No comments about The Illustrated Pirate Diaries: A Remarkable Eyewitness Account of Captain Morgan and the Buccaneers.

3 comments about Sir Walter Raleigh: Being a True and Vivid Account of the Life and Times of the Explorer, Soldier, Scholar, Poet, and Courtier--The Controversial Hero of the Elizabethan Age.

1. Sir Walter Raleigh was a little of everything. I read this book along with the new Benjamin Frankin: An American Life, and have determined that there's more to these guys than the scant information we were all given in school. What an eye-opener this book was. Well written, well researched, and well . . . just an overall entertaining good read. Highly recommended.

   Also recommended: Benjamin Franklin and McCrae's Bark of the Dogwood




2. It is recognized that the author as a descendant of Raleigh would be somewhat biased in his assessment of his subject. With this in mind the portrayal is more balanced than one would think from the preconception and the views of others on this book. The conception most often associated with Raleigh for those unaware of his breadth of activities is that of a dandily dressed (Vincent Price) fop who laid down his cape for the queen. If one delves a little farther into common knowledge we know that he had something to do with the failed Roanoke colony. The gift of Trevelyan's biography is to fill out these clothes. To put flesh upon the man who inhabits the foppish attire. By the time the book takes us to Raleigh's second stay in the Tower, and Trevelyan tells us that people often came to see "the legend" on his daily walks upon the wall, we believe that indeed he was exactly that - a legend. The true measure of biography is that it gives the faults and failings, yet lets one follow the maturing person. Raleigh, indeed had many failings, but he nonetheless comes across in Trevelyan's telling as a compelling and interesting individual. If the Queen, Cecil (Wm.), Walsingham, and Drake are the gods of that era, then certainly the Raleigh of Trevelyan's telling is a giant. The mark of good non-fiction is that it encourages further exploration into the era in which it is set. Trevelyan's book is a must read for those with any interest in this period of English history, particularly that touching on the rise of empire and the role of maritime successes.



3. This book has compelled me to write my first ever review. I've rarely read a more enjoyable biography. Although long and very dense, it is well cross-referenced, and well structured.
   
   The depth of research is astounding, and I was particularly impressed that the author had actually traveled to all the key locations, offering a level of colour and feel not otherwise possible.
   
   There is also a great detail of content outside of Sir Walter's own life that is immensely valuable for providing context (so important when reading about another time and place). For this amateur Elizabethan student, the opportunity to read about my favourite characters and the key events of the age from a different perspective was truly enjoyable.
   
   At times the book shows the author's bias, but he carefully lets us know when it's his opinion, and I for one welcomed it based on his depth of knowledge.
   
   Bravo to the author, and to those considering reading this book, a big word of encouragement. Enjoy!

5 comments about The Wildest Dream: The Biography of George Mallory.

1. The subtitle bills this book as "THE" Biography of Mallory, implying that it's intended to be definitive, and it is. The authors are especially thorough in their discussion of Mallory's sexuality, a subject that other biographies either ignore (like the proverbial elephant in the living room) or equivocate on. Their study of letters of the Bloomsbury set (including Mallory's own) pretty much settles the issue: the cover photograph is perhaps a hint of the revelations to come. The book concentrates on Mallory's personal life more than on the details of his last climb (readers interested in the vexed debate over whether he made the summit or not will be better served by Anker and Robert's or Hemmleb's books), but one couldn't ask for a better treatment of Mallory's character. One oddity: the index entries relating to pages 20-40 are jumbled (see, e.g. the entry for Graham Irving), perhaps indicating that major changes were made in this section after the book was in page proof? A puzzlement!



2. Being someone with no interest in rock climbing, I doubted that I'd enjoy this book. Thank goodness I took the plunge anyway. Even if you have never seen a rock, this biography on George Mallory is a riviting read. Much emphasis is given to his early life as a school teacher, feminist, and friend to such luminaries as Duncan Grant, Robert Frost and Maynard Keynes. I cannot say enough about this lovely book.



