Great!, 31 Oct 2008
Brought this for alot more than for sale here, from high street store. Grrrr! Anyway got to say Bruce is a legend and its a perfect crimbo present!

Bravo Bruce, 29 Oct 2008
I dont usually buy books that accompany a TV series or film, thinking of them as quite frivolous marketing ploys, however I was given this as a gift and have definitely reassessed my opinion.

The book is an insightful accompaniment to the show, delving deeper into the characters that we meet only briefly on screen.The photography provides candid shots of both Bruce,the landscape and the indigenous tribes he meets.

I would highly reccomend this book for anyone who has an interest in the enviroment and what is happening in the Amazon. It is also a great Christmas present for any fans of the charming Mr Parry!

Food for thought, 24 Oct 2008
This, perhaps unsurprisingly for followers of the series is an intelligent and thought provoking counterpart to the BBC series and another addition to the canon of admirable work Parry is undertaking. This is beautifully produced full of sumptuous photos but it does not shirk the harder issues tackled in the show. He has a knack of managing to raise awareness of all important issues without patronising or preaching. Buy. And buy Bruce's wonderful charity album too as well - might go some way to helping the human casualties of amazon exploitation - tribes.

Bruce rocks!, 10 Oct 2008
In his inimitable style Bruce is bringing attention to one of the biggest scandals in the modern world, no less than the destruction of the most important habitat on our planet. It's something our generation will go down in history for and nobody is doing anything to stop it. More power to Bruce for showing how even some of the people destroying the forest are just trying to survive. We won't begin to tackle this issue until we appreciate that there are no easy answers (if you want a good summary of why the Amazon and other environments are so precious I'm a big fan of Bruce's other book Serious Survival as well).

What would possess a gifted young man recently graduated from college to literally walk away from his life? Noted outdoor writer and mountaineer Jon Krakauer tackles that question in his reporting on Chris McCandless, whose emaciated body was found in an abandoned bus in the Alaskan wilderness in 1992.

Described by friends and relatives as smart, literate, compassionate and funny, did McCandless simply read too much Thoreau and Jack London and lose sight of the dangers of heading into the wilderness alone? Krakauer, whose own adventures have taken him to the perilous heights of Everest, provides some answers by exploring the pull the outdoors, seductive yet often dangerous, has had on his own life. --Amazon.com

Great!, 31 Oct 2008
Brought this for alot more than for sale here, from high street store. Grrrr! Anyway got to say Bruce is a legend and its a perfect crimbo present!

Bravo Bruce, 29 Oct 2008
I dont usually buy books that accompany a TV series or film, thinking of them as quite frivolous marketing ploys, however I was given this as a gift and have definitely reassessed my opinion.

The book is an insightful accompaniment to the show, delving deeper into the characters that we meet only briefly on screen.The photography provides candid shots of both Bruce,the landscape and the indigenous tribes he meets.

I would highly reccomend this book for anyone who has an interest in the enviroment and what is happening in the Amazon. It is also a great Christmas present for any fans of the charming Mr Parry!

Food for thought, 24 Oct 2008
This, perhaps unsurprisingly for followers of the series is an intelligent and thought provoking counterpart to the BBC series and another addition to the canon of admirable work Parry is undertaking. This is beautifully produced full of sumptuous photos but it does not shirk the harder issues tackled in the show. He has a knack of managing to raise awareness of all important issues without patronising or preaching. Buy. And buy Bruce's wonderful charity album too as well - might go some way to helping the human casualties of amazon exploitation - tribes.

Bruce rocks!, 10 Oct 2008
In his inimitable style Bruce is bringing attention to one of the biggest scandals in the modern world, no less than the destruction of the most important habitat on our planet. It's something our generation will go down in history for and nobody is doing anything to stop it. More power to Bruce for showing how even some of the people destroying the forest are just trying to survive. We won't begin to tackle this issue until we appreciate that there are no easy answers (if you want a good summary of why the Amazon and other environments are so precious I'm a big fan of Bruce's other book Serious Survival as well).

In To The Wild.... superbly intense, 07 Dec 2008
I can across this book by chance. I wanted to read a book that involved travel and adventure. I wanted a book that wasn't full of extreme storylines but a simple book.

In To The Wild is a wonderful book. It's so emotional. You can't help but become emotional attached to Chris. He reminded me of myself or others I know. Some say what a fool he was to waste his young life unnecessarily, but to die achieving your dream is a life worth living. Many of us have dreams that over time never evolve into reality. I have pure admiration for what Chris achieved and for all he believed in. To live a life more intensely and naturally is a life we should aim for.

Jon Krakauer is an excellent author who slowly lets the adventure unfold, although the two chapters which tells his own story I found misplaced and unneeded.

I would recommend this book to anybody. It makes you reflect upon your own ethics and way of life. If Chris' death could help anybody fulfil their dreams it's a life that was not wasted.

Heart breaking, 14 Oct 2008
I watched the movie before I read the book, and while the movie brought tears to my eyes, the book broke my heart (SOBBING). I NEVER read a book after I have watched its movie but Jon Karkuer did an amazing job. Even though I knew how it would end I still found myself wanting, hoping, praying Christopher McCandless would make it out alive. I am a first time reader of Jon Karkuers' work and I am really impressed.


Beautiful Blueberries!, 23 Sep 2008
I got into Jon Krakauer through Joe Simpson books and have found him to be an excellent writer. With little material to go on he manages to paint a vivid picture of Chris McCandless and his adventures across the USA. Towards the end of the book, Jon relies mostly on guesswork as to what happened with Chris, and I thought it extremely well done. The only point which jarred slightly for me was Jon describing his troubles with his father, which didn't seem entirely relevant to the rest of the plot. However, one sentence from the book (written by Chris in his copy of Dr Zhivago) will always remain with me: "Happiness is only real when shared with others". Read it and enjoy.

the film might be more easy to understand !!!!, 19 Aug 2008
takes a very long time for the story to get going and you could very easy put this book down and move on.

Unforgettable Adventure, 31 Jul 2008
Think adventure, dream of being free, living each day as it comes, never really knowing what joys or hardships tomorrow may bring.

This is the story of Chris McCandless, who in 1992 abondoned everything in search of adventure and survival in the Alaskan wilderness. Notes, lettersw and diaries discovered after he was found dead in an old bus detailed his day to day adventure after leaving his home state of Atlanta.

This true story ends in tragedy, but the very way Chris lives freely during that time has a rather uplifting affect.

