VANITY: Book Recommendations Wanted

[GodfearingTexan]

Ladies and Gentelmen, I'm writing in hopes that some of you could make a recommendation on books that deal with courage and adventure. Nonfiction books only please. I'm stationed out in the middle of nowhere and reading is my only real R&R. I'm especially interested in nautical adventures or adventures relating to the exploration of Africa or the Middle East. I've searched amazon for hours trying to find that sort of a book, but I have yet to find something worthwhile.

By the way, I recently read In the Heart of the Sea, the story about the whaleship Essex, and it was awesome. I highly recommend it.

Thank you.

[BlueDragon]

For lighter reading, non-fiction, seafaring genre, try Two Years Before The Mast, by Richard Henry Dana, Jr.

It is his own account of being a merchant sailor in 'Early California', in the mid-to-late 1830's.

It's an easy read, and usually most interesting, page after page. His accounts of San Diego, San Pedro, Santa Barbara, Monterey, and San Francisco, in those days, are among the few written in English from an "American" viewpoint, and perhaps the only from the an humble sailor's view.

Dana, later in life, advocated for sailors rights, ending up authoring some aspects of early U.S. Shipping Code (Title 46) with some of Dana's contributions beginning at about ~60 (or is it ~40 or so?), running for a ways ( a few consecutive) then some spotty code writing, or influence towards contributions, up to about ~160-180, if memory serves... One of his own family (brother?) William Dana, married into a Spanish land grant family, in what is referred to today as being Nipomo, California (San Luis Obispo County, half-way between Santa Barbara, and Monterey) the remains of which dwelling are still an historical landmark (Dana Adobe).

[BGHater]

South America Africa SE Asia Russia Alaska Classic Al Gore

[Kevmo]

I would recommend “The Ultra Secret” by Winterbotham. It is about how the Brits decoded German secret messages in WWII. Much of the Battle of the Atlantic was waged at this level, and it is an interesting read.

Another book, along the same lines of secret information & such: “Intercept UFO” by Renato Vesco. You can read through and get sort of an idea of what it goes into on this thread:
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1924782/posts

[lesser_satan]

Here ya go:

WINSTON S. CHURCHILL THE SECOND WORLD WAR - COMPLETE IN SIX VOLUMES IN SLIPCASE(I've read the condensed version, and I highly recommend it)

The Dangerous Book for Boys

[LiteKeeper]

Two Lives Of a Hero

The incredible life of Lord Baden Powell, founder of the Boy Scouts...but who rose to the rank of Lieutenant General in the British Army, before starting the Boy Scouts. Especially interesting are the stories of his service in South Africa and India, as a spy and a true war hero!

[LiteKeeper]

Just to whet your appetite:

Wikipedia article on the life of Lord Baden Powell

[april15Bendovr]

A book on my must read list

The Pirate Coast: Thomas Jefferson, The First Marines, and the Secret Mission of 1805

http://www.amazon.com/Pirate-Coast-Jefferson-Marines-Mission/dp/1401300030

[BlueDragon]

"Why does a God Fearing Texan have the Oklahoma State Flag on their FReep Page?"

Why doesn't Texas fall into the Gulf of Mexico?

[Oklahoma Sucks!]

highlight between brackets for punchline

[Star Traveler]

Well since you’re a GodfearingTexan and Okie, I would say that this one should fit the bill...

http://www.amazon.com/dp/0842379428/

Check out his website at — http://www.epm.org/

Jan Markell at Olive Tree Ministries (KKMS, Minneapolis/St. Paul, MN) interviewed him about his book. You can hear it here, to get an idea about the book — http://mp3.olivetreeviews.org/OTM2007_06_30B.mp3

Now, this will keep you riveted on the subject matter, all the way through the book.

Regards,
Star Traveler

[Irish Rose]

“The Long Road Home” by Martha Raddatz is a well-written account of Black Sunday. Definitely bravery there. “Under Fire”, Oliver North’s autobiography, also might interest you.

[ProtectOurFreedom]

I really enjoyed In the Heart of the Sea, too.