3. I absolutely loved this book. It was wonderful to read about the whole man, from his childhood to his young years, his family, his marriage and finally his travels and climbs to Everest and of course the times in which this happened. The title is so poetic and wonderfully fitting. He was not an obsessed loner but someone who shared many interests with other great women and men of his time. As a mother of children who are just starting out in school, I was surprised and interested in his teaching methods and musings about education and schooling. Some of his thoughts are mine exactly and this is almost 100 years later. He was a great writer and reading his letters is a pleasure in itself. I wish there would be a publication of all this writings. While his homosexual exploration certainly belongs to a full bio, I find the whole sexuality discussion rather unnecessary. I think his marriage and more so his and Ruth's relationship in itself is proof - at least to me - that George Leigh Mallory was not homosexual. I feel very sad for Ruth as her life turned out to be one of suffering. She lost her mother so early, then her husband and finally, just when she found happiness again, she does not get to live it out.

   I am puzzled by how easily the authors dismiss Mallory's technical abilities as insufficient for having made it to the top. While these first climbers may have certainly been inadequately dressed for the environment, I don't believe for a minute that these men were not fit or accomplished enough compared to today's climbers. Weeks on a boat, then travelling essentially on foot and horses made them fit enough (probably also by being able to acclimatize themselves for a much longer period than today)for any crack at the summit. This is a book about a man who dared to live his wildest dream against - finally - all odds and this story is worth being told.




4. This biography of George Mallory written by Peter and Leni Gillman is excellent. It is exactly what it claims to be, so while climbing must be a part of any book about Mr. Mallory, this really is about the person who was a climber. This book ranges over his whole life; this is not an "Everest Book". The book does extensively document an enormous number of climbs he made, the first ascents, and of course the years he spent in his attempt to conquer Everest. The book does explore the question of whether or not he and his climbing partner Sandy Irvine were the first to Summit Everest, however like all other positions, the final proof is lacking and may or may not ever be found.

   If you are looking for a great book on its own, or as a companion to this work, "Ghosts of Everest: The Search For Mallory And Irvine", is excellent. This second book is a documentary of the expedition for the answers to the fate of the two climbers, and it is extremely well done. "The Wildest Dream" also does much to clarify the rock climbing abilities of Mr. Mallory, which some historians have called into question, and have used as a basis for their position he never made it. Both these books (for this non-climber) put this issue to rest.

   This book explores Mr. Mallory as a Family man, a Father, a Soldier, as well as the skills for which History remembers him. The Biography explored the vast differences between climbing as a sport today, and climbing as an activity dominated by a class system, that at times increased the danger of their activities. With any comparison today, the equipment, the risks that were taken, and the weather they survived with their primitive clothing, is nearly beyond belief. That Mallory, Irvine, and others reached such heights on Everest is nothing short of a type, effort, and endurance that put one in awe of these men.

   The book also deals with those who coped with the extremely long absences these attempts required. Mallory's Wife and Family played a large if intermittent role in his shortened life, they stood by and waited for him through World War I, and his Mountaineering. We gain insight into Mallory the Professor, and other aspects of his life that were unknown to me.

   After all the reading I have done it has become less an issue for me of whether the final piece of that last climb was completed. It is likely we may never know. But what Mallory and his friends did was so extraordinary, and so many years prior to the summit being reached, in many ways the final mystery may be more of a curiosity for the ages. For I believe what they did do, secures their place in History as extraordinary people.

   An extremely interesting, and well-documented Biography.




5. I could not have been more disappointed. I have read many books on Mt Everest and other mountains. I love the subject. I also love the legends and stories of the early explorers and the more recent adventures on this mountain.
   
   For this reason, I could not have been more disappointed with this book. The author goes to great lengths to try to prove that Mallory was a homosexual or Bisexual. Page upon page is devoted to this issue and just when you think, "okay we got that out of the way, now can we read more about the man and his experiences" the author launches into yet another episode that "proves" Mallory had sex with men. I just kept thinking, "okay, who cares about that," can we get past that.
   
   I finally got so sick of the whole thing, probably because I was so excited to read about Mallory's mountain climbing life, that I gave up.
   
   Don't waist your money on this book unless you want to read all about Mallory's relationships with other men that just might prove he was gay....and then again, maybe he was just a guy who had some male friends.
   
   PS. I am not a homophone, just not interested in dwelling on the issue.

No comments about Jed Smith Trailblazer Of The West.

3 comments about Naked in the Woods: Joseph Knowles and the Legacy of Frontier Fakery.

