5 comments about My Life as an Explorer.

1. I concur with NDylanRay@aol.com. This book is exceptional. I could hardly put it down. You feel the excitement and intensity of his adventures, you begin to understand the force that drives him (and you respect him for it), and you meet the people and the places that make Turkestan and Tibet 100 years ago like no place that you could ever imagine.



2. This is a tale wonderfully told of an explorer's quest to fill in the blank spots on the map of Asia. Not only does Hedin present a clear and highly entertaining view of his travels, but he also gives us a portrait of his character. He shows us that he is a man with high goals and is undeterred in achieving those goals, even when all odds are against him. He shows us that he is also a very caring man, very much concerned about the welfare of his men and his animals. He also is a man that is awestruck by nature and is very concerned about not unduly intruding upon it or unnecessarily destroying it.

   But most of all, this is an adventure story that is just plain fun to read.

   A suggestion to readers who are not very familiar with the geography of central Asia would be to have on hand some good maps as the ones Hedin draws are quite limited and often fail to give the perspective that may be desireable.




3. (This refers to the National Geographic Reprint edition)

   This is truly a great book, full of the amazing adventures of an incredible explorer. You have to admire Hedin's determination and stubborness, although sometimes I wonder about his planning. It seems like every trip all his animals die, and the men are on the verge of starvation. And as for his trips in the desert, I would have thought the concept of "take some extra water" would have occured at some point!
   Hedin is a fine writer, and his descriptions are not only accessible to the average reader, but often quite poetic as well.
   Nevertheless, I only reluctantly give this a full 5 stars, because I feel that National Geographic missed a great opportunity to make this an almost perfect book, and it wouldn't have been that difficult to do. As a previous reviewer mentioned, some good maps could have helped. There's almost no excuse for NG not to have included some decent maps of Central Asia in their edition. Furthermore, one tends to forget (although Hedin mentions in the text), that he also took photographs on many of his travels. These might have been included as well. (To see some, refer to the Photos section of the website of the Sven Hedin Foundation, "http://www.etnografiska.se/hedinweb/htmsidor/organi.htm"). Aside from the simplistic drawings that are included, Hedin also did many detailed sketches and potraits on his travels. Now one can assume that none of these were included in the original, and this is only a reprint, but nevertheless, it is a missed opportunity. The introductory chapter by A.Brandt also adds little insight, and might as well have been left out as well.
   However, despite the lost opportunities, this book is highly recommended.




4. The Swede Sven Hedin was the last great explorer we will see on this well-traveled planet. Hedin was born in 1865 and this autobiography describes his life up until 1908. Hedin's career was hardly finished, however, as he continued to traipse down the old Silk Road in Central Asia until the 1930s when he was 70 years old.
   
   In a happy trait that should be copied by more auto-biographers, Hedin doesn't spend much time on his childhood. By the third page of his narrative he is 20 years old and off to the Caucasus Mountains which only whets his appetite for the little-known peaks and deserts of Tibet and Central Asia. He spent the years between 1893 and 1908 exploring these regions and filling in blank places on the map.
   
   National Geographic's "Traveler" magazine put this book on its list of 100 best adventure books and, truly, the tales of Hedin's adventures make for good, exciting reading. Hedin displays both charm and generosity in his account. He traveled without the company of other Europeans and he enjoyed the companionship of his local helpers and the dogs he adopted along his way. He draws many clever portraits of the people he met in his travels. Hedin, however, was no mere adventurer. He was a serious, sober scholar who produced dozens of scientific studies of his findings.
   
   One of the most hair raising tales in the book concerns Hedin's first expedition into the sands of the Takla Makhan (desert) of China in which he and his companions nearly died of thirst. A second high point of the book is the account of his attempt to visit Lhasa, the forbidden capital of Tibet. He failed after getting nearly to the gates of the city and was denied the honor of becoming the first foreigner to visit Lhasa in half a century. Amidst the plethora of adventures, the stoic Swede brushes over incidents others would consider high -- or low -- points of their lives. "Fever kept me in Kashgar a long while" is his complete description of one serious illness.
   
