5 comments about Samurai William: The Englishman Who Opened Japan.

1. Did you know that James Clavell's "Shogun" was based on the story of an actual Westerner who had gone native in Japan in the early 1600's? I sure didn't.
   
   I thought Clavell was just spinning tales out of whole cloth. No, no; there really was a marooned Englishman there named William Adams, although as we learn from Milton's book, he wasn't quite as mixed up in high politics as was John Blackthorne.
   
   Milton relates Adams's intriguing story in the straightforward style of popular history. It is not written in the form of fiction; Milton here is writing for a large non-scholarly audience. There are no footnotes: Any references or Japanese terms the general reader probably can't handle are explained in the running text.
   
   In addition to an index, the book features several maps and black-and-white woodcut-type illustrations throughout the text.



2. Everyone is familiar with "Shogun"; if not the book, then surely the lengthy TV mini-series. But the real story of the English pilot, William Adams is far more interesting. This is a wonderful book that encapsulate an era of exploration, the first halting attempts of economic empire-building, and the dawn of the Shogunate. And while Adams' personal story is not quite as dramatic as James Clavell's pilot, it is certainly more interesting and entertaining. Especially remarkable was to watch the speed of navigational developement and international operations over a period of a mere thirty years. One forgets at times that Jamestown and Plymouth were established within a few years after Adams' arrival in Japan, and by the time of his death, the Eastern Seaboard was almost entirely settled. A wonderful view of a time less well understood and frequently miscaracterized.



3. In my case, I learned about William Adams watching the PBS Empire Series which I recommend as a complement of this delightful book. What a story, supposedly bound to the East Indies as part of a Dutch Enterprise, Williams Adams is one of the few to reach Japan after a long and difficult voyage. From there comes an exquisite recount of Adams stay in feudal Japan of the 1600 which include a view of their customs and cities and the efforts made by other English Men to establish a trade spot in the Land of the Rising Sun. Is impressive how Williams Adams became a personal advisor of the Shogun Ieyasu and how he became part of this culture that remember him even after 200 years of his death. This book was also an excellent portrait of the Portuguese and Dutch East Indies Company of the time, the expulsion of Jesuits and eradication of Catholicism from Japan, and also provide some interesting information about the natives of Africa's Guinea Ecuatorial and of course, the South of Chile (passing the Magellan Strait).
   
   You can see a letter sent by Adams in 1613 in the British library site. Enjoy!!!



4. I'm moving to Japan in a few months and one of my buddies suggested I read the book before I go. It's very entertaining and gives you the mindset behind what makes the Japanese tick-truly amazing culture.



5. I found this to be a superbly written book, filled with fascinating details and enough excitement to fill a novel. Using quotes from contemporary sources, Milton brings history to life by focusing on the human elements rather than dry chronology. I can't wait to read the rest of Milton's books.

5 comments about A Pirate of Exquisite Mind: Explorer, Naturalist, and Buccaneer: The Life of William Dampier.

1. Ol' Cap'n Bill plundered only knowledge - couldn't keep two pieces of eight together to save his life. In fact, when he crossed the Isthmus of Panama, he was a lot more worried about keeping his charts dry than about the gold. Trouble was, nobody in his earlier days ever thought about funding a mission for pure scientific research - at least 'til Edmund Halley's voyage in about 1702 or so. And the only British vessels heading into the Pacific had to subsidize their own voyages (at the expense of the Dons, of course). So what was an insatiably curious soul to do? He stuck out his thumb, sailed everywhere -- and I mean EVERYWHERE! and if he's no longer at sea, he's now in print -- everywhere! Don't believe me? Pick up ANY book on exploration, vanished species, oceanography, evolution, British history, British colonialism -- and, of course ... pirates ... and you'll find him there, glaring huffily at anyone who'd demean him as a pirate.



2. This book about 17th Century Explorer William Dampier really surprised me - it was so good! I received the book as a gift and it turned out to be one of those books that I might not have chosen on my own, but I really enjoyed.
   
   The book chronicles Dampier's 3 voyages around the world, is interesting, and super easy to read. Two thumbs up for sure.



