X-Mas Wishlist - What Books to Add?

Anyone read a good book lately? I'm looking to stock up on good outdoor adventure books, travelouges, etc. to occupy my Winter evenings by the fire. I'm reading "Shattered Air" by Bob Madgic right now. It's pretty good and timely in light of the Half Dome thread. I read "The Last Season" liked it o.k., but Eric Blehm is no John Krakauer. John McPhee is one of my favorite authors. He makes even obscure things like working on a river barge or driving an 18 wheeler fascinating in "Uncommon Carriers." While "Uncommone Carriers" isn't really outdoor adventure per se, it is a good read. The aforementioned Krakauer is another of my favorites... so if you like Krakauer, what else have you read recently that comes close to his writing?

Anything by David Roberts. In my opinion he approaches Krakauer--from the better side!

Have you read any Jack London? Krakauer models his writing style very much after Jack London's.

A fantastic read that I can't recommend enough is "A First-Rate Tragedy" by Diana Peston. It's a gripping account of Scott's fatal race to the South Pole... and his death. Read once the snow starts flying and it will really pull you in.

Here's a few of my recent reads that might meet your requirements...

Confessions of an Amateur Peakbagger
Savage Summit
Desire and Ice

HAPPY READING

The Wall

I just finished reading a thriller called "The Wall" by Jeff Long. It has nothing to do with Pink Floyd. Get the paperback. It would be a great backpack book for in-the-tent reading. Just don't take it on a hanging bivy!

David Roberts was one of Jon Krakauer's teachers at Hampshire College.

How about "The Long Walk" by Slavomir Rawicz? "Endurance" by Alfred Lansing? Anything by Bill Bryson. The usual suspects.

I just finished Viesturs' new book (with David Roberts) No Shortcuts to the Top: Climbing the World's 14 Highest Peaks. Recommended.

I'm currently reading the previously mentioned Mount Everest: Confessions of an Amateur Peak Bagger by Kevin Flynn with Gary Fallesen. It's OK.

Raymond said:

How about "The Long Walk" by Slavomir Rawicz?

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I second that recommendation. Quite a tale for sure.

I am reading Four against the Artic right now by Roberts, my opinion is that it is OK, it is more about his research in trying to find any information about the 4 Russian hunters who were stranded on an arctic island for 6 years. Although his long quest to get info from the Russians and his research is interesting, there really isn't much known about the 4 guys survival itself cause none of the survivors wrote anything down and most of what Robert's found is all third hand information, subject to the pitfalls of translation and a different culture. I'd like to read Escape from Lucania which Swamp tells me is good.


As far as adventure writers, I have read The Last Season by Blehm and enjoyed it, kind of like a outdoors mystery novel.

I'd also recommend Jon Waterman (no relationship to Guy) as an author, a really good book about Mt St Elias in Alaska is A Most Hostile Mountain. I read this on the way back from Wrangell St Elias NP and it was excellent and have since read Arctic Crossing.

Another good book is Minus 148 Degrees by Art Davidson which I read while I was in Denali (see a pattern here? )

Oh, David Roberts has a really good book on Ireland, though it's not exactly adventure related, it is more of a historical history of the Sagas which are could be described as Irish folklore passed on to generations and generations, although Roberts doe climb a glaciated mtn there with Krakauer, it's mostly just historical documentation on Ireland.

Oh, another interesting book, albeit perhaps a little morbid is Last Breath: The limits of adventure by Peter Stark. It's all about the minute details of dying and all the different ways we can all die... It's quite fascinating and we're all going to die some day!

Jay

I just got an original 1954 copy of The Ascent of Everest by John Hunt at a local library booksale along with Alive (the account of the Uruguayan rugby team that crashed in the Andes...wow) and Annapurna (about the first ascent of Annapurna by the French team.)

The Everest book and Alive were both great, but the Annapurna book may have lost much in the translation because it seemed to be very sluggish and dry to me. I quit after about 15 pages.

I second the vote for Desire and Ice, I just read that over the summer after finding it for $3 on the clearance rack at Borders. I also just read Dean Karnazes' book, Ultramarathon Man: Confessions of an All-Night Runner . It's a great book and actually a really good motivator. That guy has way too much energy!

I'm not so much a fan of Jon Krakauer especially after reading Into Thin Air and then reading the conflicting reports from Lene Gammelgaard and Anatoli Boukreev in their respective books. Boukreev was a hero that day in 1996 and selflessy saved several lives at great risk to himself, but Krakauer paints him as a heartless automaton who endangered the lives of the climbers in the expedition in exchange for his own personal glory. Well, I have a strong opinion of him now, but I'm just ranting...sorry!

Enjoy the reading, thanks for all the leads so far!

Peace!

You can always start with National Geographic's list of 100 greatest adventure books.

Here's a few that are not on that list but excellent (IMHO) reading nonetheless:

My favorite Mt Everest book: Snow in the Kingdom by Ed Webster. Excellent writing and outstanding photos.

The Ice Master by Jennifer Niven. An account of an ill fated 1913 Arctic expedition climaxed by the Captain's 700 mile trek to secure a ship to rescue what was left of his crew.

In the Ghost Country by Peter Hillary & John Elder. Hillary and 2 companions (they all grew to truly hate each other during the expedition) cross Antarctica to repeat the route of Robert Falcon Scott. They finish but they are all physically and emotionally damaged at the end.

The Last Place on Earth by Roland Mumford. A sometimes dry but incredibly detailed comparison of Scott and Amundsen and their race for the South Pole. You'll understand why Scott and his men suffered and died and why Amundsen's men actually gained weight on their trips to the Pole.