   The book is illustrated with many of Hedin's drawings, including his hand drawn maps. I suggest that you read the book with a good modern map at hand so as to trace his routes with more precision as his constant tooing-and-froing can be confusing.
   
   Smallchief



5. When you think of an "explorer" you think of a guy like Hedin. From an early age he ventured again and again into large swatches of Asian geography where few or no Europeans had ever trod. Hedin graphically and realistically portrays his travels with such detail that you can feel the cold, the heat, the parched throats, the curious indigenous eyes and the scenery staggering in its beauty. When you come to the end of this book, you will be all "adventured" out, for on almost every page there is a suspenseful, fascinating episode. Hedin was truly an explorer's explorer. His greatness is dimmed, however, by his fervent support of Naziism during WWII. As someone has writen elsewhere, Hedin knew about the death camps and never disavowed them. He was a solid Nazi partisan. In an epilogue to this book, author and admirer Peter Hopkirk urges us to look at Hedin's many and major contributions and to forgive his pro-German activities in both world wars. I'm not quite willing to forgive, but I will segment my views of Hedin into Hedin the explorer and Hedin the Nazi sympathizer. Anyhow,if you're looking for a fascinating book about exploration in the most forbidding sectors of our planet at the turn of the 20th century, this is a book for you.

3 comments about Endless Sea.

1. I have read all of Amyr's books in Portuguese and have found all to be captivating. Adventures like his are hard to find in this modern day where it seems like everything has already been explored and one can practically buy his way up Everest.
   An additional surprise to many will be that, much as Shackleton's Antarctic adventure is used in business planning, team building, etc., Amyr's books are bursting with practical applications for business and life in general.
   If you love adventure, you will love this book.



2. Very good story with lots of technical stuff explained for non-sailors. We met Mr. Klink on a cruise to Anarctica aboard the Norgenorge in Feb/March 2008. He is a humble man with a sense of humor. The book reflects his likeable personality and perservance. It also demonstrates his love of Anarctica, especially South Georgia. The wonder of this place simply has to be experienced.



3. Antarctica is the one continent in the world few dare to tread. "Endless Sea: Alone Around Antarctica - as Far South as a Boat Can Sail" the story of Amyr Klink, who by his lonesome voyaged deep into the Antarctic circle and survived to tell of it. Relating the tale of his journey through this treacherous region, "Endless Sea" is highly recommended for community library Nautical and memoir collections.
   
   Diane C. Donovan
   California Bookwatch

3 comments about Scrambles Amongst the Alps (NG Adventure Classics).

1. As one of the early mountain climbers, Whymper was not only a dedicated climber but also an astute observer of human nature and the natural environment. His writings reflect a strong will and great intelligence. The artistry of his mountain scenes vividly illustrate his book and combined with his witty prose make for a mountaineering classic



2. I bought the book due to my interest in the period it covers -- early Alpine mountaineering. Edward Whymper was an interesting guy, and certainly one of the foreign pioneers of mountain climbing (including the first climb of Matterhorn). I found him to be less inspiring as an author -- the book's pace is slow, punctuated by various tangential discussions, e.g. geology of glaciers.

   It failed to capture my imagination, as other more receint mountaineering books have done -- try Gaston Rebuffat, Walter Bonatti, Chris Bonnington instead.




3. I found the book non-descriptal and factual. Written in a matter of fact English Literary form classic of that time period from a Chap. His knowledge is plentiful as he pours forth details of every sense on history of regions, region developement, ecology, geology...etc. But the going is very, very slow. It wasn't one of those books I pick up and read through in a matter of days. It took dedication days and I found it a bit depleting at times. I did rather enjoy his dry humor scattered throughout and his detailed outlook regarding natives of those areas of the time. Read if you're into history of mountaineering but have another book on the side to offset the pace.

5 comments about Ledyard: In Search of the First American Explorer.

1. When reading of early exploration, John Ledyard's legacy is usually summarized in a few sentences, or a paragraph at most. This deserving study by Bill Gifford sheds enormous light not only into who this man was, but also his unsurpassed exploratory efforts.
   