3. One hundred years before Charles Darwin there was a pirate whose works Darwin called "a mine of information". Jonathan Swift and Daniel Defoe used his experiences in writing Gulliver's Travels and Robinson Crusoe. Capital James Cook depended on his observations when circumnavigating the globe and Nelson urged his officers to study his books. In the history of exploration, few have ventured farther or achieved more than William Dampier.
   
   Dampier circled the globe 3 times and sailed 200,000+ miles visiting people and places never seen by any other European. Beginning his journey in Virginia and the Caribbean, this pirate crosses the Pacific east to west, spending time in Southeast Asia. The publication of his observations influenced generations of scientists, explorers and writers. His observations and calculations surpassed Edmund Halley and sent Bligh and the Bounty in search of breadfruit. He reached Australia 80 years before Captain Cook and is responsible for over 1000 entries in the Oxford English Dictionary.
   
   Completely forgotten by historians William Dampier has handed down a profound impact throughout the ages. And yes, he was a most decided pirate!



4. Dampier was a fascinating person, a real live buccaneer and also one of our first naturalists. Since I like buccaneers and naturalists, he works well for me. The book is fun to read and well-researched. I dug it.
   
   If you're into books about explorers, you can check out my list - imaginatively titled "Books about explorers" - for a few more recommendations.



5. having been loaned a copy by a friend, I have now bought a number of copies for myself, friends and relatives.Anyone who has ever thought of themselves as a traveller[rather than a tourist] should buy themselves a copy-even Tony Wheeler of Lonely Planet fame would see himself as a mere tourist after reading this wonderfully researched and written history,that is more important to all of us than we would ever guess.Loved every line.

No comments about The Shipwrecked Men (Penguin Great Journeys).

5 comments about Fragile Edge: A Personal Portrait of Loss on Everest.

1. The most rewarding aspect in reading this book was the insight into what it is like to bethe partner of someone with such a single minded focus that it surpasses everything. I am that person, and it made me think twice!

   It doesn't matter which one reads it first as long as you both read it!




2. What happens to the loved ones of mountaineers who perish while seeking to climb higher peaks or pioneer new routes on challenging mountains? The author attempts to answer this question with her well written and deeply personal account.

   The author was intimately involved in the mountaineering world of the nineteen seventies and early nineteen eighties. At the time she was in the throes of an intense love affair with Joe Trasker, the British climber who perished in 1982 with his regular climbing partner, Peter Boardman, while attempting to climb the then unclimbed Northeast ridge of Everest.

   The author offers an intriguing, birdseye view into the tight circle of the mountaineering elite through her relationship with Joe Trasker. The book, however, is not about climbing, per se. It is more of a personal catharsis of her relationship with Joe Trasker.

   Still, this makes for an interesting read. The book is divided into two parts. The first concerns itself with the Joe that was living. The second part concerns itself with the Joe that had perished.

   The first part chronicles their relationship, which was intense. It also seemed to be a little one sided. The author makes it fairly clear to the reader that Joe Trasker did not seem to have the same commitment to the relationship that the author seems to have had. Her reluctance to let the relationship go appears to have been based more upon what the relationship could have been, rather than upon what it actually was. As they say, love is blind.

   The second part of the book chronicles her coming to terms with his death. She does this by joining up with Peter Boardman's widow, Hilary, and setting off on a journey to Tibet and, ultimately, to Everest in an attempt to connect to Joe one final time, as well as to seek closure to a part of her life that was no more.

   Sensitively written and finely drawn, her pain is palpable and her story moving. It is, above all, a fitting tribute to Joe Trasker, the man who inspired such devotion.




3. Lost Love
   Fragile Edge: A Personal Portrait of Loss on Everest
   Reviewed by Laura Drury

   One rainy day, I curled up on the couch with a steaming cup of coffee and Maria Coffey's book, Fragile Edge, intending to spend a couple of pleasurable hours reading. As it happened, I did not stop after a couple of hours. I read the whole book that day.

   From the beginning I knew that Joe Tasker, her lover and well-known British mountain-climber, had died in a climbing accident on Everest and that this had affected her deeply. Even though I knew the end of the story, Maria's conversational style of storytelling kept me glued to my seat. It was as if she were sitting in my living room, telling me all the details of her lost love.