Whether you read the book or see the film, I highly recommend this one.

How To Keep Your Man: And Keep Him For Good

Real Life Dramas - Volume One: 1

Darren G. Burton

Great!, 31 Oct 2008
Brought this for alot more than for sale here, from high street store. Grrrr! Anyway got to say Bruce is a legend and its a perfect crimbo present!

Bravo Bruce, 29 Oct 2008
I dont usually buy books that accompany a TV series or film, thinking of them as quite frivolous marketing ploys, however I was given this as a gift and have definitely reassessed my opinion.

The book is an insightful accompaniment to the show, delving deeper into the characters that we meet only briefly on screen.The photography provides candid shots of both Bruce,the landscape and the indigenous tribes he meets.

I would highly reccomend this book for anyone who has an interest in the enviroment and what is happening in the Amazon. It is also a great Christmas present for any fans of the charming Mr Parry!

Food for thought, 24 Oct 2008
This, perhaps unsurprisingly for followers of the series is an intelligent and thought provoking counterpart to the BBC series and another addition to the canon of admirable work Parry is undertaking. This is beautifully produced full of sumptuous photos but it does not shirk the harder issues tackled in the show. He has a knack of managing to raise awareness of all important issues without patronising or preaching. Buy. And buy Bruce's wonderful charity album too as well - might go some way to helping the human casualties of amazon exploitation - tribes.

Bruce rocks!, 10 Oct 2008
In his inimitable style Bruce is bringing attention to one of the biggest scandals in the modern world, no less than the destruction of the most important habitat on our planet. It's something our generation will go down in history for and nobody is doing anything to stop it. More power to Bruce for showing how even some of the people destroying the forest are just trying to survive. We won't begin to tackle this issue until we appreciate that there are no easy answers (if you want a good summary of why the Amazon and other environments are so precious I'm a big fan of Bruce's other book Serious Survival as well).

In To The Wild.... superbly intense, 07 Dec 2008
I can across this book by chance. I wanted to read a book that involved travel and adventure. I wanted a book that wasn't full of extreme storylines but a simple book.

In To The Wild is a wonderful book. It's so emotional. You can't help but become emotional attached to Chris. He reminded me of myself or others I know. Some say what a fool he was to waste his young life unnecessarily, but to die achieving your dream is a life worth living. Many of us have dreams that over time never evolve into reality. I have pure admiration for what Chris achieved and for all he believed in. To live a life more intensely and naturally is a life we should aim for.

Jon Krakauer is an excellent author who slowly lets the adventure unfold, although the two chapters which tells his own story I found misplaced and unneeded.

I would recommend this book to anybody. It makes you reflect upon your own ethics and way of life. If Chris' death could help anybody fulfil their dreams it's a life that was not wasted.

Heart breaking, 14 Oct 2008
I watched the movie before I read the book, and while the movie brought tears to my eyes, the book broke my heart (SOBBING). I NEVER read a book after I have watched its movie but Jon Karkuer did an amazing job. Even though I knew how it would end I still found myself wanting, hoping, praying Christopher McCandless would make it out alive. I am a first time reader of Jon Karkuers' work and I am really impressed.


Beautiful Blueberries!, 23 Sep 2008
I got into Jon Krakauer through Joe Simpson books and have found him to be an excellent writer. With little material to go on he manages to paint a vivid picture of Chris McCandless and his adventures across the USA. Towards the end of the book, Jon relies mostly on guesswork as to what happened with Chris, and I thought it extremely well done. The only point which jarred slightly for me was Jon describing his troubles with his father, which didn't seem entirely relevant to the rest of the plot. However, one sentence from the book (written by Chris in his copy of Dr Zhivago) will always remain with me: "Happiness is only real when shared with others". Read it and enjoy.

the film might be more easy to understand !!!!, 19 Aug 2008
takes a very long time for the story to get going and you could very easy put this book down and move on.

Unforgettable Adventure, 31 Jul 2008
Think adventure, dream of being free, living each day as it comes, never really knowing what joys or hardships tomorrow may bring.

This is the story of Chris McCandless, who in 1992 abondoned everything in search of adventure and survival in the Alaskan wilderness. Notes, lettersw and diaries discovered after he was found dead in an old bus detailed his day to day adventure after leaving his home state of Atlanta.

This true story ends in tragedy, but the very way Chris lives freely during that time has a rather uplifting affect.

Whether you read the book or see the film, I highly recommend this one.

How To Keep Your Man: And Keep Him For Good

Real Life Dramas - Volume One: 1

Darren G. Burton

Gripping and at times terrifying, 06 Jan 2009
Mad, Bad & Dangerous to Know by Ranulph Fiennes

I received this book as a Christmas present, so I leafed through the first few pages in a desultory manner, expecting to discard it soon after. I could not put it down. Fiennes recounts his unlikely exploits with some skill. Not only is he the most famous explorer alive to day, but he is also a talented writer. The sheer mad determination of the man is staggering. Along with his feted successes, he has also had numerous failures, some of which have resulted in extremities maimed by frostbite. Yet he keeps going back, year after year, to the frozen ends of the earth. It seems miraculous that he has not yet succumbed to one of his many duckings in the Arctic Ocean, or his numerous close encounters with Antarctic crevasses. At an age when many men are slumping into inactivity, he decides that it is time to confront a lifelong problem with vertigo, so he climbs the North Face of the Eiger, or the "Mordwand" (death wall) as the Germans call it. Only months after a near-fatal heart attack, he enters the record books by running seven marathons, on seven continents, over seven successive days. As I said: gloriously, certifiably crackers.

Fiennes is not much given to introspection - it is possible to read between the lines that he does not suffer fools gladly - but writes very touchingly about his relationship with his first wife, Ginny, and of his devastation after her death from cancer.

I almost rated the book at five stars, but the final sections come across as rather rushed, and are not of quite the same high quality as the other 80%. (I suspect that the author was working to a deadline prior to departing on another dangerous exploit). That said, Fiennes' most recent autobiography is an excellent read, which in parts has the narrative drive of a good thriller.

Review by Tony Judge, author of Sirocco Express (ISBN: 978-1409204466 )


Move over Indina Jones!, 30 Dec 2008
I first heard of this book whilst watching an episode of Top Gear that had Sir Ranulph Fiennes as the Star in a Reasonably Priced Car. Through listening to what he had to say I thought this would be an interesting read and went ahead and bought it.

