islanders of Run to grant a monopoly to England over their nutmeg, a fabulously valuable spice in Europe. This infuriated the Dutch, who were determined to control the world's nutmeg supply. For five years Courthope and his band of thirty men were besieged by a force one hundred times greater - and his heroism set in motion the events that led to the founding of the greatest city on earth.A beautifully told adventure story and a fascinating depiction of exploration in the seventeenth century, NATHANIEL'S NUTMEG sheds a remarkable light on historyNathaniel's Nutmeg: How One Man's Courage Changed the Course of History
By Giles Milton. 1999
'To write a book that makes the reader sit in a trance, lost in his passionate desire to pack a…
suitcase and go to the fabulous place - that, in the end, is something one would give a sack of nutmeg for' Philip Hensher, The SpectatorIn 1616, an English adventurer, Nathaniel Courthope, stepped ashore on a remote island in the East Indies on a secret mission - to persuade the islanders of Run to grant a monopoly to England over their nutmeg, a fabulously valuable spice in Europe. This infuriated the Dutch, who were determined to control the world's nutmeg supply. For five years Courthope and his band of thirty men were besieged by a force one hundred times greater - and his heroism set in motion the events that led to the founding of the greatest city on earth.A beautifully told adventure story and a fascinating depiction of exploration in the seventeenth century, NATHANIEL'S NUTMEG sheds a remarkable light on historyThe Lost Cyclist: The Epic Tale of an American Adventurer and His Mysterious Disappearance
By David V. Herlihy. 2010
This &“fascinating&” story of a nineteenth-century mystery &“should appeal to most lovers of history, as well as to bicycling enthusiasts.…
Strongly recommended&” (Library Journal). In the late 1880s, Frank Lenz of Pittsburgh, a renowned high-wheel racer and long-distance tourist, dreamed of cycling around the world. He finally got his chance by recasting himself as a champion of the downsized &“safety-bicycle&” with inflatable tires, the forerunner of the modern road bike that was about to become wildly popular. In the spring of 1892 he quit his accounting job and gamely set out west to cover twenty thousand miles over three continents as a correspondent for Outing magazine. Two years later, after having survived countless near disasters and unimaginable hardships, he approached Europe for the final leg. Lenz never made it. His mysterious disappearance in eastern Turkey sparked an international outcry and compelled Outing to send William Sachtleben, another larger-than-life cyclist, on Lenz&’s trail. Bringing to light a wealth of information, David Herlihy&’s gripping narrative captures the soaring joys and constant dangers accompanying the bicycle adventurer in the days before paved roads and automobiles. This untold story culminates with Sachtleben&’s heroic effort to bring Lenz&’s accused murderers to justice, even as troubled Turkey teetered on the edge of collapse.Pirate Hunter: The Life of Captain Woodes Rogers
By Graham A. Thomas. 2019
On 2 August 1708 Captain Woodes Rogers set sail from Bristol with two ships, the Duke and Duchess, on an…
epic voyage of circumnavigation that was to make him famous. His mission was to attack, plunder and pillage Spanish ships wherever he could. And, as Graham Thomas shows in this tense and exciting narrative, after a series of pursuits and sea battles he returned laden with booty and with a reputation as one of the most audacious and shrewd fighting captains of the age. He was then appointed governor of the Bahamas by George I with the task of suppressing the pirates who roamed this corner of the Caribbean and preyed on its shipping. He was equally successful as a privateer and pirate-hunter in an age when brutality and ruthlessness were the law of the sea.The journey West: the pioneer journals of Horace K. Whitney with insights by Helen Mar Kimball Whitney
By Horace K Whitney. 2018
In the tradition of Jane Goodall and Dian Fossey, Robert Sapolsky, a foremost science writer and recipient of a MacArthur…
Genius Grant, tells the mesmerizing story of his twenty-one years in remote Kenya with a troop of savanna baboons."I had never planned to become a savanna baboon when I grew up; instead, I had always assumed I would become a mountain gorilla,&” writes Robert Sapolsky in this witty and riveting chronicle of a scientist&’s coming-of-age in Africa. An exhilarating account of Sapolsky&’s twenty-one-year study of a troop of rambunctious baboons in Kenya, A Primate&’s Memoir interweaves serious scientific observations with wry commentary about the challenges and pleasures of living in the wilds of the Serengeti—for man and beast alike. Over two decades, Sapolsky survives culinary atrocities, gunpoint encounters, and a surreal kidnapping, while witnessing the encroachment of the tourist mentality on Africa. As he conducts unprecedented physiological research on wild primates, he becomes enamored of his subjects—unique and compelling characters in their own right—and he returns to them summer after summer, until tragedy finally prevents him. By turns hilarious and poignant, A Primate&’s Memoir is a magnum opus from one of our foremost science writers.Simon Girty, turncoat hero: the most hated man on the early American frontier
By Phillip W Hoffman. 2009
Simon Girty has been portrayed as a turncoat for much of history. In this revealing biography, the author details Girty's…
capture at age 15 by Indians in Pennsylvania during the French and Indian War, his training as an interpreter, and his role during the American Revolution. 2008South Pass: gateway to a continent
By Will Bagley. 2014
Bagley explains the significance of South Pass to the nation's history and to the development of the American West. Fur…
traders first saw South Pass in 1812. From the early 1840s until the completion of the Union Pacific and Central Pacific Railroads almost forty years later, emigrants on the Oregon, California, and Mormon Trails used South Pass in transforming the American West in a single generation. AdultCaptain Cook: Master of the Seas