   Even so, Coffey's book is not a tragedy. It's a vicarious peek into a life of thrilling uneasiness, alternating with periods of intense passion. It is the story of how one woman coped with the strain of "the unseen menace, dormant but stirring." Maria described herself as "a climber's girlfriend, left at home, watching for mail". The many farewells were difficult for her. "There was always that wrenching in the gut when he walked away and three months of uncertainty stretched ahead like a tunnel with no light at the end." But when he returned from his dangerous expeditions, remembers Coffey, "there would be a resurgence of feeling between us, an excitement as fresh and keen as when we were first together".

   This is also the story of Maria Coffey's and Hilary Rhodes' (Boardman's wife) month long trip to the advance base camp of their loved ones' last climb. They did it to find closure and say goodbye as they left mementos at a memorial cairn that had been erected for the two lost climbers. They planted a little garden of edelweiss and mosses. They mourned and grieved, then laughed and sang with their Chinese hosts. They came to terms with their loss and made peace with Everest. They decided that regretting was of no use.

   Fragile Edge gives the average person insight into the world of serious mountaineering. "I was in love with a man who courted death, whose life made more sense to him if he pushed its limits," observed Coffey. In Joe Tasker's own words, "I sometimes wonder why I can't be content with Sunday rock climbs." The fatality rate among high-altitude mountaineers is supposedly one in ten. It is a world that most of us observe from the safety of our less-than-dangerous lives.




4. What happens to the loved ones of mountaineers who perish while seeking to climb higher peaks or pioneer new routes on challenging mountains? The author attempts to answer this question with her well written and deeply personal account.
   
   The author was intimately involved in the mountaineering world of the nineteen seventies and early nineteen eighties. At the time she was in the throes of an intense love affair with Joe Trasker, the British climber who perished in 1982 with his regular climbing partner, Peter Boardman, while attempting to climb the then unclimbed Northeast ridge of Everest.
   
   The author offers an intriguing, birds-eye view into the tight circle of the mountaineering elite through her relationship with Joe Trasker. The book, however, is not about climbing, per se. It is more of a personal catharsis of her relationship with Joe Trasker.
   
   Still, this makes for an interesting read. The book is divided into two parts. The first concerns itself with the Joe that was living. The second part concerns itself with the Joe that had perished.
   
   The first part chronicles their relationship, which was intense. It also seemed to be a little one sided. The author makes it fairly clear to the reader that Joe Trasker did not seem to have the same commitment to the relationship that the author seems to have had. Her reluctance to let the relationship go appears to have been based more upon what the relationship could have been, rather than upon what it actually was. As they say, love is blind.
   
   The second part of the book chronicles her coming to terms with his death. She does this by joining up with Peter Boardman's widow, Hilary, and setting off on a journey to Tibet and, ultimately, to Everest in an attempt to connect to Joe one final time, as well as to seek closure to a part of her life that was no more.
   
   Sensitively written and finely drawn, her pain is palpable and her story moving. It is, above all, a fitting tribute to Joe Trasker, the man who inspired such devotion.



5. Jon Krakauer's riveting book "Into Thin Air" was my original impetus to start reading books about climbing Everest. The psyche of people willing to risk serious harm and death in order to climb that mountain is fascinating and I am always interested in reading yet another perspective. I was, however, rather disappointed by "Fragile Edge."
   
   Coffey's story of love and loss is ultimately quite bland. Joe Tasker made it clear from the beginning that she was not that important to him and that she had to fit into his life on his terms. Their relationship was almost non-existant since he was always either away climbing a mountain or preoccupied with planning his next expedition.
   
   Coffey comes across as a rather immature girl, in love with the idea of the daring mountaineer, rather than the man himself. There is nothing compelling about their relationship and the trip she takes to vist Everest after his death comes across as being completely pointless.

5 comments about The Secret Voyage of Sir Francis Drake: 1577-1580.

1. What a remarkable history and well written book. When you read the first pages you realize that Drake was a great human being and an excellent explorer, navigator(the best of all times) and survivor. In the time when spaniards were around beheading everything, Drake treated the prisoners or natives with dignity.
   
   I was interested in the passing of Magellan's strait and the navigation through America heading north, specially Chile. This is an excellent book to enjoy and I recommend it to everyone.