This book really is one adventure after another and time after time demonstrates not only the limits that the human body can be pushed to but the love one person can have for another. It is little wonder that Sir Ranulph has been used as a motivation speaker as his experiences and determination are something that are beyond imagination.

A highly recommended read! Insightful, funny and inspiring!

surprising, touching, motivating, 08 Oct 2008
This book surprised me. It was a Christmas present and its taken this long for me to open it, but I'm very glad I did. I must admit before I read it I thought Ranulph Feinnes was a bit of a nutter. I still do. But there's more to him than that.

I think this book is about love, failure and doing and not thinking! He doesn't talk about his first wife, Ginny, much. He uses far more words describing how he wedged his hands in various crannies, or tried to get the blood flowing back through them once they were frozen. But he speaks so poignantly about her it's touching. More so because he doesn't wallow in sentimentality.

He failed a lot. There's a temptation to think about him as the bloke who trekked on his own to the North Pole or more recently did seven marathons in seven days on seven continents after a heart by-pass, but he failed more than he succeeded, and the matter-of-fact way he deals with failure is as inspirational as the success.

I also found the narrative of the challenges compelling and there are a few heart-stopping moments and very amusing anecdotes. Frankly, I don't know if he's a good adventurer or not, he seems reckless sometimes, and luck often played a part, but he's as hard as they come.

I don't even know if he's a good writer. If you lead a life as full of adventure, love and commitment as his, the books probably write themselves.

Good book but heavy reading, 21 Aug 2008
I enjoyed this book overall, but found it a bit heavy going at times. The early part where Fiennes describes his upbringing, school life and time in the armed forces was very good and was at just the right pace. However, when he goes on to write about the various expeditions and races he subsequently took part in, I found the level of detail uneccesary. Its almost like he recounts each trip day by day from his diaries. This made for quite heavy reading, and certainly slowed the pace of the book right down. By the end it had become quite hard work, and I was glad to finish it. Overall a good read, but not one you'll be able to get through without a lot of time and concentration!

Outstanding, 17 Jul 2008
Wow. This man is absolutely incredible. I'm sure others have been through the examples from the book, so I won't repeat, but if you have respect for someone who can push their body to the absolute limit, then this is a must read.

Great!, 31 Oct 2008
Brought this for alot more than for sale here, from high street store. Grrrr! Anyway got to say Bruce is a legend and its a perfect crimbo present!

Bravo Bruce, 29 Oct 2008
I dont usually buy books that accompany a TV series or film, thinking of them as quite frivolous marketing ploys, however I was given this as a gift and have definitely reassessed my opinion.

The book is an insightful accompaniment to the show, delving deeper into the characters that we meet only briefly on screen.The photography provides candid shots of both Bruce,the landscape and the indigenous tribes he meets.

I would highly reccomend this book for anyone who has an interest in the enviroment and what is happening in the Amazon. It is also a great Christmas present for any fans of the charming Mr Parry!

Food for thought, 24 Oct 2008
This, perhaps unsurprisingly for followers of the series is an intelligent and thought provoking counterpart to the BBC series and another addition to the canon of admirable work Parry is undertaking. This is beautifully produced full of sumptuous photos but it does not shirk the harder issues tackled in the show. He has a knack of managing to raise awareness of all important issues without patronising or preaching. Buy. And buy Bruce's wonderful charity album too as well - might go some way to helping the human casualties of amazon exploitation - tribes.

Bruce rocks!, 10 Oct 2008
In his inimitable style Bruce is bringing attention to one of the biggest scandals in the modern world, no less than the destruction of the most important habitat on our planet. It's something our generation will go down in history for and nobody is doing anything to stop it. More power to Bruce for showing how even some of the people destroying the forest are just trying to survive. We won't begin to tackle this issue until we appreciate that there are no easy answers (if you want a good summary of why the Amazon and other environments are so precious I'm a big fan of Bruce's other book Serious Survival as well).

In To The Wild.... superbly intense, 07 Dec 2008
I can across this book by chance. I wanted to read a book that involved travel and adventure. I wanted a book that wasn't full of extreme storylines but a simple book.

In To The Wild is a wonderful book. It's so emotional. You can't help but become emotional attached to Chris. He reminded me of myself or others I know. Some say what a fool he was to waste his young life unnecessarily, but to die achieving your dream is a life worth living. Many of us have dreams that over time never evolve into reality. I have pure admiration for what Chris achieved and for all he believed in. To live a life more intensely and naturally is a life we should aim for.

Jon Krakauer is an excellent author who slowly lets the adventure unfold, although the two chapters which tells his own story I found misplaced and unneeded.

I would recommend this book to anybody. It makes you reflect upon your own ethics and way of life. If Chris' death could help anybody fulfil their dreams it's a life that was not wasted.

Heart breaking, 14 Oct 2008
I watched the movie before I read the book, and while the movie brought tears to my eyes, the book broke my heart (SOBBING). I NEVER read a book after I have watched its movie but Jon Karkuer did an amazing job. Even though I knew how it would end I still found myself wanting, hoping, praying Christopher McCandless would make it out alive. I am a first time reader of Jon Karkuers' work and I am really impressed.


Beautiful Blueberries!, 23 Sep 2008
I got into Jon Krakauer through Joe Simpson books and have found him to be an excellent writer. With little material to go on he manages to paint a vivid picture of Chris McCandless and his adventures across the USA. Towards the end of the book, Jon relies mostly on guesswork as to what happened with Chris, and I thought it extremely well done. The only point which jarred slightly for me was Jon describing his troubles with his father, which didn't seem entirely relevant to the rest of the plot. However, one sentence from the book (written by Chris in his copy of Dr Zhivago) will always remain with me: "Happiness is only real when shared with others". Read it and enjoy.

the film might be more easy to understand !!!!, 19 Aug 2008
takes a very long time for the story to get going and you could very easy put this book down and move on.

Unforgettable Adventure, 31 Jul 2008
Think adventure, dream of being free, living each day as it comes, never really knowing what joys or hardships tomorrow may bring.

This is the story of Chris McCandless, who in 1992 abondoned everything in search of adventure and survival in the Alaskan wilderness. Notes, lettersw and diaries discovered after he was found dead in an old bus detailed his day to day adventure after leaving his home state of Atlanta.

This true story ends in tragedy, but the very way Chris lives freely during that time has a rather uplifting affect.

Whether you read the book or see the film, I highly recommend this one.

