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Jaguars Ripped My Flesh
By Tim Cahill. 1987
The author of A Wolverine Is Eating My Leg and Pecked to Death by Ducks gives new meaning to the…
words "going to extremes" in this exhilarating--and frequently hilarious--collection of adventure travel writing. "Cahill . . . (writes) with the precision ofJohn McPhee and Joan Didion tempered by a Monty Pythonesque sense of the absurd."--San Diego Union-Tribune.From the Trade Paperback edition.Shooting the Boh
By Tracy Johnston. 1992
A thrilling, touching, and densely instructive book, Shooting the Boh is also a frank self-portrait of a woman facing her…
most corrosive fears--and triumphing over them--with fortitude and unflagging wit. "A captivating and truly offbeat rite of passage."--Eric Hansen.From the Trade Paperback edition.My Secret History
By Paul Theroux. 1989
"Theroux's best novel in years."CHICAGO TRIBUNEMY SECRET HISTORY is Paul Theroux's tour de force. It is the story of Andre…
Parent, a writer, a world traveler, a lover of every kind of woman he chances to meet in a life as varied as a man can lead. From his days as an altar boy, to his job as a teenaged lifeguard, and then as a youth caught between the attentions of a beautiful young student and an amorous older woman. And as the boy becomes a man he turns his attention to writing, which brings him fame, and a wife, who may finally bring him to know himself. But not before he sets up his most dangerous secret life, one that any man might envy, but that could cost Andre Parent the delicate balance that makes him who he is....From the Paperback edition.Wild Stories
By Men's Journal Editors. 2002
For the past decade, Men's Journal has set the standard for travel and adventure writing by publishing the work of…
America's finest authors and literary journalists. Wild Stories collects thirty-two of the best pieces to appear in the magazine, written by its most esteemed contributors, including Jim Harrison, Sebastian Junger, P. J. O'Rourke, Rick Bass, Thomas McGuane, George Plimpton, Hampton Sides, Doug Stanton, Tim Cahill, and Mark Bowden. Each of the four chapters in Wild Stories showcases Men's Journal's diversity and taut storytelling power. "The Adventures" is a series of razor-sharp travel narratives, from a road trip across India on the perilous Grand Trunk Road to a search for grizzlies in Romania. "The Sporting Life" is a look into obscure corners of the sports world, where golf's bush-league wannabes try to make it to the PGA and a group of cyclists out-suffer one another in pursuit of the mythic Hour Record. "Men's Lives" includes profiles of singular adventurers such as Yvon Chouinard and Ned Gillette, and captures the rewards of such quintessentially male traditions as building a cabin on your own plot of land. And "The Reporting" collects definitive accounts of the most newsworthy disasters, as well as riveting dispatches from war zones in Somalia, Sudan, and Colombia, and from environmental hot spots in Alaska and Montana.Commemorating Men's Journal's tenth anniversary, Wild Stories is a diverse and entertaining anthology that explores the magazine's basic creed: Life is an adventure. From the first page to the last, these are stories you'll never forget.From the Hardcover edition.California Dreaming
By Lawrence Donegan. 2002
Lured by a six-figure salary in Silicon Valley and fond memories of his low-rent North American rock 'n' roll tour,…
U.K. journalist, bass player, and adventure seeker Lawrence Donegan lands in California to pursue the American dream. Somewhere along the way he takes a wrong turn and ends up working on Orchard Boulevard, home of the world's biggest car lot. Donegan quickly picks up a reputation as the worst salesman anyone has seen in twenty years, but with mentors like Mickey "The Legend" McDonald, Tony "The Tank" Tognazzini, and Frankie "The Rock" Reames, it isn't long before he acquires the brass balls and lowdown cunning he needs to sell his first car. California Dreaming is part personal journey, part classic American adventure. It charts Donegan's career as an "asphalt warrior," from multiple rejections ("Get away from me, sleazeball!") to his pursuit of the Oscar of the used-car business: the Salesman of the Month Award. You'll find yourself rooting for him every step of the way.Two in the Wild
By Susan Fox Rogers. 1999
Thelma and Louise get sporty (and survive) in this anthology of true stories about women whose idea of fun involves…
