Stefansson told Bartlett that he expected to be gone about ten days, "if no accident happens" – he added rather ominously – and that he would leave wrStefansson told Bartlett that he expected to be gone about ten days, "if no accident happens" – he added rather ominously – and that he would leave written instructions for the captain to follow during his absence. It was all very sudden and to most on board seemed spontaneous, unnecessary, and ill conceived.
The story of the Canadian Arctic Expedition of 1913 is a familiar tale of tragedy in the arctic, but with an unusual twist. Vilhjalmur Stefansson was already a well-known and charismatic arctic explorer when he proposed a scientific expedition to study the frozen north and hopefully reach the North Pole (Peary’s 1909 claim to having reached the Pole was questioned by some). The Canadian government gave Stefansson the approval to outfit the expedition, and he hired a veteran of previous expeditions, Captain Robert Bartlett, to lead the ships.
Bartlett had come close to reaching the North Pole with Peary and longed for another chance. But Stefansson’s plans for the trip seemed haphazard and poorly thought out. Although there were three ships altogether, the supplies for the excursion were not loaded on the right boats (this was to be sorted out later, according to Stefansson). Even worse, the Karluk, the flagship of the enterprise, needed extensive repairs and was not ideal for a voyage into the polar ice.
As was common with such expeditions, disaster struck. Even worse, Stefansson inexplicably abandoned the ship for a supposed caribou hunt when the ship became frozen in the ice. And when the Karluk drifted away, he wrote the crew and passengers off as dead and reorganized the expedition on the blank checks of the Canadian government.
This is a fascinating and well-written account of the Karluk and the disaster that befell those still on it. Captain Bartlett is the clear hero of the tale, with his cool-head and 1,000 mile journey to save his people, and it’s an amazing story! In spite of the suffering, the story never became bogged down in miserable details, although I found myself shaking my head at times. An inspiring read. (I received an advance electronic copy of this book courtesy of St. Martin's Press and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.)...more
William Dampier was the first person to circumnavigate the globe 3 times! He visited and mapped portions of Western Australia some 80 years before CapWilliam Dampier was the first person to circumnavigate the globe 3 times! He visited and mapped portions of Western Australia some 80 years before Capt. James Cook. More importantly, he was a keen observer of natural phenomena such as wind and currents, becoming an expert navigator and producing some of the finest and most reliable maps which were used for centuries. His observations about animals, nature, and other peoples and cultures around the world were unparalleled. He associated with the top minds of the Royal Society, contributing enormously to their knowledge, and influenced such famous writers as Daniel Defoe and Jonathan Swift. So, why aren’t we already familiar with him? Simple. He was a pirate.
During his first two times around the world, he kept meticulous journals and took copious notes of what he saw, showing not just an incredibly bright mind but an openness and tolerance for other cultures and experiences. After returning to England the first time, his journals were published and became an instant sensation:
“His books provided a new kind of travel writing. They gave fresh substance to the armchair reader’s journey by appealing to all five senses. As the reader went ‘round the globe with Dampier,’ as Defoe put it, he not only saw what an anteater looked like but smelled its musky scent; he heard the sound of Aboriginal words; he ran his fingers over the glossy skin of an avocado and felt the roughness of a ray skin; he tasted the flesh of a Vietnamese frog and crunched locusts between his teeth. So great was the detail that the reader learned the price of travel - the uncertainties, dangers, and risk of illness... - as well as the elation when seabirds heralded land and local people proved friendly.” (page 325)
This really is a first-rate biography of a forgotten luminary of history, and the Prestons have done a fantastic job of piecing together the man’s life from the sometimes fragmentary sources. As a pirate, Dampier was not a bloodthirsty villain, and never made much money from it (he was a pirate in his younger years and on his 1st and 3rd times around the world). As an expedition leader (his 2nd trip), he was out of his element and made serious mistakes. But as a naturalist, his observations and advice were far superior to any of his contemporaries, and would influence many others including Charles Darwin. If you’re looking for a great “armchair adventure,” this is an excellent read....more
A very thrilling story, indeed! Following the disastrous Apollo 1 fire in January 1967, where three astronauts died when a fire erupted in their cabinA very thrilling story, indeed! Following the disastrous Apollo 1 fire in January 1967, where three astronauts died when a fire erupted in their cabin, the American space program was determined to SAFELY beat the Soviet Union in the 'space race' to the moon. In December 1968, Apollo 8 became the first manned spacecraft to successfully leave Earth's orbit, establish orbit with the moon (it orbited the moon 10 times), then return SAFELY to earth. (Apollo 11 was the first flight to LAND on the moon.)