By Frank McLynn. 2011
This &“thoroughly researched and sharply opinionated&” biography presents a nuanced portrait of the renowned 18th century navigator (The Wall Street…
Journal). The age of discovery was at its peak in the eighteenth century, with bold adventurers charting the furthest reaches of the globe. Foremost among these explorers was Captain James Cook of the British Royal Navy. Recent writers have viewed Cook through the lens of colonial exploitation, regarding him as a villain. While they raise important issues, many of these critical accounts overlook his major contributions to science, navigation and cartography. In Captain Cook, Frank McLynn re-creates the voyages that took the famous navigator from his native England to the outer reaches of the Pacific Ocean. Although Cook died in a senseless, avoidable conflict with the people of Hawaii, McLynn illustrates that to the men with whom he served, Cook was master of the seas and nothing less than a titan. McLynn reveals Cook's place in history as a brave and brilliant yet tragically flawed man.Or perish in the attempt: the hardship and medicine of the Lewis & Clark Expedition
By David J Peck. 2011
An in-depth examination of the health problems faced by the Lewis and Clark expedition, the common medicinal practices of the…
time, and the types of medical treatments used on the expedition. Adult. Some violence and strong languageHigher than Everest: Tendi Sherpa: A Lifetime of Climbing the World
By Flore Dussey. 2022
Higher than Everest paints an uncompromising portrait of Tendi Sherpa, who has successfully climbed twenty-one mountains over 8,000m, including fourteen…
ascents of Everest. This young father, part of the elite group of Nepalese guides, embodies the new generation of Sherpas who are taking their destiny into their own hands. In the numerous conferences he holds throughout the world, he never hesitates to denounce the amateurism and obsession of certain people determined to climb Everest, as well as the over-crowding of the sacred Himalayan mountains. As a child, the man who would go on to save many lives on the Roof of the World once dreamed of becoming a monk, and from his years at the monastery, he still retains a deep attachment to Buddhism and its many rituals. Resolutely looking towards the future, but also concerned about respecting the environment and traditions, Tendi regularly returns to the secluded valley of Khembalung, the land of his ancestors, never forgetting where it is he has come from.A &“highly enjoyable&” account of six men, and one woman, who journeyed into uncharted and treacherous African terrain to find…
the source of the White Nile (The Washington Post).Nothing obsessed explorers of the mid-nineteenth century more than the quest to discover the source of the White Nile. It was the planet&’s most elusive secret, the prize coveted above all others. Between 1856 and 1876, six larger-than-life men and one extraordinary woman accepted the challenge.Showing extreme courage and resilience, Richard Burton, John Hanning Speke, James Augustus Grant, Samuel Baker, Florence von Sass, David Livingstone, and Henry Morton Stanley risked their lives and reputations in the fierce competition. National Book Critics Circle Award-winning author Tim Jeal deploys fascinating new research to provide a vivid tableau of the unmapped &“Dark Continent,&” its jungle deprivations, and the courage—as well as malicious tactics—of the explorers.On multiple forays launched into east and central Africa, the travelers passed through almost impenetrable terrain and suffered the ravages of flesh-eating ulcers, paralysis, malaria, deep spear wounds, and even death. They discovered Lakes Tanganyika and Victoria and became the first white people to encounter the kingdoms of Buganda and Bunyoro. Jeal weaves the story with authentic new detail—and examines the tragic unintended legacy of the Nile search that still casts a long shadow over the people of Uganda and Sudan.&“A fabulous story…old-fashioned epic adventure.&”—The Sunday Times"Superb narrative…a must-read for anyone hoping to understand the internal dynamics of modern state-building in central Africa.&”—BooklistThe High Sierra: A Love Story
By Kim Stanley Robinson. 2022
A &“sublime&” and &“radically original&” exploration of the Sierra Nevadas, the best mountains on Earth for hiking and camping, from…
New York Times bestselling novelist Kim Stanley Robinson (Bill McKibben, Gary Snyder). Kim Stanley Robinson first ventured into the Sierra Nevada mountains during the summer of 1973. He returned from that encounter a changed man, awed by a landscape that made him feel as if he were simultaneously strolling through an art museum and scrambling on a jungle gym like an energized child. He has returned to the mountains throughout his life—more than a hundred trips—and has gathered a vast store of knowledge about them. The High Sierra is his lavish celebration of this exceptional place and an exploration of what makes this span of mountains one of the most compelling places on Earth.Over the course of a vivid and dramatic narrative, Robinson describes the geological forces that shaped the Sierras and the history of its exploration, going back to the indigenous peoples who made it home and whose traces can still be found today. He celebrates the people whose ideas and actions protected the High Sierra for future generations. He describes uniquely beautiful hikes and the trails to be avoided. Robinson&’s own life-altering events, defining relationships, and unforgettable adventures form the narrative&’s spine. And he illuminates the human communion with the wild and with the sublime, including the personal growth that only seems to come from time spent outdoors.The High Sierra is a gorgeous, absorbing immersion in a place, born out of a desire to understand and share one of the greatest rapture-inducing experiences our planet offers. Packed with maps, gear advice, more than 100 breathtaking photos, and much more, it will inspire veteran hikers, casual walkers, and travel readers to prepare for a magnificent adventure.