How To Keep Your Man: And Keep Him For Good

Real Life Dramas - Volume One: 1

Darren G. Burton

Gripping and at times terrifying, 06 Jan 2009
Mad, Bad & Dangerous to Know by Ranulph Fiennes

I received this book as a Christmas present, so I leafed through the first few pages in a desultory manner, expecting to discard it soon after. I could not put it down. Fiennes recounts his unlikely exploits with some skill. Not only is he the most famous explorer alive to day, but he is also a talented writer. The sheer mad determination of the man is staggering. Along with his feted successes, he has also had numerous failures, some of which have resulted in extremities maimed by frostbite. Yet he keeps going back, year after year, to the frozen ends of the earth. It seems miraculous that he has not yet succumbed to one of his many duckings in the Arctic Ocean, or his numerous close encounters with Antarctic crevasses. At an age when many men are slumping into inactivity, he decides that it is time to confront a lifelong problem with vertigo, so he climbs the North Face of the Eiger, or the "Mordwand" (death wall) as the Germans call it. Only months after a near-fatal heart attack, he enters the record books by running seven marathons, on seven continents, over seven successive days. As I said: gloriously, certifiably crackers.

Fiennes is not much given to introspection - it is possible to read between the lines that he does not suffer fools gladly - but writes very touchingly about his relationship with his first wife, Ginny, and of his devastation after her death from cancer.

I almost rated the book at five stars, but the final sections come across as rather rushed, and are not of quite the same high quality as the other 80%. (I suspect that the author was working to a deadline prior to departing on another dangerous exploit). That said, Fiennes' most recent autobiography is an excellent read, which in parts has the narrative drive of a good thriller.

Review by Tony Judge, author of Sirocco Express (ISBN: 978-1409204466 )


Move over Indina Jones!, 30 Dec 2008
I first heard of this book whilst watching an episode of Top Gear that had Sir Ranulph Fiennes as the Star in a Reasonably Priced Car. Through listening to what he had to say I thought this would be an interesting read and went ahead and bought it.

This book really is one adventure after another and time after time demonstrates not only the limits that the human body can be pushed to but the love one person can have for another. It is little wonder that Sir Ranulph has been used as a motivation speaker as his experiences and determination are something that are beyond imagination.

A highly recommended read! Insightful, funny and inspiring!

surprising, touching, motivating, 08 Oct 2008
This book surprised me. It was a Christmas present and its taken this long for me to open it, but I'm very glad I did. I must admit before I read it I thought Ranulph Feinnes was a bit of a nutter. I still do. But there's more to him than that.

I think this book is about love, failure and doing and not thinking! He doesn't talk about his first wife, Ginny, much. He uses far more words describing how he wedged his hands in various crannies, or tried to get the blood flowing back through them once they were frozen. But he speaks so poignantly about her it's touching. More so because he doesn't wallow in sentimentality.

He failed a lot. There's a temptation to think about him as the bloke who trekked on his own to the North Pole or more recently did seven marathons in seven days on seven continents after a heart by-pass, but he failed more than he succeeded, and the matter-of-fact way he deals with failure is as inspirational as the success.

I also found the narrative of the challenges compelling and there are a few heart-stopping moments and very amusing anecdotes. Frankly, I don't know if he's a good adventurer or not, he seems reckless sometimes, and luck often played a part, but he's as hard as they come.

I don't even know if he's a good writer. If you lead a life as full of adventure, love and commitment as his, the books probably write themselves.

Good book but heavy reading, 21 Aug 2008
I enjoyed this book overall, but found it a bit heavy going at times. The early part where Fiennes describes his upbringing, school life and time in the armed forces was very good and was at just the right pace. However, when he goes on to write about the various expeditions and races he subsequently took part in, I found the level of detail uneccesary. Its almost like he recounts each trip day by day from his diaries. This made for quite heavy reading, and certainly slowed the pace of the book right down. By the end it had become quite hard work, and I was glad to finish it. Overall a good read, but not one you'll be able to get through without a lot of time and concentration!

Outstanding, 17 Jul 2008
Wow. This man is absolutely incredible. I'm sure others have been through the examples from the book, so I won't repeat, but if you have respect for someone who can push their body to the absolute limit, then this is a must read.

Superb, 29 Jul 2008
This whole series of books is seriously inspiring and a complete joy to browse through. The photos are breathtaking, the commentary is engaging and the whole book is thoroughly compelling. I've already booked my next holiday to include 3 of the suggestions made in these books!

Disappointing for anyone but the travel novice, 01 Feb 2008
I was a little disappointed with this book. I had hoped it would be inspirational, off-the-beaten-track type of "unforgettable places" but it was just very subjective and at times questionable entries which were no better than a guide book's ..
Sorry but even the photography was disappointing, a copy of the National Geographic or even Wanderlust has better images

Inspirational, 14 Aug 2006
We were looking for an appropriate destination for an unforgettable family holiday last year but inspiration was hard to come by. Eventually we realised that instead of trawling the internet, we would have a quick look through this book and see if anywhere really took our fancy. We found Aitutaki in the cook islands, a place we were very unfamiliar with but looked unspoilt and beautiful. We travelled to Aitutaki last summer and were not disappointed. The book perfectly described and displayed what we would see and get but left us wanting to go there too.

If all the other places mentioned in the book live up to what we found on Aitutaki, then this really is the definitive list of unforgettable places to see before you die.

Inspiring!, 30 May 2006
This book will make you want to pack your bags and get travelling! Beautiful pictures, my only complaint being there are definately more unforgettable places in Scotland than the castle mentioned but an author can never keep everyone happy!

beautiful, 01 Mar 2006
A beutiful book, which allows you to tick off the places you'd never normally venture too. I loved it.

Great!, 31 Oct 2008
Brought this for alot more than for sale here, from high street store. Grrrr! Anyway got to say Bruce is a legend and its a perfect crimbo present!

Bravo Bruce, 29 Oct 2008
I dont usually buy books that accompany a TV series or film, thinking of them as quite frivolous marketing ploys, however I was given this as a gift and have definitely reassessed my opinion.

The book is an insightful accompaniment to the show, delving deeper into the characters that we meet only briefly on screen.The photography provides candid shots of both Bruce,the landscape and the indigenous tribes he meets.

I would highly reccomend this book for anyone who has an interest in the enviroment and what is happening in the Amazon. It is also a great Christmas present for any fans of the charming Mr Parry!