The narrative follows all three astronauts - Frank Borman, Jim Lovell, and Bill Anders - although the focus is primarily on Borman. There are lots of details on his Air Force career, his family, and his role in the Gemini 7 mission... and it's pretty fascinating! The excitement that must have been felt before spaceflight became routine seems palpable in this exciting book, especially as the tension builds as each milestone falls, such as coming out of the lunar shadow for the first time and reestablishing contact with 'Houston,' for example. And the fact that the perspective of the family is included helps to emphasize the very real risks that the astronauts faced. There's no trash-talking or sour-grapes here, which was fine by me. I listened to the audio version and the reader has the perfect voice for this kind of book - serious and no-nonsense. Bonus features include a short interview with Frank Borman and several audio clips from the Apollo 8 mission....more
I've read a number of books that deal with shipwrecks and the exploration of the seas, and with summer approaching I wanted something that would be a I've read a number of books that deal with shipwrecks and the exploration of the seas, and with summer approaching I wanted something that would be a bit of fun and adventure (of the armchair variety). I'm not sure this was the best choice for that!
The story of the maiden voyage of the Dutch East Indies (VOC) ship Batavia as the Dutch were still beginning their exploitation of the spice trade. Although a mutiny was being planned by the ship's skipper Ariaen Jacobsz and Jeronimus Cornelisz, the 2nd highest ranking VOC company man, the ship ran aground on an unknown reef (Houtman's Abrolhos) and was rapidly destroyed. With most of the crew and passengers landed on a barren island, the skipper and the top company man Francisco Pelsaert (who outranked the ship's skipper) set off with a crew in a small boat to attempt to reach Java. In the meantime, Cornelisz spread the soldiers and sailors among the three nearest islands to better put into effect his mutinous plans, and thus began an orgy of killing and mayhem leaving about 120 men, women, and children murdered.
As I said, this is not a seafaring castaway yarn about survival on desert islands. It's not for the faint of heart or the squeamish, and may even be harder to read in some respects than In the Heart of the Sea: The Tragedy of the Whaleship Essex. Nonetheless, it's a fascinating and well-told story of the tragedy of the Batavia and its survivors. Dash presents a lot of detail and information in an exceptionally readable manner. He tells us not only of the backgrounds of the principal characters (Cornelisz, Pelsaert, and Jacobsz) but many others - and yet it never feels like you're drowning in information. He also includes what became of each of the survivors, or at least what was known of them, and the latter efforts to locate the exact location of the shipwreck. And the "Notes" are often every bit as interesting and compelling as the story itself. Overall, a great read - just beware that the Batavia was a pretty sad story....more
I was surprised while reading this book that no one I spoke with had ever heard of "the mutiny on the Bounty." In 1789, LieDuty and a pile of coconuts
I was surprised while reading this book that no one I spoke with had ever heard of "the mutiny on the Bounty." In 1789, Lieutenant William Bligh sailed his ship, the Bounty, to the beautiful island of Tahiti. He'd been there before with Captain James Cook, but now his goal wasn't exploration but commerce: he was to obtain breadfruit plants to start plantations in the West Indies. Bligh was a conscientious captain who looked out for the health and welfare of his men, even while insisting upon order. Unfortunately, a combination of combustible personalities, the beauty of Tahiti and its women, and a pile of stolen coconuts led to a mutiny that left Bligh and 18 other sailors abandoned on the rough seas in a very small boat. It was so heavily loaded that even small waves broke over the sides, and it seemed a certain death sentence.
But Bligh managed to sail his tiny boat and crew for 3,500 nautical miles (over 4,000 land miles) through violent storms and open ocean (with almost no food!) to a safe harbor. Even more incredible was that only one man died in a clash with unfriendly islanders. News of this amazing feat and the eventual court martial of most of the mutineers who were apprehended a few years later in Tahiti, was talked about for decades. Some were hanged for their crimes, but Fletcher Christian, the one who led the mutiny, was never seen again.