1. We are often told that our nation, especially our menfolk, are getting soft, that we don't have the ruggedness of our forebears, that we spend too much time in our cities and not enough back to the land, and that as a result we are losing some moral anchor which used to hold us in good stead. The trouble is that we have been told this for at least a hundred years, probably further back than that, and the message has not changed much, although it is a message that is enthusiastically boosted by many. Our coddled and citified society went faddishly berserk in 1913 for a man who simply went into the woods of Maine, vowing to stay there for two months on his own, unassisted by any technology. Joseph Knowles was a sensation at the time, now forgotten. His astonishing story is the subject of _Naked in the Woods: Joseph Knowles and the Legacy of Frontier Fakery_ (Da Capo Press) by Jim Motavalli. The author, a journalist who writes on environmental themes, has picked from obscurity a wonderful subject, not just Knowles but also the anxiety we tend to have that we are out of touch with natural life.
   
   Knowles was all of 43 years old when he went into the woods. He had been a sailor, trapper, and scout, but what he wanted to be was an artist. He had some untutored skill in painting, and was making sketches and paintings in Boston for a decade when he got the idea (perhaps in a dream) to go support himself in the woods. The _Boston Post_, always ready for a circulation gimmick, was ready to back him. "Can Knowles Live Two Months as a Cave Man?" came the headlines, and though the paper hyped the event, people were sincerely interested in the man-against-the-wilderness theme. Knowles was photographed and interviewed, and given a physical exam before trotting off to the woods in nothing but a g-string. When he emerged from the woods two months later, he had lost weight, but he was no longer naked, wearing birch sandals and the skin of a bear he had trapped and killed. He had caught the national spirit; he was viewed as a hero, awing crowds wherever he went. The bitter rival of the _Post_, the Hearst-owned _Boston Sunday American_, got onto the Knowles bandwagon by debunking it. Knowles, according to the revision, had spent two months in a log cabin with food (and even female companionship) delivered to him. Knowles had a couple of other wilderness trips, and then went on the lecture circuit and wrote a back-to-nature book about his experiences as the "Nature Man". The last third of _Naked in the Woods_ has mostly to do with his painting career; he did commissioned murals and small-scale calendar art.
   
   Knowles died in 1942. His artwork is still collected by some, and the Ilwaco Heritage Museum had a retrospective last year. We still have the Nature Man with us, in the form of "Survivor"-type television shows. Going wilderness is the show for Bear Grylls, who has starred in the British program _Man vs. Wild_, and who last year underwent a Knowles-type debunking for spending his nights in cozy hotels rather than in the wild where he was assumed to be keeping himself. Motavalli has a wonderful time with this story, and presents it in all its humorous aspects, but finds something serious in what Knowles had to tell us then and now: "He may have been at least partly a fraud, but he was nonetheless successful in communicating a powerful and useful message to an anxiety-stricken age."



2. Never have I read a more fascinating account of salesmenship in America. As a nation the US prides itself on our frontier heritage,the quest for individuality & independence,& the pursuit of an ideal existence in harmony with nature, & making a few bucks along the way. This is a true American story !
   This book Kept Me In Stitches !!!



3. Motavalli has created a wonderful interpretive picture of the media and public reactions to a great story in early 20th Century America. He puts the reader in the period, but brings us in contact with our ancestors and shows that we haven't progressed in terms of our love for the spectacular stunt! Joseph Knowles exploits thrilled the nation longing for a free show. Not unlike the infamous OJ low speed chase that captivated us a while back.
   
   A good story, a wonderful interpretation and a great read!Naked in the Woods: Joseph Knowles and the Legacy of Frontier Fakery

1 comments about Captain James Cook: Seaman and Scientist.

1. There are those who are quite able to transfer their research into the written word in such a way that the reader is fully able to enjoy the fruits of their work - and there are those who are not. Thankfully, Bill Finnis belongs to the former group.
   
   "Captain James Cook - Seaman and Scientist" arrived through my letterbox just as I was departing for a week's diving on one of the many Safari Boats found in the Egyptian Red Sea. I always take a good book on such trips and this one proved to be an excellent choice.
   