sharing adventures--big and small--in the great outdoors. In essays that not only take you to mountains, forests, lakes, and rivers but also explore the powerful and intimate bond of female companionship, the editor of Solo: On Her Own Adventure introduces sixteen daring women and their travel mates as they ski, climb, hike, bike, and drive all over the world.Trudge through the muddied roads of Australia's outback with thirty-something Sara Corbett and her childhood chum to find the legendary 80-year-old woman rumored to split wood faster than any man who challenges her. Go fishing with Holly Morris, kick back with Pam Houston and a good friend at a Denver ranch, or bike with Diane Ackerman and her friend through the "aubergine drapery of the forest" as they circumnavigate Otsego Lake. Hop in the car with Mary Morris and her baby daughter to meet the eccentrics living in the California desert, and climb the Himalayas with 54-year-old Jean Gould and her 70-year-old travel partner.Whether you are an armchair adventurer or a thrill seeker in your own right, these exhilarating essays will inspire you to dust off your bicycle, lace up your hiking boots, fill your gas tank, and take your dearest friend along for the time of your lives.From the Trade Paperback edition.I Was a Potato Oligarch
By John Mole. 2008
In this eye-wateringly funny account from John Mole, readers will experience "the real Russia" firsthand. Beginning with a risky business…
venture inspired by British fast food, Mole attempts to submerge himself in Russian culture-but often finds himself in the middle of a fiasco instead.A Summer in Gascony, New Edition
By Martin Calder. 2009
Gascony's incredible culture and beautiful landscape shine as Martin Calder is introduced to "the other South of France." In the…
tiny hamlet of Peguilhan, Martin discovers the unique personalities of Jacques-Henri (the hardworking farmer), Anja (the lovely German student), Pattes (a trouble-making stray dog), and more-including the town gossip and a man with incredible Gascon heritage.The Secret Worlds of Colin Fletcher
By Colin Fletcher. 1989
In books such as The Complete Walker and The Man Who Walked Through Time, Colin Fletcher has established a reputation…
as a literate and witty apostle of roughing it. His newest book is a highly personal celebration of solitary backpacking (and day walking, too), in the wild places of the world, and of all the attendant pleasures: of finding a foothold in difficult terrain, of catching a glimpse of an unsuspecting coyote, of healing the wounds that civilization inevitably inflicts on human nature --of simply "mucking about." Overflowing with fresh descriptions of nature and with the wisdom of a curmudgeonly Thoreau, this book is a must for backpackers and all unconstrained spirits.The Water in Between
By Kevin Patterson. 1999
A broken heart leads Kevin Patterson to the dock of a sailboat brokerage on Vancouver Island, where he stands contemplating…
the romance of the sea and his heartfelt desire to get away. By the end of the day, he finds himself the owner of a thirty-seven-foot ketch called Sea Mouse. Although he's never really been on the ocean before (aside from the odd ferry-ride), he feels compelled to sail to Tahiti and back, to burn away his failings in hard miles at sea.From the Trade Paperback edition.The Ice Balloon
By Alec Wilkinson. 2012
In this grand and astonishing tale, Alec Wilkinson brings us the story of S. A. Andrée, the visionary Swedish aeronaut…
who, in 1897, during the great age of Arctic endeavor, left to discover the North Pole by flying to it in a hydrogen balloon. Called by a British military officer "the most original and remarkable attempt ever made in Arctic exploration," Andrée's expedition was followed by nearly the entire world, and it made him an international legend. The Ice Balloon begins in the late nineteenth century, when nations, compelled by vanity, commerce, and science, competed with one another for the greatest discoveries, and newspapers covered every journey. Wilkinson describes how in Andrée several contemporary themes intersected. He was the first modern explorer--the first to depart for the Arctic unencumbered by notions of the Romantic age, and the first to be equipped with the newest technologies. No explorer had ever left with more uncertainty regarding his fate, since none had ever flown over the horizon and into the forbidding region of ice. In addition to portraying the period, The Ice Balloon gives us a brief history of the exploration of the northern polar regions, both myth and fact, including detailed versions of the two record-setting expeditions just prior to Andrée's--one led by U.S. Army lieutenant Adolphus Greely from Ellesmere Island; the other by Fridtjof Nansen, the Norwegian explorer who initially sought to reach the pole by embedding his ship in the pack ice and drifting toward it with