But the story doesn't end there. With savvy legal help, a couple of the mutineers managed to get pardons from His Royal Majesty, and several of the families involved worked hard to change the narrative of the incident. Bligh's temper and salty language – particularly over the stolen coconuts – was blamed for inciting the mutiny. But Caroline Alexander sorts through the facts and weaves a surprisingly interesting tale of the challenges of living on a small ship in a big ocean – and even tells what happened to Christian. And it's a very detailed story, with so much information that I found it slow reading in the beginning. Before long, however, I was caught up in it and couldn't put it down. She even tells where Christian and the others ended up, and what became of the community they established. The maps and illustrations were great to help follow the story, but I wished it had included a list of the 46 men on the ship and their positions at the beginning, since it was hard to tell them all apart. The extensive detail and backstory might put some readers off, but it turned out to be a great summer read....more
"On the summit of the precipice, and in the heart of the green woods... there was an intelligence in the winds of the hills, and in the solemn stillne"On the summit of the precipice, and in the heart of the green woods... there was an intelligence in the winds of the hills, and in the solemn stillness of the buried foliage, that could not be mistaken. It entered into my heart, and I could have wept, not that I did not see, but that I could not portray all that I felt." — James Holman, The Blind Traveler
James Holman wasn't born blind, but he was born with a restlessness and and a desire for adventure. The fourth son of a "Chymist & Druggist," or "Surgeon and Apothecary, of genteel Practice," who wanted his sons to be "gentlemen," was serving as a third lieutenant aboard a Royal Navy ship off the coast of North America. His shift was often during the night time hours, when the brutally frigid winds blew off the water, chilling the bones. After several years of service, Holman developed a painful rheumatism in his leg joints (by 1807) - not an uncommon affliction for sailors in such cold extremes - which later led to his blindness (in 1811).
By 1813 Holman was attending the University of Edinburgh in Scotland, first as a student of literature then of medicine. In 1819 he embarked on his first trip - to the south of France and Italy, for his health. With his walking stick - a cane with a metal tip - he had learned to tap and navigate himself by the echoing it made. In Italy he became friends with a "Mr. C—" (later expanded to "Mr. C-l-b-k" and assumed to be "Colebrook") with whom he traveled to Germany and across the Netherlands. The unusual thing about Colebrook was that he was deaf!
Roberts paints a picture of Holman's times. Not only do we get to know the indomitable Holman, but we learn what it was like to lose your sight. We understand better what it was like to travel during that time, but how Holman navigated himself. Traveling was bad enough, but as a blind man it would have been even more challenging. Holman, however, met it head on and with enthusiasm - and he did it as a relatively poor man! In spite of that, he didn't mooch off friends or acquaintances, always keeping his stays short and keeping on the move. He secured a small pension from the Navy and wrote about his travels using a device called a "noctograph." And between his notes and his prodigious memory, he published about his travels, and frequently his doings caused me to laugh out loud.
Holman planned to circle the globe by going across Russia and Siberia to the east coast of Asia - a plan that ended in disappointment when the Tsar had Holman retrieved and thrown out of the country (Russia didn't want the world knowing their activities on the west coast of North America). But Holman succeeded in circumnavigating the globe, and not in the easiest way possible. And when he returned (in 1846) it is estimated that "his travels totaled no less than a quarter of a million miles... He could claim a thorough acquaintance with every inhabited continent, and direct contact with at least two hundred distinctly separate cultures... Alone, sightless, with no prior command of native languages and with only a wisp of funds, he had forged a path equivalent to wandering to the moon." (And he kept going after that!)
For myself, I needed an adventurous and inspirational read. I've been going through some personal challenges for the last few months and many of the books I picked up fell flat. This one, however, was uplifting and turned out to be a great distraction. But it's a well-written and uplifting account of a forgotten man who accomplished tremendous things in spite of an affliction that sidelined most in similar circumstance. An excellent biography!...more
Since we have children we've ended up with a number of these "juvenile encyclopedias." I think they usually come as gifts from grandparents but most oSince we have children we've ended up with a number of these "juvenile encyclopedias." I think they usually come as gifts from grandparents but most of them are overly basic and try to cover so many topics as to be generally worthless, however, the kids usually enjoy them for a little while. But that's one thing I really like about this book - it focuses just on the moon and the mission to land men there. It's basic enough that the younger children can learn from it, but has enough detail for the older ones as well, and maybe even be useful for school reports. I was a little surprised to see the graphic that shows how far away the moon is from the earth - most pictures we see make it look so much closer than it really is.