Food for thought, 24 Oct 2008
This, perhaps unsurprisingly for followers of the series is an intelligent and thought provoking counterpart to the BBC series and another addition to the canon of admirable work Parry is undertaking. This is beautifully produced full of sumptuous photos but it does not shirk the harder issues tackled in the show. He has a knack of managing to raise awareness of all important issues without patronising or preaching. Buy. And buy Bruce's wonderful charity album too as well - might go some way to helping the human casualties of amazon exploitation - tribes.

Bruce rocks!, 10 Oct 2008
In his inimitable style Bruce is bringing attention to one of the biggest scandals in the modern world, no less than the destruction of the most important habitat on our planet. It's something our generation will go down in history for and nobody is doing anything to stop it. More power to Bruce for showing how even some of the people destroying the forest are just trying to survive. We won't begin to tackle this issue until we appreciate that there are no easy answers (if you want a good summary of why the Amazon and other environments are so precious I'm a big fan of Bruce's other book Serious Survival as well).

In To The Wild.... superbly intense, 07 Dec 2008
I can across this book by chance. I wanted to read a book that involved travel and adventure. I wanted a book that wasn't full of extreme storylines but a simple book.

In To The Wild is a wonderful book. It's so emotional. You can't help but become emotional attached to Chris. He reminded me of myself or others I know. Some say what a fool he was to waste his young life unnecessarily, but to die achieving your dream is a life worth living. Many of us have dreams that over time never evolve into reality. I have pure admiration for what Chris achieved and for all he believed in. To live a life more intensely and naturally is a life we should aim for.

Jon Krakauer is an excellent author who slowly lets the adventure unfold, although the two chapters which tells his own story I found misplaced and unneeded.

I would recommend this book to anybody. It makes you reflect upon your own ethics and way of life. If Chris' death could help anybody fulfil their dreams it's a life that was not wasted.

Heart breaking, 14 Oct 2008
I watched the movie before I read the book, and while the movie brought tears to my eyes, the book broke my heart (SOBBING). I NEVER read a book after I have watched its movie but Jon Karkuer did an amazing job. Even though I knew how it would end I still found myself wanting, hoping, praying Christopher McCandless would make it out alive. I am a first time reader of Jon Karkuers' work and I am really impressed.


Beautiful Blueberries!, 23 Sep 2008
I got into Jon Krakauer through Joe Simpson books and have found him to be an excellent writer. With little material to go on he manages to paint a vivid picture of Chris McCandless and his adventures across the USA. Towards the end of the book, Jon relies mostly on guesswork as to what happened with Chris, and I thought it extremely well done. The only point which jarred slightly for me was Jon describing his troubles with his father, which didn't seem entirely relevant to the rest of the plot. However, one sentence from the book (written by Chris in his copy of Dr Zhivago) will always remain with me: "Happiness is only real when shared with others". Read it and enjoy.

the film might be more easy to understand !!!!, 19 Aug 2008
takes a very long time for the story to get going and you could very easy put this book down and move on.

Unforgettable Adventure, 31 Jul 2008
Think adventure, dream of being free, living each day as it comes, never really knowing what joys or hardships tomorrow may bring.

This is the story of Chris McCandless, who in 1992 abondoned everything in search of adventure and survival in the Alaskan wilderness. Notes, lettersw and diaries discovered after he was found dead in an old bus detailed his day to day adventure after leaving his home state of Atlanta.

This true story ends in tragedy, but the very way Chris lives freely during that time has a rather uplifting affect.

Whether you read the book or see the film, I highly recommend this one.

How To Keep Your Man: And Keep Him For Good

Real Life Dramas - Volume One: 1

Darren G. Burton

Gripping and at times terrifying, 06 Jan 2009
Mad, Bad & Dangerous to Know by Ranulph Fiennes

I received this book as a Christmas present, so I leafed through the first few pages in a desultory manner, expecting to discard it soon after. I could not put it down. Fiennes recounts his unlikely exploits with some skill. Not only is he the most famous explorer alive to day, but he is also a talented writer. The sheer mad determination of the man is staggering. Along with his feted successes, he has also had numerous failures, some of which have resulted in extremities maimed by frostbite. Yet he keeps going back, year after year, to the frozen ends of the earth. It seems miraculous that he has not yet succumbed to one of his many duckings in the Arctic Ocean, or his numerous close encounters with Antarctic crevasses. At an age when many men are slumping into inactivity, he decides that it is time to confront a lifelong problem with vertigo, so he climbs the North Face of the Eiger, or the "Mordwand" (death wall) as the Germans call it. Only months after a near-fatal heart attack, he enters the record books by running seven marathons, on seven continents, over seven successive days. As I said: gloriously, certifiably crackers.

Fiennes is not much given to introspection - it is possible to read between the lines that he does not suffer fools gladly - but writes very touchingly about his relationship with his first wife, Ginny, and of his devastation after her death from cancer.

I almost rated the book at five stars, but the final sections come across as rather rushed, and are not of quite the same high quality as the other 80%. (I suspect that the author was working to a deadline prior to departing on another dangerous exploit). That said, Fiennes' most recent autobiography is an excellent read, which in parts has the narrative drive of a good thriller.

Review by Tony Judge, author of Sirocco Express (ISBN: 978-1409204466 )


Move over Indina Jones!, 30 Dec 2008
I first heard of this book whilst watching an episode of Top Gear that had Sir Ranulph Fiennes as the Star in a Reasonably Priced Car. Through listening to what he had to say I thought this would be an interesting read and went ahead and bought it.

This book really is one adventure after another and time after time demonstrates not only the limits that the human body can be pushed to but the love one person can have for another. It is little wonder that Sir Ranulph has been used as a motivation speaker as his experiences and determination are something that are beyond imagination.

A highly recommended read! Insightful, funny and inspiring!

surprising, touching, motivating, 08 Oct 2008
This book surprised me. It was a Christmas present and its taken this long for me to open it, but I'm very glad I did. I must admit before I read it I thought Ranulph Feinnes was a bit of a nutter. I still do. But there's more to him than that.

I think this book is about love, failure and doing and not thinking! He doesn't talk about his first wife, Ginny, much. He uses far more words describing how he wedged his hands in various crannies, or tried to get the blood flowing back through them once they were frozen. But he speaks so poignantly about her it's touching. More so because he doesn't wallow in sentimentality.

He failed a lot. There's a temptation to think about him as the bloke who trekked on his own to the North Pole or more recently did seven marathons in seven days on seven continents after a heart by-pass, but he failed more than he succeeded, and the matter-of-fact way he deals with failure is as inspirational as the success.