the current. Woven throughout is Andrée's own history, and how he came by his brave and singular idea. We also get to know Andrée's family, the woman who loves him, and the two men who accompany him--Nils Strindberg, a cousin of the famous playwright, with a tender love affair of his own, and Knut Fraenkel, a willing and hearty young man. Andrée's flight and the journey, based on the expedition's diaries and photographs, dramatically recovered thirty-three years after the balloon came down, along with Wilkinson's research, provide a book filled with suspense and adventure, a haunting story of high ambition and courage, made tangible with the detail, beauty, and devastating conditions of traveling and dwelling in "the realm of Death," as one Arctic explorer put it.Crazy River: Exploration and Folly in East Africa
By Richard Grant. 2011
NO ONE TRAVELS QUITE LIKE RICHARD GRANT and, really, no one should. In his last book, the adventure classic God's…
Middle Finger, he narrowly escaped death in Mexico's lawless Sierra Madre. Now, Grant has plunged with his trademark recklessness, wit, and curiosity into East Africa. Setting out to make the first descent of an unexplored river in Tanzania, he gets waylaid in Zanzibar by thieves, whores, and a charismatic former golf pro before crossing the Indian Ocean in a rickety cargo boat. And then the real adventure begins. Known to local tribes as "the river of bad spirits," the Malagarasi River is a daunting adversary even with a heavily armed Tanzanian crew as travel companions. Dodging bullets, hippos, and crocodiles, Grant finally emerges in war-torn Burundi, where he befriends some ethnic street gangsters and trails a notorious man-eating crocodile known as Gustave. He concludes his journey by interviewing the dictatorial president of Rwanda and visiting the true source of the Nile. Gripping, illuminating, sometimes harrowing, often hilarious, Crazy River is a brilliantly rendered account of a modern-day exploration of Africa, and the unraveling of Grant's peeled, battered mind as he tries to take it all in.Pass the Butterworms
By Tim Cahill. 1997
In Pass the Butterworms Cahill takes us to the steppes of Mongolia, where he spends weeks on horseback alongside the…
descendants of Genghis Khan and masters the "Mongolian death trot"; to the North Pole, where he goes for a pleasure dip in 36-degree water; to Irian Jaya New Guinea, where he spends a companionable evening with members of one of the last head-hunting tribes. Whether observing family values among the Stone Age Dani people, or sampling delicacies like sautéed sago beetle and premasticated manioc beer, Cahill is a fount of arcane information and a master of self-deprecating humor.Before Columbus: The Americas of 1491
By Charles Mann. 2009
A companion book to Mann's groundbreaking bestseller "1491: New Revelations of the Americas Before Columbus," this is a fascinating journey…
that presents the Americas as young readers have never seen them before. [This text is listed as an example that meets Common Core Standards in English language arts in grades 9-10 at http://www.corestandards.org.]Before Columbus: The Americas of 1491
By Charles C. Mann. 2009
A companion book to Mann's groundbreaking bestseller "1491: New Revelations of the Americas Before Columbus," this is a fascinating journey…
that presents the Americas as young readers have never seen them before. [This text is listed as an example that meets Common Core Standards in English language arts in grades 9-10 at http://www.corestandards.org.]The Ice Pilots
By Michael Vlessides. 2011
As seen on TV!The Ice Pilots follows renegade Arctic airline Buffalo Airways, and pilots who defy the cold and the…
competition by using WWII era propeller planes likes the DC-3 to haul vital fuel, supplies, and passengers to remote outposts across the world's last great wilderness. From rookie pilots trying to earn their wings in sometimes hellish conditions to vintage planes that flew over Normandy on D-Day, The Ice Pilots brings its readers on an engaging romp through Arctic skies.Michael Vlessides braves bone-chilling temperatures, treacherous landings, and iconic owner "Buffalo" Joe McBryan's famous temper to capture behind-the-scenes stories about the ice pilots, the crew, and the communities they serve. Weaving in history about bush pilots, plane crashes, and the north, he has crafted an entertaining, informative narrative about aviation, the lifeline of this remote world.Based on the top-rated Ice Pilots NWT television series now airing on The Weather Channel USA, History Television Canada, National Geographic Australia, and in 12 countries around the world.What Was the Lewis and Clark Expedition?