2. Overall I enjoyed this book. I read it right after a biography of Magellan which made it especially poignant. Drake in many cases landed at places Magellan had previously been to and had to deal with the side or after-effects of Magellan's actions. The book is an easy read and gives a good overview of certain background elements such as Elizabeth and her political considerations. The adventures of Drake and his crew as they circled the world are an exciting read and I learned much.
   
   I have three negative comments on the book: 1) It spent too little time on the Spanish Armada, which may not be the prime topic of the book, but is important to the story. 2) The weird organization at the end with Drake dieing and then the concluding chapters showing where Drake probably visited in the Pacific Northwest. Maybe it works, but it seemed disjointed. and 3) Most important- get a map. Yes lots of old maps are reproduced but not real readable in the paperback and nowhere is there a modern map showing Drake's route. Many latitudes and a few longitudes are given, but without a good memory for the latitude/longitude of say San Francisco, I was a bit lost.
   
   I would recommend this book, but only with accompanying maps.



3. Samuel Bawlf is more than just an historian writing about an episode in the exploration of North America's northwest coast, he has taken a mystery and turned it into an interesting and entertaining book. Unlike an academic, Bawlf didn't write this book under pressure to 'publish or perish' or to solidify his appointment to a 'Chair'; he wrote this volume out of love for the subject and an interest in finding out the truth. All of which makes this an enjoyable read.
   
   On returning from his historic voyage, Drake had his crew sequestered in Plymouth while he went to London to report to Queen Elizabeth. In addition to over half a million pounds of plunder (much of it belonging to King Philip II of Spain) he also brought her a report of new lands on the North American continent, plus the possibility that he had found the strait that lead from the Pacific to the Northwest Passage (of which Frobisher has already found the Atlantic side). The Northwest Passage would reduce the sailing distance to the western Pacific coast from 20,000 miles to 3,000.
   
   For reasons of state, the six months Drake spent exploring what became the Canadian and American Pacific Northwest, were never acknowledged to have happened. Times spent in other parts of the voyage were extended to 'erase' this time period. Drake's discoveries were never acknowledged and to this day there are few geographical namings that honor him in this area. The 'secret' was kept so well, that few first or even second-hand accounts have survived, and many of those that do, were 'doctored' to protect the secret.
   
   Bawlf does a masterful job in laying out the clues and making his conclusions.



4. Good, accurate history of the round his world voyage attempt.
   
   Reading along with Google Earth's studies.
   
   Plan to pass it along to 11 year old as soon as i finish it.
   
   Great for adults, and fun for the kids, since they can follow along with Google Earth.



5. Hats off to Samuel Bawlf (gotta love the name) for this riveting account of the life and exploits of explorer cum pirate Sir Francis Drake. Bawlf concentrates on the voyage that made Drake world famous (and the secrets about the trip that Queen Elizabeth suppressed), but does a marvelous job of providing an overview of the political and economic climate in which that voyage was made. And save for a slight drag about three-quarters of the way through, Bawlf keeps the pace fast and full of suspense, without once sacrificing intelligence and clarity. For anyone interested in world history and the extraordinary men and women who made it, this is a wonderful, highly entertaining read.

1 comments about Carl Maxey: A Fighting Life (V Ethel Willis White Books).

1. Jim Kershner has used his considerable skills as a reporter to write a fascinating biography of Carl Maxey, one of the most charismatic personalities to come out of Washington State and Spokane. But the book should be of interest to readers well beyond the borders of the state of Washington. I would be very surprised if a copy of this book does not end up in many personal libraries and just about every law office in Washington State if not the entire nation. It reads much like a front-page story that just keeps getting more and more absorbing as the text continues on for almost 250 pages.
   
   Carl Maxey, having been born to an unwed mother, and having been placed in an orphanage in Spokane eventually worked his way up to becoming a competitive athlete, a national collegiate boxing champion, a college graduate, and the first black lawyer in Spokane. His practice led him to appear in some of the most high-profile murder, anti-Vietnam War, and civil rights cases in Washington state. In 1970 he challenged Henry "Scoop" Jackson for the Democratic Party nomination for the U.S. Senate. In 1976 he was on the Washington State ballot for president as Senator Eugene McCarthy's stand in vice presidential candidate. He remained a fighter for civil rights and social justice until his death in 1997.
   