The DVD that comes with it was very nice, too. It has a lot of footage from the mission to the moon and runs about 30 minutes. It has the look and sound of some of those educational movies they made back in the 70s - lots of weird sounds and music in the background, but also not dumbed down so much like almost everything geared towards kids anymore. It wouldn't play in either of my DVD players, but it did play on the computers (maybe our players are old?). But a nice combination of book and video that gives much better information than most of this type of book. ...more
Wherever there's a sunken shipwreck, you'll find a good fishing spot as well as the potential to recover something valuable. Hence, fishermen and diveWherever there's a sunken shipwreck, you'll find a good fishing spot as well as the potential to recover something valuable. Hence, fishermen and divers alike tend to keep such locations secret when possible. Bill Nagle, having gained fame by recovering the bell from the Andria Doria, gets the coordinates to another deep-sea wreck, which he suspects could be a huge find. Too sick from the effects of alcoholism, he gets together a group of expert divers to check it out, including John Chatterton. Chatterton dives first to determine if it's worthwhile or not, and discovers a German U boat (submarine) from WWII right off the coast of New Jersey. The true mystery becomes which submarine is it? As he and fellow diver, Richie Kohler, become increasingly obsessed with discovering its name, several other divers lose their lives trying to help solve the mystery.
Kurson does an excellent job telling this true story of the two diver's obsession with the mystery U boat. His attention to detail is terrific without becoming tedious, and he does especially well to explain the difficulties involved with such deep diving. His descriptions of the effects of pressure leave no doubt and you almost feel as though you've been to the bottom of the sea with Chatterton and Kohler. But he also richly introduces the reader to the characters and their backgrounds to where you almost feel you know them. Their mystery quickly and easily becomes real, and I found it difficult to put the book down, reading compulsively until the mystery was solved, at which point appropriate background is given on the men who died aboard the "U-Who."
A thoroughly exciting ride without lulls in the action on a level with Krakauer's "Into Thin Air" account of Mt. Everest. I've also seen comparisons to "The Perfect Storm," but I found that story perfectly boring. In contrast to that book, this is without made up dialog as those involved are still alive to tell their tale. ...more
In the years following WWII and Korea as the military graduated to fighter jets a certain hierarchy of talent developed. At the top of the pyramid werIn the years following WWII and Korea as the military graduated to fighter jets a certain hierarchy of talent developed. At the top of the pyramid were those in "flight test," where pilots with a certain indefinable something went to push the limits of the newest and most advanced jets. Landing several tons of metal atop a heaving and pitching aircraft carrier in the dark of night or "hanging your hide on the outside of the envelope" in experimental jets is a dangerous profession requiring what Mr. Wolfe calls "the Right Stuff." From Chuck Yeager, the first to exceed the speed of sound (Mach 1), to John Glenn and the other Mercury astronauts, few possess this right or "righteous stuff," and many are "left behind" on the climb up that pyramid. Mr. Wolfe introduces us to those who had it and some who died lacking it, as well as the competition of the "Space Race" of the 60s, and does so with a very distinct style that conveys the attitude of those who possessed it. The missions of the Mercury astronauts are covered in particular detail and sort of form the pinnacle of this story, from the enormous egos of some to the petty jealousies and politics that played out behind the perfect facade Life Magazine presented to the nation.