   From the time he dropped out of Dartmouth College and canoed a hundred forty miles down river, the man felt that there was something more to life.
   
   While on Cook's third voyage he experienced the world and craved for more. His thoughts on the Pacific Northwest and its untapped fur trade possibilities revolutionized his ideas even further to walking across America (from west to east) and claiming the land for our new nation.
   When in Paris, he caught the attention of Jefferson who backed him on this endeavor. Ledyard was to go across Siberia, hitch a ride on a Russian ship and eventually land at Nootka Sound, then walk across America. Although apprehended by Russian authorities and his dreams shattered, his zest for fulfillment never ceased. He was then sent off to explore Africa where he ultimately died. It is no wonder he has been referred to as "The Traveller"
   
   As he himself had said, "he traveled under the common flag of humanity" and "served the world at large". Although most times penniless and lacking in clothing, he always managed to find companionship wherever he was in the world.
   
   And just as Mr. Gifford points out, he survived so much but not his temper.
   A great read.



2. Hardly anyone's ever heard of John Ledyard. I wasn't sure I'd enjoy this book about an obscure American explorer. Only a few pages into the book I realized I not only liked the book, but I wish I could have known Ledyard.
   
   A dichotomy of differences--restless, yet lazy; chivalrous, yet not interested in celibacy; idealistic, yet clearly motivated by money--Ledyard's life was predictably unpredictable. His keen intellect and adventurous spirit won the admiration of notables, including Thomas Jefferson.
   
   He frustrated his family. He irritated the head of his college. He broke hearts along the way. And he was always in need of funds. But he never lost his spirit.
   
   Unable to pay for his schooling at Dartmouth, Ledyard carved a canoe out of a fallen tree, packed a lunch, pushed off from shore, and reclined in his new vessel as he let the water's current take him where it may. That it took him to the waterfalls and he barely escaped with his life didn't detour him from other adventures.
   
   Ledyard sailed with Captain Cook on Cook's last journey, tried to reach the west coast of America (from Europe) by heading east through Siberia, and got arrested by Catherine the Great's men who tossed him out of Russia.
   
   Using Ledyard's few remaining letters and journal notes, Gifford adds his own experience in following Ledyard's path. Gifford took a voyage on a replica of the ship Resolution that Ledyard sailed on and shared a bit more detail than I needed, but at least I got an idea of the conditions Ledyard endured.
   
   Ledyard died in a filthy convent room at age 37, most likely the victim of his own self-medication. "He was seized with a pain in his stomach occasioned by bile and undertook to cure himself. Excessive vomiting ensued, in consequence of which he broke a blood vessel," wrote Carlo Rosetti, a Cairo merchant.
   
   Armchair Interviews says: Ledyard may have departed this world too soon, but he left a story worth reading. We're fortunate Bill Gifford brought it to us.



3. The book's title is a bit of an overpromise when it comes to Ledyard's qualities as an explorer. He was a great dreamer, a traveller, and a very 'singular' character (as it is called in the book), but not much of an explorer. The title of the other book about Ledyard "The man who dreamed of walking the world" is more to the point. He tried to be an explorer, but he didn't realise any of his goals.
   Ledyard was at the very best somewhere at the sideline of history. His tales are a nice introduction to 18th century American and European history, for he seems to have mingled with a lot of people and visited the places that mattered in those times. It's nice to view the world of that time from the standpoint of this unique traveller, but don't expect a history of real exploration.



4. Gifford is a master storyteller, and Ledyard is one of the great untold stories in American history--a sort of super-Zelig. I'm hoping that Spielberg reads this book and makes a movie. Meanwhile, I'll settle happily for this page-turner.



5. This was another of those works that I found difficult to put down once I began reading the first page. I have always been aware of John Ledyard, having stumbled across is name in other works, but actually knew little of him or his exploits. This work changed that.
   