By Judith St. George, Tim Foley. 2014
When Meriwether Lewis, William Clark, and the "Corp of Discovery" left St. Louis, Missouri, on May 21, 1804, their mission…
was to explore the vast, unknown territory acquired a year earlier in the Louisiana Purchase. The travelers hoped to find a waterway that crossed the western half of the United States. They didn't. However, young readers will love this true-life adventure tale of the two-year journey that finally brought the explorers to the Pacific Ocean.Dubai Dreams
By Raymond Barrett. 2010
Sun, sea, shopping, roaring nightlife, the world's tallest building, seven-star resort hotels and sprawling championship golf courses... these all come…
to mind when thinking about Dubai, the newest and most luxurious hotspot for business and leisure. But what lurks behind this glitzy glamour-town? Raymond Barrett investigates, and finds some fascinating results. Incredibly topical, Dubai Dreams is a must-read for anyone seeking a journey to the 'Las Vegas of the East' themselves, or those interested in seeing the truth behind all the bling. Far from being solely a "billionaire's paradise," Barrett discovers the myriad of other people who live in, work in, and visit Dubai, each revealing a new facet of the Arabian city-state. Dubai boasts not only the world's largest man-made island, but also a extraordinarily varied population, consisting of expatriates from all over the world - India, China, England, the Philippines - Barrett explores the city, leading the reader to discover what lies below the gleaming skyline, not just malls and sport courts, but also mosques and temples, courthouses and speakeasies - making it the first book to look behind the scenes at Dubai as a whole, in terms of life, business and culture.Imperfect Passage
By Michael Cosgrove. 2012
Michael Cosgrove had a beautiful family, a successful career, and a lovely Southern California home overlooking the Pacific Ocean. At…
the age sixty, he decided to leave that all behind to sail around the world. In spite of his romanticized vision of rugged individualism and salty tales to share with his grandchildren, Cosgrove quickly realizes that sailing around the world isn't going to be as easy as he'd imagined. From a psychotic crewmate, sleep deprivation, and mental breakdowns, to stormy weather and hallucinations, Cosgrove rides the waves, holding on as best he can to his dream of "doing something grand." Alone, and thousands of miles away from everyone and everything he loves, he is forced to ask himself one question: what in God's name am I doing here? In his attempt to avoid the inevitable (growing old, weak, frail), Cosgrove runs amok. He breaks his budget to outfit the boat and then refuses to read the manuals. He enters unfamiliar harbors in the dead of night, hires a violent first mate, and sails headlong into ferocious storms. In the midst of his adventures, he longs for the simpler days when his four daughters were still children, when his first marriage was still intact, and when his future still seemed bright and expansive. Though driven by scenes of sheer terror, absurd folly, and deep inner searching, Cosgrove keeps his sense of humor throughout his harrowing journey. Imperfect Passage is the story of one man's perseverance against Father Time and Mother Nature, proving that with enough will, one can, in his or her own way, conquer the unconquerable. Michael Cosgrove will be donating a portion of his profits to the Navy Special Warfare Family Foundation.Women Explorers
By Cheryl Harness, Julia Cummins. 2012
Meet ten inspiring women whose passions for exploration made them push the boundaries Though most people have heard of explorers…
like Henry Hudson and Christopher Columbus, few have heard names like Nellie Cashman and Annie Smith Peck. Unfortunately, most of the brave women explorers have never made it into history books because they lived in times when it was taboo for women to go off on their own. Luckily, the daring women in this book didn't let those taboos slow them down as they climbed treacherous mountains, studied Aboriginal cultures, and lived with Pygmy tribes! With engaging text and bold illustrations, Women Explorers will finally properly introduce these adventurous women to the world.