I also found the narrative of the challenges compelling and there are a few heart-stopping moments and very amusing anecdotes. Frankly, I don't know if he's a good adventurer or not, he seems reckless sometimes, and luck often played a part, but he's as hard as they come.

I don't even know if he's a good writer. If you lead a life as full of adventure, love and commitment as his, the books probably write themselves.

Good book but heavy reading, 21 Aug 2008
I enjoyed this book overall, but found it a bit heavy going at times. The early part where Fiennes describes his upbringing, school life and time in the armed forces was very good and was at just the right pace. However, when he goes on to write about the various expeditions and races he subsequently took part in, I found the level of detail uneccesary. Its almost like he recounts each trip day by day from his diaries. This made for quite heavy reading, and certainly slowed the pace of the book right down. By the end it had become quite hard work, and I was glad to finish it. Overall a good read, but not one you'll be able to get through without a lot of time and concentration!

Outstanding, 17 Jul 2008
Wow. This man is absolutely incredible. I'm sure others have been through the examples from the book, so I won't repeat, but if you have respect for someone who can push their body to the absolute limit, then this is a must read.

Superb, 29 Jul 2008
This whole series of books is seriously inspiring and a complete joy to browse through. The photos are breathtaking, the commentary is engaging and the whole book is thoroughly compelling. I've already booked my next holiday to include 3 of the suggestions made in these books!

Disappointing for anyone but the travel novice, 01 Feb 2008
I was a little disappointed with this book. I had hoped it would be inspirational, off-the-beaten-track type of "unforgettable places" but it was just very subjective and at times questionable entries which were no better than a guide book's ..
Sorry but even the photography was disappointing, a copy of the National Geographic or even Wanderlust has better images

Inspirational, 14 Aug 2006
We were looking for an appropriate destination for an unforgettable family holiday last year but inspiration was hard to come by. Eventually we realised that instead of trawling the internet, we would have a quick look through this book and see if anywhere really took our fancy. We found Aitutaki in the cook islands, a place we were very unfamiliar with but looked unspoilt and beautiful. We travelled to Aitutaki last summer and were not disappointed. The book perfectly described and displayed what we would see and get but left us wanting to go there too.

If all the other places mentioned in the book live up to what we found on Aitutaki, then this really is the definitive list of unforgettable places to see before you die.

Inspiring!, 30 May 2006
This book will make you want to pack your bags and get travelling! Beautiful pictures, my only complaint being there are definately more unforgettable places in Scotland than the castle mentioned but an author can never keep everyone happy!

beautiful, 01 Mar 2006
A beutiful book, which allows you to tick off the places you'd never normally venture too. I loved it.

The most amazing journey in the world., 25 Sep 2008
This is by far the most intriguing book I have ever read. It contains all the neccesary ingredients for a great work of fiction, but the fact that this is a true story makes it even more fantastic.

A Desert Islands Discs book, 12 May 2008
There are few books that have left so lasting impression upon me. This book deserves all the superlatives too casually granted other, lesser books. This man, so young, so lacking in cynicism, so loyal and idealistic will haunt your memory as surely as he was ever-lastingly haunted by the Antarctic and the loss of his companions. His writing is superlative, a true craftsman, he will lead you into this world and leave the impression of it upon you forever. I return to this book with reverence.

Compelling story of quiet determination, 23 Nov 2007
Cherry-Garrard's book is indeed a treasure. The sensitive portraits that he paints of his fellow explorers, the descriptions of the landscape and conditions and his account of his own travels and exertions put you right there in it with them. Within the measured and maybe repressed framework of his age he writes openly and with a sustained ring of truth, i.e. that this was what he really felt at the time. He indeed paints Scott in a rosy light, but who can blame him after spending so long with Scott in such a closed environment? Scott had many good qualities but above all was a product of his time, of the Royal Navy and Edwardian Britain. With the benefit of hindsight, the expedition could have been better prepared, trained and equipped, but I'm not sure that it could have been better served by the men who were part of it. I recommend Cherry-Garrard's book to anyone interested to read of human determination and companionship in the face of extreme hardship.

Excellent book about "The Worst Journey In The World", 05 Feb 2007
A fantastic gripping harrowing account of what the author rightly calls The Worst Journey iin the World. he should know he was there!
The youngest member of Scott's team who later formed the rescue party that eventually found the frozen bodies of Scott and the three men who had made the final effort to reach the Pole.
Ignore the reviewer who casts against this edition. It was obviously a poor copy of the book that made the pages fall out! I have read this book and I have 2 friends who have their own copies and the pages remain firm.
Please, do not be put off from buying what is a masterpiece of work.

The Worst Edition in the World, 05 Dec 2005
I'm not going to review 'The Worst Journey', which is of course wonderful.

Instead I want to warn you off buying the Pimlico 2003 edition, which is shockingly poor quality. The introductory sections are riddled with typos, including misspellings of proper names. The back pages began to fall out while I was reading the opening sections - and I didn't mistreat the book at all. By the time I got to the end the pages were falling out like polar explorer's toe-nails.

Cherry deserves better than this. I hope that Sara Wheeler, who edited it and wrote an informative introduction, will demand Pimlico hire a proof-reader before any reprints.

If you're going to make a stir, you might as well do it in style. And Gavin Menzies has caused one, big time. In 1421: The Year China Discovered the World, this retired Royal Navy submarine commander, who only visited China for the first time on his 25th wedding anniversary, claims that the Chinese navigator Zheng He discovered America some 71 years before Columbus. And not content with this, he goes on to suggest that Zheng He learnt how to calculate longitude several centuries before John Harrison supposedly nailed the problem. Unsurprisingly, this has not gone down too well in some areas and the book has been the target of some scepticism.

Although Menzies has unearthed a few unknown primary sources, the bulk of his thesis depends on amalgamating several disparate areas of research into a grand unified theory. So he combines what we do know--principally that the Chinese built huge sailing ships with nine masts and that Asiatic chickens were discovered in South America--into what he considers compelling evidence. Menzies has also turned up some maps from the pre-Columbus era that appear to show the Americas, along with a few shipwrecks and Ming artefacts from along his supposed route.