   Kershner, in doing research for the book, utilized numerous newspaper sources, library records, personal papers and interviews with thirty Maxey family members and people who worked with him. Still, because he was so well known and came into contact with so many people, there are undoubtedly hundreds of people in Spokane and elsewhere who, when they read the book, feel, "Oh man, I wish Kershner had interviewed me I would have told him about ..."

3 comments about History of the Sierra Nevada.

1. This book was written by a mountaineer and editor who knew the Sierras well first hand and even knew some of the people involved in the discovery and preservation of the High Sierra of California. He takes us from the initial European discovery and naming by the Spanish, to the gold miners, early visitors to Yosemite, and Sierra Club and mountaineering explorations around the turn of the 19th century. Highly recommended for those interested in California history and the outdoors.



2. As the author says in the preface, this book "deals with human experiences in the Sierra Nevada from the time the Spaniards first saw it in the latter part of the eighteenth century to the present, when its economic and recreational uses serve several million people." Chapters are numerous, concise, and specific to event or persons, and include sections on the early Indians, Jedediah Smith, Joseph Walker, Fremont, Yosemite, the giant Sequoias, the coming of the railroad, important surveys, John Muir, and Mount Whitney, to name just a handful of the subjects dealt with. Arranged chronologically, the book is an excellent history of the region. Farquhar has consulted and presented information from original sources, and although chapters are relatively short, they are packed with interesting and important details. The book is also well illustrated and contains some excellent maps. It's a handsome overview of the history of the Sierra Nevadas and is a good starting place for anyone interested in the subject.



3. My love for the Sierra Nevada mountains goes back to the days of my youth when we made family trips to Yosemite and Sequoia. Later as a teenager filled with wanderlust, I returned to explore them on my own terms. Despite having made many trips to the Sierras, I never really read much about them until recently when I read several books covering the subject by early explorers of the area like William Brewer and Clarence King. Readers of those books are referred to Farquhar's History of the Sierra Nevada by amazon and others, so I bought this and found it a thoroughly enjoyable read.
   If you want a broad overview of the history of the Sierras, particularly the High Sierras, then this is the book I would recommend. Farquhar's history is a very useful primer that touches on all important aspects of exploration of the High Sierra and the progress made from mere exploitation to preservation and recreation. Note that the focus is on the high country as the history of the foothills has been much more extensively surveyed.
   The book covers the period from the first tentative Spanish penetrations, to the arrival of trappers and hunters from the east, then on to the settlers and further to the establishment of the National Forests and Parks in the region. Farquhar covers Jedediah Smith, John Fremont, Brewer, King, John Muir, and others who contributed so much to the exploration of the Sierras, the discovery of the important passes, the climbing of the peaks, and the naming of the natural features. He also writes of the subsequent struggle between those who wanted to exploit the mountains for all they were worth and those who felt that posterity had a stake in their partial preservation. Additionally, he discusses the politics of the exploitation/preservation debate and the many political battles in both Sacramento and Washington DC that have made the High Sierra the place we know today. The once dominant mining and logging industries are of small importance compared to the great importance placed on the waters and watershed of the Sierras by most Californians today.
   Most thrilling to me are the descriptions of the backcountry and the tales of finding paths through previously uncharted territory. Francis Farquhar's history is well written, extensively footnoted, and relatively fast-paced. His enthusiasm for his subject is evident throughout. Since this is an overview, he doesn't bog you down in the minutiae of the events about which he writes. If you are a lover of the Sierras, but have a hazy knowledge of their history, then I highly recommend reading History of the Sierra Nevada.

3 comments about The Woman of Wyrrd.

1. Andrews has been critcized for her approach to 20th century spiritualism, but this book shows that her fiction has an edge rarely found in contemporary writing. This addition to her chronicles takes the author on a dreamtime journey to Celtic England where Catherine (Andrews in a previous life) begins her studies with a wise woman and the Women of Wyrrd, those ancient crones who hold all the truths of all time. Celtic lore especially fascinates me and the journeys and experiences of Catherine serve to reinforce that we all share the same roots, regardless of the lables we assume today. I read these books for the spiritual truths between the lines and found this book to have more than it's share. A delight to read and to experience.