Try “Washington’s Crossing.” It is an incredible story of courage and surviving hardship against seemingly insurmountable odds. I guarantee you’ll be thrilled by it.

“Empire Express” - Building the transcontinental railroad
“A Newer World” - Kit Carson & John Fremont
“Men to Match My Mountains” - Thrilling stories of the U.S. western expansion

[Rockingham]

By way of personal survival stories, try:

“Survive the Savage Sea,” by Dougal Robertson. (family endures the sudden sinking of their boats at sea);

“The Hundred Days of Lt. Mac Horton. (autobiography)(Severely wounded and left to die in the jungle, a British soldier fights the Japanese, hostile terrain, flies, heat, and pain);

“Endurance: Shackleton’s Incredible Voyage,” Alfred Lansing. (An Antarctic expedition is wrecked, but all survive due to Shackleton’s determination and resilience).

[Experiment 6-2-6]

Two Years Before the Mast - Richard Henry Dana

The Long Walk - Slavomir Rawicz

Into the Wild - Jon Krakauer

Also, read the Siege of Malta if you haven’t already...

[hoosier_RW_conspirator]

“Narrow Escapes and Outdoor Adventures” by Ben East (a collection of short stories of survival from the old ‘Outdoor Life’ magazines).

[maine-iac7]

You want to see or read about real courage and lasting fortitude of a small bunch of folk = read Gov. Bradford's "Of Plymouth Plantation" or get the most excellently done film that faithfully follows it - titled : "Desperate Crossing" = I guarantee you'll be amazed at how much you never knew or suspected of what these people endured - for over a dozen years BEFORE they sailed on the Mayflower = including their 12 years in Holland.

Elder William Brewster played a cat and mouse game with the English Crown who sent detectives back and forth - as he scooted back and forth - always one step ahead.

They wanted his head because he had a publishing/printing business - hidden ingeniously - and printed books and pamphlets against the Crown, one being the famous "Perth Assembly". That's the one that really ticked the King off...

When they finally made the decision to sail on the Mayflower, he had to be smuggled aboard...

And did you know that the first face to face encounter they had with the Native Americans was the first warm spring day when Samoset came striding straight into the middle of the village...and that they stood, mouths agape, as he greeted them with: "Welcome, Englishmen." And then asked for a beer...

Anyway, I do think you'd be pleasantly surprised at the REAL story of the Pilgrims - one you never got in school or the newspapers...

[codercpc]

I have read "The Childrens Blizzard" and it is fascinating.

My husband loves anything by Peter Hathaway Capstick, which have to do with hunting expeditions in Africa.

[johnny7]

“Goodbye Darkness” ...by William Manchester

[Tenniel2]

A hearty second for F.A. Worsley's Shackleton's Boat Journey.

The 18 months that the expedition spent trapped in the Antarctic after Endurance was lost were just the first act. When the ice finally broke apart, the 28 explorers used the ship's lifeboats to sail to Elephant Island, where most of the crew hunkered down in a makeshift camp while a smaller party sailed the second lifeboat northward, through the monstrous gales and treacherous ice of the Southern Ocean, for 800 miles.

If you're up for a video version of the story, Kenneth Branagh's Shackleton does it justice and then some.

[Right Wing Assault]

Ship of Gold in the Deep Blue Sea.

The true story of the sinking of the SS Central America and the eventual recovery of her cargo of gold.

The first quarter or so of the book deals with the incredible, super-human efforts of many to save the passengers before she sank. The rest concerns the difficult salvage of the cargo over 130 years later.

[Alberta's Child]

You might be interested in a book I've read several times . . . it's called "North to the Pole" by Will Steger and Paul Schurke, and it's about the famous Steger expedition to the North Pole back in the 1980s. The expedition was sponsored by National Geographic magazine, and was done only using the types of equipment that would have been available to Robert Peary back in 1909. There was some dispute over the years about whether Peary really ever reached the North Pole, and National Geographic sponsored this expedition to determine if it was at least physically possible to accomplish what he had claimed.