UKC

All I,ve read so far is a few books on Robert falcon scott, Edmundson, and some by Heinrich Harrer. Enjoyed them all.

Anyone recommend me anything else. Whose had the best adventures?

Dont care what time period as long as the writings great.

Which books have the thrills of Jack London writings...but Without the fiction?

Also anyone know any superb books on the early explorations of greenland canada and africa?

In reply to brokenjockstrap:

Africa.

Travels in the Interior of Africa - Mungo Park

Brilliant

In reply to brokenjockstrap:

Try 'The Worst Journey in the World' by Apsley Cherry-Garrard. He was a member of Scott's polar expedition, so you'll be familiar with the general subject matter. It's an astonishing tale.

Also along similar lines is 'An Unsung Hero: Tom Crean, Antarctic Survivor' by Michael Smith. Crean served with both Shackleton and Scott, and it has been suggested that if he had been part of the final party which pushed for the Pole, they would have survived. Makes Bear Grylls look like Liberace.

In reply to brokenjockstrap:

The Boardman-Tasker prize is usually awarded to a book fitting your requirements. I've read quite a few of the winning entries and they have all been very good.

Here is the list of previous winners:

http://www.boardmantasker.com/site/previous_winners.htm

(also a great source of inspiration for gifts for climbers/mountaineers)

I would also add "Brotherhood of the Rope" by Bernadette McDonald (Biography of Charles Houston, mountaineer and all-round interesting guy)

In reply to brokenjockstrap: walter bonatti

In reply to brokenjockstrap:

Alfred Lansing's book 'Endurance', about Shackleton's ill-fated trip to the Antarctic, is a fantastic read.

In reply to brokenjockstrap:

There is a pretty good book called "Great Heart" about the exploration of a river in Labradore - Canada

Another good one is called "Karluc" which was sea exploration off the north coast of Alaska

In reply to Removed User:

Sorry, that should be "Karluk"

In reply to Removed User:

http://www.amazon.com/Great-Heart-Labrador-Adventure-Kodansha/dp/1568361688

In reply to Removed User:

http://www.ric.edu/faculty/rpotter/karluk.html

In reply to brokenjockstrap: its got to be Papillon by Henri Charriere.'The greatest true story of escape and adventure ever written'

In reply to brokenjockstrap:

eric newby
http://www.amazon.co.uk/s/ref=nb_ss_w_h_?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-k...

wilfred thesiger
http://www.amazon.co.uk/s/ref=nb_ss_w_h_?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-k...

eric shipton
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Six-Mountain-Travel-Books/dp/0906371562/ref=sr_1_3?...

h.w. tillman
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Seven-Mountain-Travel-Books-H-Tilman/dp/090637121X/...

f.s smythe
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Frank-Smythe-Alpine-Himalayan-Climbing/dp/089886740...

random adventure book i enjoyed recently:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Last-Gentleman-Adventurer-Coming-Arctic/dp/06187735...

if you need more suggestions post back and i'll get off my arse and go look at the bookshelves.

In reply to brokenjockstrap:

for a more modern adventurer - henry hemming
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Misadventure-Middle-East-Travels-Artist/dp/18578839...

got this for christmas and thoroughly enjoyed it.

In reply to brokenjockstrap:

"South" by Shackleton - excellent, exciting, astonishing feat of survival. (The Imax film (that they use to show at Rheged, Penrith) was good too.) Would thoroughtly recommend this book.
"The worst journey in the wolrd" - I found a bit hard to get into and not so good..

In reply to brokenjockstrap:

Try "No Picnic on Mount Kenya" by Felice Benuzzi - story of Italian prisoners of war who escape just to get in some climbing. Translated of course, but written in the style of its time (WWII). Quite an adventure.

Also, "Silent Highways of the Jungle", by G.M.Dyott. Stoic chap explores upper reaches of Amazon in early 1920's.

In reply to brokenjockstrap:
I would recommend 'Two against the ice' by Ejnar Mikkelsen

Two guys exploring northern Greenland in 1910 miss their boat and walk south. Classic narly adventure, the chapters just get more incredible, having eaten the dogs, contracted scurvy, trying to convince themselves that mildew is a vegetable, the next chapter is entitled 'Things get worse' and thats just half way through.

Easily available from secondhand websites it really is an enthralling read

In reply to Chris Sansum:
I'll seoond that,brilliant tale.Currently reading The Worst Journey in the World which is amazing also.
"Solo" by Pen Hadow should be a good read. I saw him speak at the RGS, very inspring bloke and one of the rare "true" explorers left today (I think)

In reply to brokenjockstrap:

HW Tilman The Eight Sailing/Mountain-Exploration Books Pub Diadem 1987 ISBN 0-906371-22-8

HW Tilman The Seven Mountain-Travel Books Pub Diadem 1983 ISBN 0-906371-21-X

IMHO some of the best written Mountain/Sea true adventure ever written.