2. This book helped me find and make sence if my spiritual path. It opened my mind to new ideas. I would definutally recomend this book to anybody who is pagan or just curious about shamanism. ---peace out



3. Maybe it's best to leave the past in the past. Just how much of a past-life regression session do you need? If you want to delve into the whole "who was I in some other century and how is it impacting my life today" approach by dissecting a previous incarnation, well ... go ahead then. Even when a past life is confirmed it doesn't mean you were that person. In fact, Jung's collective unconsciousness says that we are all connected. Depending on the kind of brain wave patterns you go into during a "past life" visit, there is a chance that the 95% of the brain humans don't used was activated. And you tuned into someone else's life from a long time ago. Think about it ... we are connected to our close friends and often experience strange mental resonances and synchronicity. My advice: let the dead rest.
   
   
   As for Lynn Andrews book ... enjoy it, see how it helps y ou, treat it like inspiration fiction, but do not go looking to the past too much. Life is lived forward.

5 comments about The Last Gentleman Adventurer: Coming of Age in the Arctic.

1. An amazing account of a young man stepping up to the plate of life in a difficult environment requiring not only daring and tenacity, but incredible personal and political skills not usually inherent in a man of his age. An amazing tale of adventure, friendship, and loyalty.



2. I spent 9 years in Canada's Eastern Arctic in the 80"s and 90"s and this book struck a powerful chord with me. The author is perceptive enough and humble enough to gain a thorough understanding of the Inuit people and talented enough to bring his experience to life for us.
   
   I am a big fan of this man. He brings the Inuit to life with great compassion and truth without decending into the hero worship that sometimes inflicts visitors to the far north. These are real people and the good and the bad comes accross.
   
   There are also some fun adventures and honest reporting of how the experience transforms the author. I loved this book. I even wrote the authors family asking if he had other works to publish! That a book like this took decades to find a publisher when trash is printed on a daily basis speaks volumes.
   
   This book rings true with every sentence. Like all great books I was sad when it ended, like on the departure of a true friend.



3. In this beautifully written book, Edward Beauclerk Maurice takes the reader to a distant, cold land to experience heartwarming stories of adventure, love and loss.
   
   Maurice spent five years living with Eskimos (Inuit) on Baffin Island in northern Canada as a representative of the Hudson's Bay Company. He came of age there, starting as naive 16-year-old and growing to become an experienced leader by 21.
   
   Maurice tells his stories in an understated and humble manner. When he falls in the water, he makes a joke. When he nearly plummets to his death off a cliff, he blames his own clumsiness. When Eskimo women express interest in him, you can almost feel him blushing. You really can't help but like him.
   
   There's danger and adventure here, too. Maurice confronts wolves and polar bears. Storms tear the roof off buildings and threaten to swamp boats. Eskimos die tragic deaths.
   
   Particularly well-written is a story near the middle of the book where Maurice and an Eskimo come to the rescue of a village where people are dying from a contagious disease. It's a grim scene, and I could feel myself there through Maurice's writing.
   
   As a I read "The Last Gentleman Adventurer," I was somewhat wistful that neither I, nor anyone else, will ever get a chance to experience this sort of life again. It was an isolated existence, and Maurice and the Eskimos had to completely depend on each other and to live off the land. There was almost no communication with the outside world; a supply boat came just once a year.
   
   The book is divided into two parts -- the first includes highlights of Maurice's first few years on Baffin Island. The second is a more detailed description of his life at a base where he was the only non-Eskimo for one year.
   
   If you're wondering why I give this four stars, not five, it's only because in the second half of the book there are some flat parts where Maurice could have perhaps summarized and moved on. I also wish the book had a map.
   
   Despite those small complaints, I'd love to see someone turn this into a movie. It's not a big blockbuster story that would interest major studios, but I could see the BBC or PBS adapting this for TV.
   
   Readers who enjoy this book would also enjoy "Alaska Wilderness" by Robert Marshall.



4. Fascinating story. Written in very genuine, matter of fact style. Author was completely open to learning all he could about Inuit culture, and this comes through in the book. A must read if you want to understand the culture and ecology of the arctic. Read this, then go watch "The Naked Runner."



5. This was an amazing story of the early years of the Hudson Bay Company and a year of young mans life at a trading post in the Arctic. I couldn't stop reading. I only wish the author had not stopped his story writing.

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