   As the author so well points out, not many have heard the name John Ledyard recently. As a bit of a test, I asked three advanced high school history classes if anyone could give me an idea of who he was and what he did. Not one answer did I get. What a pity. The young Ledyard, shortly after dropping out of Dartmouth (have you ever noticed how many great men of note have dropped from Dartmouth and gone ahead and led quite interesting lives?), and began his restless wondering that did not cease until his death at the early age of 37 in a sort of pest hole in Cairo, Egypt, from an apparent over zealous self-medication overdose of one of those medications which were more poison than anything. In his years of wondering that he did, he was on the crew, acting as a Royal Marine, of Captain Cooks' third voyage. He drifted from the United States to Europe and then travel well into Siberia, alone, until he was arrested as a spy by the agents of Catherine the Great. His plans were to take a trading ship, sail to the North American Continent and walk from the west coast to the east, doing what Lewis and Clark did about fifteen years later, but going in the opposite direction and completely alone with no support staff what-so-ever. Did I mention that Ledyard was a bit of a dreamer? He was on his way to explore Africa, again alone, when he met his untimely death. The fact that Ledyard failed to complete most, if not all of his goals, has cast a bit of a shadow over his accomplishments over the years, which is a pity, because for sheer human effort, he did accomplish more than most. He certainly inspired many explorers of the next generation and beyond. Keep in mind that through all of his travel, he was all most completely without funds, being on the edge of complete poverty to the point of starvation many times.
   
   Bill Gifford has done a wonderful job with this one and given us another great popular history which is quite readable and insightful. This cannot have been an easy task as most of the needed documentation concerning Ledyard has long been lost, destroyed or completely changed and altered by his contemporaries and family. Much like Sir. Richard Burton's wife, it seems his family was not all that thrilled about some of the things he addressed in his letters. A pity, but this was rather common practice in that day and time. The author followed the path Ledyard took across Siberia, actually spent times sailing on a reproduction of Cooks Ship and has explored much of the New England country side where Ledyard got his start. His writing style is quite smooth and each page is a wealth of information. In this case I have to admire the author almost as much as Ledyard, scraping together all these facts could not have been an easy job. The author has also given us a very nice picture of what life was like in those times and this is always interesting. This is not a scholarly work, although the research is good, and I don't feel it was intended to be. It is a very detailed and readable popular biography about a little known, but very interesting character out of our history. I felt much richer for having read it. Thank you Mr. Gifford!
   
   I do highly recommend this one.
   
   Don Blankenship

5 comments about Conquering the Impossible: My 12,000-Mile Journey Around the Arctic Circle.

1. This book details explorer Mike Horn's 2 year journey, all 12,000 miles of it, along the Arctic circle, in incredibly harsh conditions. I found it enthralling, fascinating and inspiring.
   How do you travel solo in temperatures often 50 degrees below where perhaps noone has ever been before? For weeks on end? In case you're interested, you'll find a few tips here. Not least of his accomplishments is dealing with Russian bureaucacy as he travelled through northern Siberia, encountering deserted gulags and a town with only a single inhabitant. Brushes with polar bears, wolves, it's all here.
   If you like adventure books, this is one that grabbed me and which I could not put down. Foremost, you'll feel the spirit of this man coming through. This is not someone else describing this mindblowing odyssey, it's the person who actually lived it. It was a privilege for me, an outdoors lover and Appalachian Trail hiker, to be able to share his journey. A possibly life-altering book.



