Sitting at home in the winter months and I've read through my "library". I'm looking for something new to read, non fiction, preferably with a bit of adventure in it.
In biking books I've got on the shelf Armstrong, Kimmage, Anquetil, Voet and Millar.
I've just read seven Pillars of Wisdom, before that Crowhurst, Ranulph Fiennes and the Tilman collection.
Any suggestions along those lines most welcome.
(Into Thin Air) an account of the everest climb which cost the lives of 6 people in one go.
My gf highly recommends Blood River, by Tim Butcher.
I like mountaineering books - some of Joe Simpson's are very well written.
Into Thin Air is good - although his account is highly contested by quite a lot of other books by people who were also there.
"French Revolutions" by Tim Moore
Bit more light-hearted than your books, but plenty of adventure.
Andy Cave's book is about the most honest no bullsh!t climbing book Ive read.
The Discovery of France - Graham Robb. Amazing stuff about France, like how lots of it wasn't mapped only a couple of hundred years ago, drug smuggling dogs, how the language evolved, crazy stuff that occurs in outlying regions etc etc. V interesting, and the author travelled round the country on his bike to do some of the research. Not adventure as such, but worth a look imho
French Revolutions by Tim Moore, The Escape Artist by Matt Seaton, A Short History of Almost Everything by Bill Bryson and An Utterly Impartial History of Britain by John O'Farrell.
Blood River by Tim Butcher seconded
French Revolutions by Tim Moore seconded/thirded
A Short History of Almost Everything by Bill Bryson seconded (indeed, anythng by Bill Bryson)
or, for a tale that makes you feel incredibly insignificant and awestruck by the resilience of the human spirit, South, by Ernest Shackleton
or, for a tale that makes you feel incredibly insignificant and awestruck by the resilience of the human spirit, South, by Ernest Shackleton
2nd that
Captain Sir Richard Francis Burton by Edward Rice - biography of (imo) the greatest, and certainly the most fascinating, of the Victorian explorers - superbly written.
Agree with Into Thin Air and also French Revolutions
On topic - I read Death of Marco Pantani recently. First half inspiring, second half sad and pretty condeming.
Death of Marco Pantani recently. First half inspiring, second half sad and pretty condeming and overall, I thought, a bit dull.
the point is laboured a bit yes
I been doing a lot of reading recently.
Recommend Shantaram by Gregory David Roberts. One of the best books I ever read. Also An Unexpected Light by Jason Elliot. Probably the second best book I ever read. Both fit the bill of adventure and are autobiographical.
Cheers
I have just finished a few books on the first round the world yaght race (look up Robin Knox-Johnston as a start) 3 or 4 books that all intertwine Motissier etc. Mad as a boat load of frogs, all of them
London 1945 (Maureen Waller) -fascinating account of the war year in London, warts and all, tells it how it really was.
Stiff (Mary Roach) - google it..not what you think
Some fantastic books in which mountains feature:
Mountains of the Mind by Robert Macfarlane - about what compels climbers
The Snow Leopard by Peter Matthiesson - searching for snow leopards in NW Nepal and finding something else
Three Cups of Tea by Greg Mortenson - one climber's mission to build schools in Afghanistan
The Wild Trees - about climbers who study/climb the worlds tallest trees. Very inspiring the amount of dedictaion certain people have but also quite sad how they cut off alot of things in their lives in order to follow one path.
if you're about 27-32 then i would recommend Danny Wallace's Friends Like These as it is a great trip down memory lane. Yes Man is supposed to be very good also
Another vote for Blood River.
Life and Limb by Jamie Andrew - Now theres a story. Guy watches his friend die beside at the top of Chamonix and then looses his hands and feet due to exposure whilst awaiting rescue.
Steve
Oh and forgot - Between a rock and a hard place by Aaron Ralston. Goes out biking and then walking, falls and gets his arm trapped in the Arizona desert. He ends up cutting his arm off with a pen knife.
Seems like he was on a mission to of wrecklesness in his life.interesting how he comes to terms with this as he sits in the freezing cold with a trapped arm that is dying.
Martin Meredith: The State of Africa, or Diamonds, Blood and War
Edward Lucas: The New Cold War
On the non-fiction, non-sport vein, then I'd recommend Persian Fire - about the Greek - Persian wars. A historical account written like a novel. Not dull/academic account at all.
Also light hearted book about Economics...
The Economic Naturalist: Why Economics Explains Almost Everything
1421 (forget the author but find it in the history section) about how the Chinese explored the worlds new and old before Columbus, but their adventures were lost due to the catastrophies that followed and a self-imposed dark age. The story of the author's research is a real page-turner, I couldn't put it down.
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