In reply to Trangia:
I'd go with the recommendations of Shackleton's "South". To fling something else in though I'd recommend Owen/Geiger's "Frozen In Time" which is about Franklin's doomed North-west Passage expedition and modern sciences attempts to piece together the events which led to its demise.

In reply to brokenjockstrap:

'Mountains of the Mind' by Robert Macfarlene is a really good book!
It's basically a history on mountaineering but gives a really good insight to the views of the Alps over time.

In reply to brokenjockstrap:
I really liked Nanga Parbat by Karl M.Herrligkoffer, the leader of the expedition that ended with Buhl getting to the top.This is a non-Buhl version of events.

I also enjoyed Everest:The Challenges by Francis Young-Husband (Nelson Press), published in 1936.You may, like me,have to bite your tongue, whilst reading the philosophical/religious ideas later on.The worrying thing for me is that I have just read inside the front cover that I have a first edition, which had an asking price of £45!I seem to remember buying about 6 2nd hand climbing books at once and doing a deal.I surely did not pay that for it otherwise.

At the other end, I bought Annapurna, by Herzog, yesterday for £2 in Dunkeld.Good buy I would say.

Rob

In reply to brokenjockstrap: "Arabian Sands" by Wilfred Theseiger. Absolutely excellent. One of the best exploration books ever written.

In reply to brokenjockstrap:

Quest for Adventure, Chris Bonnington.

It's about firsts in all aspects of adventure, first sail around the world, first 8000er, first transantarctic journey etc.

Not finished it yet but enjoyed it so far.

Also, Sea Change by Peter Nichols, about crossing the Atlantic in a wooden boat

In reply to Dave Ferguson: You,ve convinced me! It sounds amazing, just what I,m looking for! Thanks!

In reply to brokenjockstrap:

a kind of adventure but a good read is the Alan bombard story
french doc want to understand the phisiology and psycology of drifting at sea so casts himself adrift in an inflatable liferaft from Casablanca alone. 63 days later ne is "rescued" by fishermen in barbados - and the seal on his emergency rations is unbroken.

Its full on Ray Meares stuff , its worth the peanuts amazon are asking for a used copy

for overview
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alain_Bombard

the book itself

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Bombard-Story-Alain/dp/0246130385/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF...

In reply to everyone: These are all good recommendations..thanks everyone!

I,ve odered 5 of these books today.


But keep the suggestions comming!

In reply to brokenjockstrap: 'Barrow's Boys' brilliant book on early arctic and antarctic explored - makes you realise they were all barking mad!

In reply to Chris Sansum:

I second this. brilliant book full of fantastic photos

Also a good read:

Spy On The Roof of the World: Espionage & Survival in the Himalayas -Sydney Wignall
Mad, Bad and Dangerous to Know - Ranulph Fiennes

In reply to martin k:

Agreed; anything by Thesiger is worth reading.

-A little less common - try F Spencer-Chapman. Amazing packed life.

In reply to brokenjockstrap:

I liked these ones...

Scrambles among the Alps, by Edward Whymper

My Climbs in the Alps and Caucasus, by Alfred F. Mummery

In reply to : Has anyone read any of the books of a Swedish explorer called Sven Hedin?

His books all seems out of print and very expensive..but someone (a girl so I,m doubtful lol) many years ago told me his stuff was superb.

Are they worth the cost and the trouble?

In reply to brokenjockstrap:

Ninety Degrees North by Fergus Fleming is a good history of North Polar exploration.

In reply to brokenjockstrap: look up s hedin central asia and tibet vol 1 and 2 1903

In reply to brokenjockstrap:

Whymper's Scrambles Amongst the Alps is just about in a class of its own, imo. Certainly, in terms of early mountaineering. Mummery's My Climbs in the A & C comes a close second, but still second. Lesile Stephen, Playground of Europe, either joint second or in third place.

In reply to brokenjockstrap:

Outside of mountaineering, pre WW1, there's virtually nothing to touch Apsley Cherry-Garrard's Worst Journey in the World.

In reply to brokenjockstrap: Anything by Joe Simpson. This Game of Ghosts is my favourite.

In reply to brokenjockstrap:

Forgot to mention Michael Asher. He did one called "shoot to Kill" which was basically about his life in the army and police but he then went on to live in the Sudan and was the first Westerner to cross the Sahara West to East on a camel (along with his wife). Not sure what the book was called but I'm sure you can google it. He also did a short one about the Salt trail in the Sudan.

He is fluent in Arabic and went into Iraq once Sadam was ousted to get the true story of "Bravo two zero" (Mick Ryan). He basically shot the story to pieces.

In reply to Removed User:


Sorry, I meant Andy McNab!

This is the guy:

http://www.fantasticfiction.co.uk/a/michael-asher/

In reply to brokenjockstrap:
another vote for robert macfarlane's 'mountains of the mind'- picked it up in the library last year with no idea what it was. definitely my favourite read of 08.
also tom patey's 'one man's mountain' was a joy and, as above, it's well worth looking at joe simpson's output beyond '... the void'

In reply to everyone: Thank you! At this rate I,ll need anothere bookshelf!