It all makes for a gripping read, even if the sum doesn't quite add up to the whole. For all the detail, Menzies is some way off providing proof. None of the supposed 28,000 colonists has left any documentary evidence because all records, boats and shipyards associated with his voyage were burnt by imperial order in 1433. This surely begs the question--if we know so much of Zheng He's voyages around the Indian Ocean, how come we know nothing of his trips further east? Nor, conveniently for Menzies, did any of the colonists return home in triumph. They either died en route or skulked home to obscurity after they were disowned by the emperor.

So you either accept Menzies as an act of faith or brush him aside with scepticism. Either way, you'll have a lot of fun in the process as the book is never less than provocative. And even the sceptics will find themselves hoping Menzies has got it right, because there's something intrinsically uplifting about the notion of an amateur historian getting one over the professionals. --John Crace

Great!, 31 Oct 2008
Brought this for alot more than for sale here, from high street store. Grrrr! Anyway got to say Bruce is a legend and its a perfect crimbo present!

Bravo Bruce, 29 Oct 2008
I dont usually buy books that accompany a TV series or film, thinking of them as quite frivolous marketing ploys, however I was given this as a gift and have definitely reassessed my opinion.

The book is an insightful accompaniment to the show, delving deeper into the characters that we meet only briefly on screen.The photography provides candid shots of both Bruce,the landscape and the indigenous tribes he meets.

I would highly reccomend this book for anyone who has an interest in the enviroment and what is happening in the Amazon. It is also a great Christmas present for any fans of the charming Mr Parry!

Food for thought, 24 Oct 2008
This, perhaps unsurprisingly for followers of the series is an intelligent and thought provoking counterpart to the BBC series and another addition to the canon of admirable work Parry is undertaking. This is beautifully produced full of sumptuous photos but it does not shirk the harder issues tackled in the show. He has a knack of managing to raise awareness of all important issues without patronising or preaching. Buy. And buy Bruce's wonderful charity album too as well - might go some way to helping the human casualties of amazon exploitation - tribes.

Bruce rocks!, 10 Oct 2008
In his inimitable style Bruce is bringing attention to one of the biggest scandals in the modern world, no less than the destruction of the most important habitat on our planet. It's something our generation will go down in history for and nobody is doing anything to stop it. More power to Bruce for showing how even some of the people destroying the forest are just trying to survive. We won't begin to tackle this issue until we appreciate that there are no easy answers (if you want a good summary of why the Amazon and other environments are so precious I'm a big fan of Bruce's other book Serious Survival as well).

In To The Wild.... superbly intense, 07 Dec 2008
I can across this book by chance. I wanted to read a book that involved travel and adventure. I wanted a book that wasn't full of extreme storylines but a simple book.

In To The Wild is a wonderful book. It's so emotional. You can't help but become emotional attached to Chris. He reminded me of myself or others I know. Some say what a fool he was to waste his young life unnecessarily, but to die achieving your dream is a life worth living. Many of us have dreams that over time never evolve into reality. I have pure admiration for what Chris achieved and for all he believed in. To live a life more intensely and naturally is a life we should aim for.

Jon Krakauer is an excellent author who slowly lets the adventure unfold, although the two chapters which tells his own story I found misplaced and unneeded.

I would recommend this book to anybody. It makes you reflect upon your own ethics and way of life. If Chris' death could help anybody fulfil their dreams it's a life that was not wasted.

Heart breaking, 14 Oct 2008
I watched the movie before I read the book, and while the movie brought tears to my eyes, the book broke my heart (SOBBING). I NEVER read a book after I have watched its movie but Jon Karkuer did an amazing job. Even though I knew how it would end I still found myself wanting, hoping, praying Christopher McCandless would make it out alive. I am a first time reader of Jon Karkuers' work and I am really impressed.


Beautiful Blueberries!, 23 Sep 2008
I got into Jon Krakauer through Joe Simpson books and have found him to be an excellent writer. With little material to go on he manages to paint a vivid picture of Chris McCandless and his adventures across the USA. Towards the end of the book, Jon relies mostly on guesswork as to what happened with Chris, and I thought it extremely well done. The only point which jarred slightly for me was Jon describing his troubles with his father, which didn't seem entirely relevant to the rest of the plot. However, one sentence from the book (written by Chris in his copy of Dr Zhivago) will always remain with me: "Happiness is only real when shared with others". Read it and enjoy.

the film might be more easy to understand !!!!, 19 Aug 2008
takes a very long time for the story to get going and you could very easy put this book down and move on.

Unforgettable Adventure, 31 Jul 2008
Think adventure, dream of being free, living each day as it comes, never really knowing what joys or hardships tomorrow may bring.

This is the story of Chris McCandless, who in 1992 abondoned everything in search of adventure and survival in the Alaskan wilderness. Notes, lettersw and diaries discovered after he was found dead in an old bus detailed his day to day adventure after leaving his home state of Atlanta.

This true story ends in tragedy, but the very way Chris lives freely during that time has a rather uplifting affect.

Whether you read the book or see the film, I highly recommend this one.

How To Keep Your Man: And Keep Him For Good

Real Life Dramas - Volume One: 1

Darren G. Burton

Gripping and at times terrifying, 06 Jan 2009
Mad, Bad & Dangerous to Know by Ranulph Fiennes

I received this book as a Christmas present, so I leafed through the first few pages in a desultory manner, expecting to discard it soon after. I could not put it down. Fiennes recounts his unlikely exploits with some skill. Not only is he the most famous explorer alive to day, but he is also a talented writer. The sheer mad determination of the man is staggering. Along with his feted successes, he has also had numerous failures, some of which have resulted in extremities maimed by frostbite. Yet he keeps going back, year after year, to the frozen ends of the earth. It seems miraculous that he has not yet succumbed to one of his many duckings in the Arctic Ocean, or his numerous close encounters with Antarctic crevasses. At an age when many men are slumping into inactivity, he decides that it is time to confront a lifelong problem with vertigo, so he climbs the North Face of the Eiger, or the "Mordwand" (death wall) as the Germans call it. Only months after a near-fatal heart attack, he enters the record books by running seven marathons, on seven continents, over seven successive days. As I said: gloriously, certifiably crackers.

Fiennes is not much given to introspection - it is possible to read between the lines that he does not suffer fools gladly - but writes very touchingly about his relationship with his first wife, Ginny, and of his devastation after her death from cancer.

I almost rated the book at five stars, but the final sections come across as rather rushed, and are not of quite the same high quality as the other 80%. (I suspect that the author was working to a deadline prior to departing on another dangerous exploit). That said, Fiennes' most recent autobiography is an excellent read, which in parts has the narrative drive of a good thriller.