   This is a hardback book measuring approx. 11in x 8¼in, containing almost 250 pages of text with just the right amount of charts, sketches, portraits and photographs in support. The book begins with a chapter headed "Setting the Scene" and that is precisely what it does. Drawing on his own vast experience of the sea, the author explains the prevailing wind conditions in the Pacific Ocean before reminding us of the contributions made by a host of individuals - many of us will remember from our school days; Magellan, Drake, Anson, Bougainville, Dampier and Cartaret - to name but some.
   
   So, having been reminded of what has gone before in terms of world exploration we are now treated to an exposé of Cook's early years and how he came to be apprenticed to a small shipping company in Whitby on the Yorkshire coast. Then, after some 4 years - and just as he is offered his very first command of a merchant ship, he elects instead to widen his horizons by joining the Navy.
   
   What follows is an immensely readable account of Cook's life and, of course, his death. Along the way, we learn of the difficulties associated with determining longitude and how this led to errors in fixing the precise positions of islands being charted by various explorers. We also learn how William Bligh - later to become that famous Captain Bligh of Mutiny on the Bounty fame, accompanied Cook on his last voyage. Perhaps, after learning so much about navigation from the great man himself, it was little wonder that Bligh survived that epic voyage in a small open boat after having been evicted from his ship.
   
   Elsewhere, we learn how Cook had conducted a detailed survey of the Coast of New Zealand during 1769-1770. I particularly liked the comment whereby, in 1943 US Forces were based in that country and decided the charts should be brought up to date. Their own survey of the New Zealand coastline revealed several apparent errors made by Cook. Some years later, with the benefit of satellite position fixing, it was found that the US Forces were in error and Cook had been right all along.
   
   In summary, this book contains 250 pages of historical detail written in a style which makes it hard to put down. It is a fascinating account of one of history's most fascinating men and the reader will not be disappointed by either the content or the way in which it is presented.
   
   NM

5 comments about High Endeavours: The Extraordinary Life and Adventures of Miles & Beryl Smeeton.

1. Highly recommended- I wasn't sure this book would take my fancy, I had read travelogues before, but this novel and the adventures of the principal characters are so awe-inspiring and humor filled that the book is a must read. The quality of the travels, combined with the history that was being made during this period make the book informative and gripping. As amazing as it is- along with the 2nd world war, circumnavigation, and treks through all of the worlds continents, there is a lovely romance that is not contrived or annoying in the slighest. "Joie de Vivre!&quot



2. The book describes the interesting lives of Miles and Beryl Smeeton who spent their lives travelling across several continents, fighting in wars, sailing around the world and protecting endangered species in Canada. This is not a book to be missed. The biggest problem with the book is that you will begin to feel that you haven't really lived a full existence!



3. I saw High Endeavors first recommended by a couple of sailing magazines and picked up a copy.

   The book goes far beyond a sailing adventure, which is a component of this couple's lives but by no means the whole story.

   Miles Clark, the author, is the stepson of Miles and Beryl Smeeton, the subjects of the book. He has told this story with as much accuracy as records and personal experience would provide, along with the affection of a loving son who knew this story had to be told.

   It's really about Beryl. She walks/trains/hitches across India, through the Middle East, Europe and back t the UK. In the 30's!

   Later she decides that she has to ride horseback through Patagonia, by herself.

   During WW II they served separately in Asia, ending up together in Burhma.

   It is only after Miles retires from the Army that they bought a sailboat and set out for British Columbia.

   Just an amazing story and it's true!




4. The subtitle of this book really sums it up: The Extraordinary Life and Adventures of Miles and Beryl Smeeton. Beryl was born in 1905. Miles was born in 1906. Their early lives were straight out of Rudyard Kipling. They both followed family tradition and were part of the British overseas military life. Beryl was not a shrinking violet. Her brother is quoted in the book as saying "she always regretted that she hadn't been born a man, and that was really what she was trying to make up for all her life. In everything she did- sports, riding, steeple-chasing- her motto was 'Anything you can do, I can do better.' She had this tremendous urge to surpass... She was quite fearless and would never rest or relax." Early in life she married a British officer and travelled with him to India. Beryl had many daring adventures in spite of the expectations of the time. She met and started an affair with Miles, a very tall and handsome younger officer, and her first husband let her go to pursue the life of adventure which she was destined for. Together, Beryl and Miles saw the end of the old British colonial system. The book contains fascinating stories of the "Lancers", which evolved to a tank corps. Miles learned to drive a tank and fly an airplane before he learned to drive an automobile. Beryl travelled extensively, often hiking up mountains in exotic locales, even after she gave birth to her daughter. The baby was lugged around by lackeys and natives, and often left behind to survive as best she could. Part of the more amusing stories in the book are about how cavalier a mother and how horribly bad a cook Beryl was. After Miles left the military, the two set out to explore the world on a sailing vessle, a whole new chapter to their life of adventure. Even in old age, the two continued to live remarkable lives. This book is really just riveting. It is one of the most exciting adventures I have ever read.