2. First off, this book caught my interest because I recognized Mike's name from a National Geographic article about Mike Horn & Borge Ousland's un-supported trip to the North Pole, on foot. This book is absolutely INCREDIBLE!
   You get the man who experienced these things telling you about his own daily adventures around the top of the world. This book reads like the most epic, survival adventure you'd find in any fiction or movie. Except it really happened.
   Mike Horn's journey takes you across Greenland, Canada, and of course northern Siberia. He faces nightmare situations repeatedly. More than 100 degrees below zero, he's done it. More than 70 mph winds, done that too. Tent catches on fire, in the Arctic, yeah, done that too. Sleeping on a frozen lake, with wolves clawing at the thin wooden door that's the only thing separating your guts from being dinner, check. Playing a game of "chicken" with a bear. Playing a game of chicken with Russian border guards. Yep!(I think he preffered the bear.)
   You really get to know this man through his journey, as he gets to know himself better. His conflict with not wanting to leave his family, especially his daughters, for 2 whole years, versus his need to go and push his own limits. He plays out a conflict that I know burns within each of us. Some more so than others. It's something that I know I feel as well. I have gotten to know man better as well, as a result of reading this book... mankind that is.
   I also learned interesting things about the cold and what it does to things like whiskey, and various materials that are used to make products for cold weather, and why so many of them are inadequate for such cold traveling as Mike did. Also, why do you want loose clothing for such a journey instead of tight, something Roald Amundsen knew as well. Oh, and a vital use for snot in such extreme conditions.
   Once you start, you can't put this book down until Mike reaches his next stop, the next town, the nexr Radar shack, whatever that next bastion of safety from the cold is. Then you can relent, as does he. Then you can continue the next time, as he will the next morning. It's as though you're there with him, needing him to make it, so you can too.



3. Over the course of about 2 years, Swiss adventure/publicity seeker Mike Horn circled the earth staying above the Arctic Circle the entire time. Using boats, kayaks, skis, kites, and his own feet, he endured harsh temperatures down to -100 degrees F, polar bears, wolves, mosquitos, and the Russians.
   
   Did he do this alone? What, are you kidding me? He seemingly had a army of support people who would and could fly in just about anywhere to resupply Mike as required including restaurantuers bringing him gourmet meals. I had to laugh at one point where he was complaining about being bilked by some Russian handyman who wanted to charge him $100/hours to fix his boat when he had just mentioned he had bought a boat (his second of the trip) to carry him from Norway to his finish point. Money, it seems, was not really a problem on this trip.
   
   In the end, what was really accomplished? From his perspective, he completed his journey alive and well but without providing any new scientific or cultural information. While the book read like one of those hairy chested men's adventure stories of the 50's and 60's, my impressions of it were more it was a vanity novel of yet another rich man with time on his hands.
   
   Is it worth your investment in time to read this. Yes, I guess it is but there are many other adventure story books out there that provide a much heartier meal.



4. Far North adventurer Mike Horn has written a testament to the physical and mental strength of the human spirit when tested with impossible challenges. For 27 months, Horn circumnavigated the Arctic Circle in a 12,000-mile solo journey. Without the aid of motorized transportation, Horn traipsed through Greenland, Canada, and Siberia. He faced challenges both natural and political, from fire and frostbite to a polar bear encounter to challenges with the Russian government. The very terrain under his feet consisted of dynamic, shifting ice sheets, which throughout the course of the journey required several detours and cost the explorer days and weeks of time.
   
   Horn may have been on the journey alone, and he no doubt demonstrated awe-inspiring physical and mental endurance, but he had an army of support, from a gourmet chef who packed his meals to medical and athletic experts who could fly to meet him at a moment's notice. Throughout the book, the reader can not forget that money was not an object on Mike Horn's journey, and a rescue by the cavalry could have been staged if needed.
   
   I thoroughly enjoyed Horn's adventure tale, which was educational as well as adrenaline-pumping. The reader will learn a great deal about the chemical behavior of different substances in extreme cold (Horn was in temperature down to -70°C!). Mucus, in fact, can be put to use under extreme conditions as a valuable moisturizer. I was also inspired by the skill and kindness demonstrated by the Inuit, Canadian, and Russian citizens Mike Horn encountered.
   
   Fourteen months after Mike Horn conquered the impossible, he made a two-month journey to the North Pole in absolute winter darkness without the aid of any motorized transportation. I'll stay tuned for the volume on that adventure.