In fact, the most singular aspect of this book for me would be the style with which it is written, dripping with the huge egos and arrogance of the pilots. Theirs is a dangerous job with few monetary rewards, requiring them to sacrifice family life and comfort, but carrying a thrill few people will ever experience. This, Mr. Wolfe explains, results in a feeling of superiority which he portrays excellently with his writing. And he conveys this attitude with certain phrases he uses repeatedly throughout, such as the "right stuff" or "flying & drinking, and drinking & driving," or the "Friend of Widows and Orphans," etc. It becomes a kind of shorthand for the concepts within the fraternity of pilots and their families. It's very interesting to learn of the lives and successes and defeats, particularly Chuck Yeager and John Glenn. But it is also this style which began to wear on me after a while - on the one hand the story is incredibly interesting, but on the other I got really tired of reading it and couldn't wait to just be done with the book. Also, the language of the book is pretty coarse, and hardly a page goes by that doesn't have several profanities or vulgarities, so be forewarned if you're bothered by that. ...more
I'd heard of Lewis & Clark, and even learned a little about them in school, but had never heard of the U.S. Exploring Expedition (the Ex. Ex.). But afI'd heard of Lewis & Clark, and even learned a little about them in school, but had never heard of the U.S. Exploring Expedition (the Ex. Ex.). But after reading _Undaunted Courage_ by Stephen Ambrose (which I loved) I thought this might be interesting since it was in the same vein of exploration and discovery. But how interesting can a story be if the event has been almost completely forgotten? Maybe there's a reason no one bothers to remember it anymore.
The Ex. Ex. confirmed the presence of Antarctica as a continent at the bottom of the earth and mapped 1,500 miles of its coast. Not only that, but it charted 800 miles of coast in the Pacific Northwest and 100 miles of the Columbia River, as well as dozens of islands in the South Pacific (some of those maps were still being used over a hundred years later during WWII). It brought back 40 tons of scientific specimens: 4,000 ethnographic artifacts; 50,000 botanical specimens including over a thousand living plants; and thousands of birds, mammals, fish, coral, insects, etc. Equally important was the tremendous amount of data and information on the diversity of people and places, languages and customs, and scientific observations, much of which became the foundation for the Smithsonian. The list goes on and on. So what went wrong?
The leader of the expedition, Charles Wilkes, was a young and inexperienced lieutenant with "an aching need for praise and control." This insecurity "drove him to astounding accomplishments" but also made him his own worst enemy when it came to his relationship with his crew and officers. The court-martials that ensued upon the return of the Ex. Ex. where an embarrassment to the government who was only too happy to brush it all under the rug. Washington politics played a huge part as well, as the government failed to support Wilkes with a promotion that would have given him the authority necessary to command such an important expedition. It didn't help that Wilkes returned a year late to a new administration that wasn't eager to report the successes of the prior one.
But it makes for an outstanding and readable book. Not only are the events interesting to read about, but Philbrick does a good job of analyzing the relationships between Wilkes and his men. And the account of Wilkes' time atop Mauna Loa was pretty inspiring. A lot of nautical terminology is used, particularly in the first half of the book, which I wasn't familiar with and made it harder to follow. I also wish the scientific accomplishments had played a more central part of the narrative. Still, a very enjoyable book. ...more
I'm not sure why, but history was a completely boring subject when I was in school and I remember but little of it. And it's unfortunate, because therI'm not sure why, but history was a completely boring subject when I was in school and I remember but little of it. And it's unfortunate, because there are so many fascinating stories and people and events that it's nearly all I read anymore. The story of Lewis & Clark's exploration of the Louisiana Territory and expedition to the Pacific is one of those stories, and this is an excellent telling of it.
Stephen Ambrose covers the topic well with a focus on Meriwether Lewis and why he was ideally suited for the task. They reached the mouth of the Columbia River and returned, and only one member of their Corps of Discovery died (very early in the journey, out of a group of over 30 men). Ambrose discusses the amazing accomplishments as well as the mistakes that were made, but places everything into proper context, giving an excellent insight into the personality of Lewis. It was fascinating reading how the Plains looked with their endless herds of buffalo and frequent encounters with Grizzly bears, or the struggles in crossing the Rocky Mountains which turned out to be much more difficult and hazardous than they had imagined. The plants and animals and Indians they encountered along the way are all here, including the 15 year-old guide Sacajawea and her infant son, who is rightly honored. They may not have found the all-water route that Jefferson wanted, but they accomplished something amazing for the time and shared some truly uncommon experiences.
Ambrose chose to retain the original spelling of the men which provides an interesting, and sometimes amusing, look at the time. This is an exciting and readable book I can highly recommend. It made me want to plan a trip to see parts of the trail myself. ...more
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