Over the Edge of the World: Magellan’s Terrifying Circumnavigation of the Globe by Laurence Bergreen
A fascinating account of Ferdinand Magellan’s life, most notably his groundbreaking circumnavigation of the globe. Bergreen makes even the details of trip preparation and basic elements of life at sea into page turning events in this excellent historical narrative.
The Lost City of Z: A Tale of Deadly Obsession in the Amazon by David Grann
The search for The Lost City of Z, a mythical city supposedly hidden deep in the Amazon, has drawn adventurers and treasure hunters alike for centuries. Follow the author as he attempts to solve the mystery of the fate of Colonel Percy Fawcett, original seeker of Z, providing insight into Fawcett’s life and adventures along the way.
Adrift: Seventy Six Days Lost At Sea by Steven Callahan
Following the sinking of his boat during a transatlantic sailing race, Callahan found himself lost at sea with only rudimentary equipment and a life raft. Fighting weather, exposure, and shark attacks, he managed to survive seventy six days before being rescued.
The Marsh Arabs by Wilfred Thesiger
Explorer Wilfred Thesiger takes a turn at travel writing with The Marsh Arabs, in which he recounts his time spent among the indigenous Madan culture of southern Iraq during his Arabian adventures.
Kon-Tiki by Thor Heyerdahl
Set to sea with Thor Heyerdahl as he sets out to confirm his hypothesis that the Polynesian Islands were settled by Peruvian seaman who travelled in balsam wood rafts across the Pacific. In order to prove his theory, Heyerdahl built his own balsam wood raft and set sail from South America. 101 days later, he arrived at is destination.
The Perfect Storm by Sebastian Junger
The tragic true account of the swordfishing boat the Andrea Gail, which was lost at sea during the 1991 Halloween Nor’easter. Sebastian Junger offers a glimpse into the life of a Gloucester fisherman and the dangers that accompany a life at sea.
In Harm’s Way: The Sinking of the U.S.S. Indianapolis and the Extraordinary Story of Its Survivors by Doug Stanton
Following the sinking of the U.S.S. Indianapolis by a Japanese submarine in July 1945, the surviving crew found themselves floating alone in the Pacific, many without so much as a lifejacket. For four days the crew stayed huddled together, fighting off shark attacks the entire time, before being rescued. Of the 880 sailors who survived the initial sinking, 317 were pulled from the water alive.
The Worst Journey in the World by Apsley Cherry-Garrard
This masterpiece of adventure literature, written by a survivor of the doomed 1910-1913 British Antarctic Expedition, details the events leading up to the expedition and the tragedies that befell expedition leader Robert F. Scott and his men while travelling on foot across the great southern continent.
“Polar exploration is at once the cleanest and most isolated way of having a bad time which has been devised.”
High Exposure: An Enduring Passion for Everest and Unforgiving Places by David Breashears
As an accomplished mountaineer and documentary filmmaker known best for the IMAX film Everest, David Breashears is no stranger to adventure of the highest order. In this, his autobiography, he takes us from one brush with death to another on some of the world’s most impossible peaks and offers a unique insight into the life of a professional mountaineer.
The Travels of Marco Polo by Marco Polo
A cornerstone of travel literature, this work by the famous 13th century explorer inspired generations of explorers. Most notable among them was Christopher Columbus, whose desire to find a western route to the Far East was inspired by Polo’s account of the culture and resources there.
Facebook
{ 2 trackbacks }
{ 54 comments… read them below or add one }
← Previous Comments
Wonderful list! However:
“Peaks and Lamas” by Marco Pallis, and any of the travel books by Patrick Leigh Fermor should be considered. Perhaps also “The Clouded Leopard” by Wade Davis.
Wow. I’m shocked that John Ledyard’s story is not included in this list. Ledyard was our country’s first adventurer…from dropping out of Dartmouth College by chopping down a pine tree and making a canoe out of it to escape downriver to serving alongside Captain Cook in his voyages to the Pacific—Ledyard was extremely well traveled and is considered by many to be the “first american adventurer”
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Ledyard
One book that I’ve just read that spoke to me as a man and my love of cars. Check out Go Like Hell by A.J. Baime. It’s about Ford trying to build a car to take down Ferrari at Le Mans. Great story with insight into the people and the cars they built, raced, and some died in.
I have to agree with Greg that Sailing Alone Around the World, by Capt. Joshua Slocum should have made the list. I’ll add though, that it should be read with his son’s book Capt. Joshua Slocum: The Life and Voyages of America’s Best Known Sailor By Victor Slocum.
← Previous Comments