5. This book is not bad, it's actually quite interesting and very informative. If you're into learning new things, I definitely recommend it. There are lots of snippets on customs and traditions of the people of "The Far North," info on how to safeguard from frostbite, tips on how to go #2 at below zero temps, cool stuff about Arctic wildlife, etc., etc. Plus, the story is beautifully written, and Horn himself sounds like a decent guy to know, even if he does seem a little taken with himself ("If there was one reason I had made it this far, I think it was first and foremost because I believed in myself, and also because I had never let disappointments diminish my sense of hope. The other ingredients of the magic potion were a blend of experience and wisdom." p.191), and his idea of the Leave No Trace ethic is a little skewed ("I am one of those people who believe in a 'Leave No Trace' ethic, meaning... the only alteration we dare make to the scene is leaving footprints in the snow." Next paragraph, "I put the plastic bag containing the letters for my daughters on top of the trap, and then placed the stones on top of them." p.173).
   
   Just don't pin your expectations by title alone, it is a bit deceiving. A better one would have been "Conquering The Impossible Is Possible With A Lot Of Help." I'm not saying just anyone can do what Horn did, be it alone or with help. But to call his trek a "solo expedition" when he had a veritable staff of sorts on stand by, jumping to attention, flying in to meet him with luggage and all kinds of replacement supplies and equipment whenever he ran into trouble, well that's stretching it just a wee bit.

No comments about Park Ranger Sequel.

5 comments about The Man Who Would Be King: The First American in Afghanistan.

1. If you enjoy history, especially military history, then you will enjoy this book. Written in much the same style as Byron Falwell's "Armies of the Raj," this amazingly true yarn about a Quaker who becomes, if not a king, the Prince of Ghor will keep you wondering just what is going to happen next. I absolutely enjoyed the book. My only negative comment is that the later years of his life are glossed over rather quickly, but, that is understandable since the last years were no where near as exciting as the first 40. I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys history or biographies. Enjoy.



2. Considering all that's happening in Afghanistan today, this is a timely and fascinating story of an American who travled there in the early 1800's. Fast paced book that's hard to put down and it gives a glimpse into early 1800's life in a country that most people still don't understand today.



3. Most people who pick up this book will already have read some of the travelogues of the "mad dogs and Englishmen" who wandered through Central Asia in the 19th and early 20th century: Burnaby and Nazaroff's memoirs, as well as any of Peter Hopkirk's books on the era.
   
   But here we have a real fish out of water story, and a fascinating one at that: an American Quaker leading, or joining, armies through Afghanistan and elsewhere in the name of, variously: the sitting ruler of Afghanistan, the deposed predecessor, his Sikh neighbor, the British Empire, and arguably himself as "Prince of Ghor."
   
   The tale is fascinating because it's so poorly-known, despite the fact that Kipling's fiction, which I understand to be inspired by Harlan and other adventurers of the time, is so well-known.
   
   Undoubtedly, Harlan's own financial misfortune and quiet death contributed to the obscurity of the narrative, but Macintyre does a great job of weaving the scraps together, and keeping the story's pace. An interesting read, and a bit of history which has earned its place in Central Asian lore.



4. A fascinating read in every respect. Macintyre is a fluid writer and the book is a real page turner. Apart from vivid details of the remarkable adventures of the first American in Afghanistan; the intrigues, machinations and sheer depravity of virtually all the players in the great game are in plain sight. The book also provides rare insights - via Josiah Harlan's prism - of British mendacity, misrule and astounding arrogance. Harlan's account of British shenanigans may have a tinge of exaggeration owing to his eventual deep hatred of the Empire and many of its emissaries but the substance of Harlan's writings can be corroborrated in other accounts such as the Great Hedge of India by Roy Moxham (another British author) and in more substantive form with relevant data in Angus Maddison's The World Economy. Macintyre deserves considerable praise for presenting the unvarnished truth, albeit through Harlan's pen, about the largely negative legacy of the British Empire. It is a shame that Harlan's story, despite this wonderful book, remains largely unknown both in the US and the East.



5. In Rudyard Kipling's The Man Who Would Be King, a young adventurer named Daniel Dravot penetrates feudal Afghanistan disguised as a cleric. In this nonfiction account with a similar title, MacIntyre, a columnist for The Times of London, tells the story of the real life adventurer who may have been Kipling's inspiration. He describes the life and adventures of Josiah Harlan (1799-1871), a young Quaker from Chester County, Pennsylvania, who set sail for China in 1822, telling his fiancée that they would marry when he returned. Upon reaching Calcutta, Harlan received a letter announcing that she was marrying another man. He resolved never to return home.
   