5. Think free spirits, think Miles & Beryl Smeeton. The ageless 'Can-Do' Couple.
   
   This is one of my favorite books of all time, as an inspiration to what can be achieved if you dare think outside the box.
   
   Fun read, heart-warming.

No comments about Mary's Voyage.

5 comments about Fearless on Everest: The Quest for Sandy Irvine.

1. Julie Summers sensitive telling of the story of Sandy Irvine is not only a great read, but is written with intelligence, grace and wit. Irvine's personality looms large in the book, and the reader is easily captivated by his infectious personality. Explorer, lover, adventurer, journalist -- one can easily imagine Summer's Irvine on the silver sceen, portrayed by Harrison Ford or Mel Gibson. This wonderful book will be enjoyed by climbers, mountaineers, armchair explorers and laypeople alike. A real tour de force, the only question that arises after reading is: who is going to option it, and when is the movie coming out?



2. Fearless On Everest: The Quest For Sandy Irvine is an intensely personal, candid, and informative account of the life of a young man who died at the age of 22 while on an expedition to climb Mt. Everest. Written with a narrative smoothness that completely engages the reader's attention, biographer and Irvine family member Julie Summers includes newly discovered letters and photographs and specifically addresses a long-debated question in mountaineering circles: Why did George Leigh Mallory choose the young, less-experienced Andrew Irvine as his partner on so hazardous an enterprise? Also very highly recommended for mountaineering enthusiasts are three related titles from Mountaineers Books addresses the doomed Mallory-Irvine expedition: Ghosts Of Everest: The Search For Mallory & Irvine (699-5, $.....); The Mystery Of Mallory & Irvine: Fully Revised Edition (726-6, $.....); The Wildest Dream: The Biography Of George Mallory (741-X, $......).



3. This is a very well-written and researched book. It provides an introspective and analytical look into the man of mystery on the expedition...Sandy Irvine. The photos, family anecdotes, and treasure trove of memorabilia recently discovered provided a full and satisfying read. You can't know all about the 1924 expedition until you know about what made Sandy Irvine tick.



4. I'm afraid I have to disagree with other reviewers of this book. The writing is often awkward and grammatically challenged (to use a current euphemism). And Sandy Irvine comes across as a rather ordinary young man, self centered, good at sports, and good with his hands, but lacking in any sort of intellectual sophistication. It was this very sophisitcation and intellectualism that made Mallory the interesting figure he remains. Had Mallory been a mere hearty, he would have far less interesting. In contrast to Mallory, Irvine strikes one as eactly what this biography tries to convince one he was not, i.e., a follower who had little idea of what Mallory was leading him into.

   Because of Irvine's commoness and the bad writing (Where oh where was an editor!?), this is hardly worth the time, and certainly not worth the money.




5. Frequently overshadowed by his mentor and climbing partner, George Mallory, Sandy Irvine is long overdue a biography worthy of his accomplishments. I can understand the frustration that people have with encountering someone not driven by ego or the incessant need to belittle others. In that respect perhaps Sandy is a bit too normal by modern standards and can be accused of being a little too nice. Nonetheless in his short life he still managed to accomplish some very great things and this book does a wonderful job of highlighting those moments. It is not perhaps all one could hope for in a study of the 1924 Everest Expedition but then no other book has set a suitably high standard to be considered authoritative. As a collection of data which many overlook this has to be considered a must read for the Everest fanatic.

No comments about Norman Clyde: Legendary Mountaineer of California's Sierra Nevada.