Anything written by Joe Simpson. Clearly Joe is near the top of pack when it comes to writing about mountain climbing and its philosophical and ethical intricacies.

Winter World by Bernd Heinrich. A wonderful book on how animals are able to survive winter weather.

The Adventures of Theodore Roosevelt by T. Roosevelt. Excerpts from TR's numerous books on his many adventures out west, in Africa, as a Rough Rider in wartime and in the Brazilian jungle on an uncharted river (The River of Doubt). This guy was very ballsy and an eloquent author to boot.

JohnL

In addition to others posted above, check out "This Game of Ghosts," and "The Beckoning Silence," by Joe Simpson (of Touching the Void fame), as well as Thomas Hornbein's "Everest: The West Ridge".

North to Katahdin

I just finished several good ones North to Katahdin by Eric Pinder was very enjoyable and well written. I also completely enjoyed Ed Viesters excellent book which someone above mentioned. The Winter World by Bernd Heimrich is something I like to read every winter--actually anything by him is a wonderful experience. Happy reading!!

So much reading.

So would any of us write a book? If so, what?

JohnL said:

You can always start with National Geographic's list of 100 greatest adventure books.

Here's a few that are not on that list but excellent (IMHO) reading nonetheless:

My favorite Mt Everest book: Snow in the Kingdom by Ed Webster. Excellent writing and outstanding photos.

The Ice Master by Jennifer Niven. An account of an ill fated 1913 Arctic expedition climaxed by the Captain's 700 mile trek to secure a ship to rescue what was left of his crew.

In the Ghost Country by Peter Hillary & John Elder. Hillary and 2 companions (they all grew to truly hate each other during the expedition) cross Antarctica to repeat the route of Robert Falcon Scott. They finish but they are all physically and emotionally damaged at the end.

The Last Place on Earth by Roland Mumford. A sometimes dry but incredibly detailed comparison of Scott and Amundsen and their race for the South Pole. You'll understand why Scott and his men suffered and died and why Amundsen's men actually gained weight on their trips to the Pole.

Anything written by Joe Simpson. Clearly Joe is near the top of pack when it comes to writing about mountain climbing and its philosophical and ethical intricacies.

Winter World by Bernd Heinrich. A wonderful book on how animals are able to survive winter weather.

The Adventures of Theodore Roosevelt by T. Roosevelt. Excerpts from TR's numerous books on his many adventures out west, in Africa, as a Rough Rider in wartime and in the Brazilian jungle on an uncharted river (The River of Doubt). This guy was very ballsy and an eloquent author to boot.

JohnL

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That NG list is nice, thanks for the link. One great one that I'll pull off there-"Desert Solitaire" by Edward Abbey. I'll also agree strongly w/ the "anything by Joe Simpson" recommendation. So far I've read "The Beckoning Silence" and "This Game of Ghosts" in addition to "Touching..." All fine reads-he's definitely a writer, not just a mountaineer trying to write.

As for "The Last Place on Earth". Haven't read it yet, but my dad has. He also hipped me to the TV movie-I think it was a six part Masterpiece Theatre series or something. Amazing story, as much about imperial hubris as adventure. I'll have to borrow my dad's copy of the book sometime.

Matt

I second the recommendation for "Snow in the Kingdom" by Ed Webster. It is a fascinating read, and has wonderful photos to accompany it. Definitely a good one.

As for other books people have mentioned, it seems I have a few to add to my booklist Thanks for the suggestions!

I'd like to add two books by Arlene Blum: "Annapurna" and "Breaking Trail."

Arlene is an incredible mountaineer: she led the first all-women's and all-American expedition to Annapurna, which was made in 1978, led the first all-women's team up Denali, and has participated in/led numerous other mountaineering expeditions.

Arlene Blum: http://www.arleneblum.com/

Annapurna: http://www.arleneblum.com/annapurna.html

This is one of my most favorite mountaineering books of all time. Arlene is a very different writer than Ed Viesturs, Jon Krakeaur, etc. and she tells an amazing story with lots of emphasis on the people involved and some of the larger issues at stake.

Breaking Trail: http://www.arleneblum.com/breaking_trail_old.html

Breaking Trail: A climbing life, is her autobiography--she explains how she got into mountaineering, and within that context talks about her family, her life dedication to scientific research, motherhood, and so much more. She also describes each of the major expeditions she participated in throughout her life, including a 2,000 + mile trek across the Himalaya from Bhutan to India to Nepal.

I had the opportunity to travel to India with her last April as her assistant leader on a 2 week trek in West Bengal and Sikkim...she is an amazing woman and fantastic writer.

-Katie

Im on afiction kick lately and I found a surpurb set of books. Clinton Mackenzie has a series going about an undecover agent who also climbs as well. These story's are great reading, good crime drama, great climbing and always a girl in there somewhere, what more could you ask for for. One of the titles is" Fire and Ice" there are 2 or 3 others, Im on the road right now and the titles escape me, but really these are fun books that B and N carries.
Sidenote, the author lives in Boulder and worked in the DA's office in Denver so alot of the story lines have some meat to them, oh and he climbs pretty darn well and alot of the climbs he writes of center in CO and WY and are routes he has been on.

Great suggestions! Thanks for the National Geo list... that should keep me busy for a while.

I've read "The Long Walk" I'll third, fourth it, or whatever we are up to. Great read.

I've only read "Touching the Void" by Simpson. I'll have to read more of his stuff.

My Amazon.com wish list is growing larger by the hour. Keep the suggestions coming! If we don't get some snow soon I'm going to be doing a lot of reading this winter!