   So began his adventures. After a failed stint in the Indian army--an action for which the Quakers excommunicated him--Harlan met Shujah al-Mulk (1792-1842), an Afghan king exiled to India in 1809 after just six years on the throne. Harlan offered a deal: he would raise an army, subdue Kabul, and restore the kingdom. In exchange, he would become vizier, the equivalent of prime minister. The deal struck, Harlan began recruiting native troops, using the U.S. flag as his own. In 1827, he and his army began their long march. But he soon had second thoughts about his army's loyalty. He picked a trusted team, paid severance to the others, and launched his Plan B: dressed as a dervish, he made his way to Kabul, arriving in 1828 just as an epidemic of cholera ravaged the city. Years passed and Harlan changed his allegiance to Shujah's rival, King Dost Muhammad Khan (1793-1863), to whom he became aide-de-camp. This Afghan king granted Harlan's wish for power. The itinerant Pennsylvania Quaker and stilted lover became prince of Ghor, today a province in central Afghanistan.
   
   Harlan's story is riveting. MacIntyre describes his adventures, disillusionments, and eventual return to the United States as the only Afghan general to serve in the U.S. Civil War.
   
   Harlan was not alone in his adventures. In the nineteenth century, a handful of men made dangerous journeys through Iran, Afghanistan, Central Asia, and Tibet. Not all survived. Author Peter Hopkirk has chronicled their stories.[1] But it is rare that so much new material surfaces in one book, and for this MacIntyre deserves special credit. After learning of this curious American from cursory references and footnotes in old travelogues gathering dust in the British Library, MacIntyre made it his mission to uncover the saga of this historical Rosenkrantz and Guildenstern. His quest took him to Punjab and Pennsylvania, Kabul and California. He scoured through the official records of the Maharaja Ranjit Singh of Lahore and poured over the intelligence archives of imperial India, whose agents were suspicious of Harlan's plots and schemes. Finally, in a Chester County museum, MacIntyre found a long-lost manuscript replete with love letters and sketches. Explanations of historical and cultural context weave together in his fluid prose. The result is impressive and well-worth reading.
   
   Note
   
   1. See for example, Great Game (London: Murray, 1990); On Secret Service East of Constantinople (London: Murray, 1994); Trespassers on the Roof of the World (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2001)
   
   Michael Rubin
   Middle East Quarterly
   Fall 2006

No comments about Journals: Scott's Last Expedition (Oxford World's Classics).

2 comments about John Sutter: A Life on the North American Frontier.

1. Albert L. Hurtado's JOHN SUTTER: A LIFE ON THE NORTH AMERICAN FRONTIER is a top pick for any high school or college-level history collection, and for California history holdings in particular. John Sutter founded a modern settlement in California's Sacramento Valley whose economy depended on Indian slaves and free laborers: it drew immigrants and fortune seekers alike, and made Sutter one of the richest men in the early West - a wealth brought down by his poor business sense. Professor Hurtado uses a range of source materials to provide the definitive coverage of Sutter's life, times, and rise and fall. An essential coverage.
   
   Diane C. Donovan
   California Bookwatch



2. The author has obviously done a tremendous amount of research, and his portrayal of Sutter, the Californios, and the Native Americans puts a reader into a position of feeling that he is right there at the time. No one is portrayed as being an idol to be admired, but just as they must have been, complex human beings interacting with others motivated by their own personal self interest. We learn not all Indian tribes are the same, and that they were reacting to the opportunities and racism prevalent at the time. The historical interplay of Mexico, England, Russia, and the United States is very well shown, not just stated. The author writes in a very accessible style. When he does not know what happened, he says so, and then makes conjectures clearly labled as such. Albert Hurtado deserves a Pulitzer Prize.

No comments about Mary's Voyage.