Review by Tony Judge, author of Sirocco Express (ISBN: 978-1409204466 )


Move over Indina Jones!, 30 Dec 2008
I first heard of this book whilst watching an episode of Top Gear that had Sir Ranulph Fiennes as the Star in a Reasonably Priced Car. Through listening to what he had to say I thought this would be an interesting read and went ahead and bought it.

This book really is one adventure after another and time after time demonstrates not only the limits that the human body can be pushed to but the love one person can have for another. It is little wonder that Sir Ranulph has been used as a motivation speaker as his experiences and determination are something that are beyond imagination.

A highly recommended read! Insightful, funny and inspiring!

surprising, touching, motivating, 08 Oct 2008
This book surprised me. It was a Christmas present and its taken this long for me to open it, but I'm very glad I did. I must admit before I read it I thought Ranulph Feinnes was a bit of a nutter. I still do. But there's more to him than that.

I think this book is about love, failure and doing and not thinking! He doesn't talk about his first wife, Ginny, much. He uses far more words describing how he wedged his hands in various crannies, or tried to get the blood flowing back through them once they were frozen. But he speaks so poignantly about her it's touching. More so because he doesn't wallow in sentimentality.

He failed a lot. There's a temptation to think about him as the bloke who trekked on his own to the North Pole or more recently did seven marathons in seven days on seven continents after a heart by-pass, but he failed more than he succeeded, and the matter-of-fact way he deals with failure is as inspirational as the success.

I also found the narrative of the challenges compelling and there are a few heart-stopping moments and very amusing anecdotes. Frankly, I don't know if he's a good adventurer or not, he seems reckless sometimes, and luck often played a part, but he's as hard as they come.

I don't even know if he's a good writer. If you lead a life as full of adventure, love and commitment as his, the books probably write themselves.

Good book but heavy reading, 21 Aug 2008
I enjoyed this book overall, but found it a bit heavy going at times. The early part where Fiennes describes his upbringing, school life and time in the armed forces was very good and was at just the right pace. However, when he goes on to write about the various expeditions and races he subsequently took part in, I found the level of detail uneccesary. Its almost like he recounts each trip day by day from his diaries. This made for quite heavy reading, and certainly slowed the pace of the book right down. By the end it had become quite hard work, and I was glad to finish it. Overall a good read, but not one you'll be able to get through without a lot of time and concentration!

Outstanding, 17 Jul 2008
Wow. This man is absolutely incredible. I'm sure others have been through the examples from the book, so I won't repeat, but if you have respect for someone who can push their body to the absolute limit, then this is a must read.

Superb, 29 Jul 2008
This whole series of books is seriously inspiring and a complete joy to browse through. The photos are breathtaking, the commentary is engaging and the whole book is thoroughly compelling. I've already booked my next holiday to include 3 of the suggestions made in these books!

Disappointing for anyone but the travel novice, 01 Feb 2008
I was a little disappointed with this book. I had hoped it would be inspirational, off-the-beaten-track type of "unforgettable places" but it was just very subjective and at times questionable entries which were no better than a guide book's ..
Sorry but even the photography was disappointing, a copy of the National Geographic or even Wanderlust has better images

Inspirational, 14 Aug 2006
We were looking for an appropriate destination for an unforgettable family holiday last year but inspiration was hard to come by. Eventually we realised that instead of trawling the internet, we would have a quick look through this book and see if anywhere really took our fancy. We found Aitutaki in the cook islands, a place we were very unfamiliar with but looked unspoilt and beautiful. We travelled to Aitutaki last summer and were not disappointed. The book perfectly described and displayed what we would see and get but left us wanting to go there too.

If all the other places mentioned in the book live up to what we found on Aitutaki, then this really is the definitive list of unforgettable places to see before you die.

Inspiring!, 30 May 2006
This book will make you want to pack your bags and get travelling! Beautiful pictures, my only complaint being there are definately more unforgettable places in Scotland than the castle mentioned but an author can never keep everyone happy!

beautiful, 01 Mar 2006
A beutiful book, which allows you to tick off the places you'd never normally venture too. I loved it.

The most amazing journey in the world., 25 Sep 2008
This is by far the most intriguing book I have ever read. It contains all the neccesary ingredients for a great work of fiction, but the fact that this is a true story makes it even more fantastic.

A Desert Islands Discs book, 12 May 2008
There are few books that have left so lasting impression upon me. This book deserves all the superlatives too casually granted other, lesser books. This man, so young, so lacking in cynicism, so loyal and idealistic will haunt your memory as surely as he was ever-lastingly haunted by the Antarctic and the loss of his companions. His writing is superlative, a true craftsman, he will lead you into this world and leave the impression of it upon you forever. I return to this book with reverence.

Compelling story of quiet determination, 23 Nov 2007
Cherry-Garrard's book is indeed a treasure. The sensitive portraits that he paints of his fellow explorers, the descriptions of the landscape and conditions and his account of his own travels and exertions put you right there in it with them. Within the measured and maybe repressed framework of his age he writes openly and with a sustained ring of truth, i.e. that this was what he really felt at the time. He indeed paints Scott in a rosy light, but who can blame him after spending so long with Scott in such a closed environment? Scott had many good qualities but above all was a product of his time, of the Royal Navy and Edwardian Britain. With the benefit of hindsight, the expedition could have been better prepared, trained and equipped, but I'm not sure that it could have been better served by the men who were part of it. I recommend Cherry-Garrard's book to anyone interested to read of human determination and companionship in the face of extreme hardship.

Excellent book about "The Worst Journey In The World", 05 Feb 2007
A fantastic gripping harrowing account of what the author rightly calls The Worst Journey iin the World. he should know he was there!
The youngest member of Scott's team who later formed the rescue party that eventually found the frozen bodies of Scott and the three men who had made the final effort to reach the Pole.
Ignore the reviewer who casts against this edition. It was obviously a poor copy of the book that made the pages fall out! I have read this book and I have 2 friends who have their own copies and the pages remain firm.
Please, do not be put off from buying what is a masterpiece of work.

The Worst Edition in the World, 05 Dec 2005
I'm not going to review 'The Worst Journey', which is of course wonderful.

Instead I want to warn you off buying the Pimlico 2003 edition, which is shockingly poor quality. The introductory sections are riddled with typos, including misspellings of proper names. The back pages began to fall out while I was reading the opening sections - and I didn't mistreat the book at all. By the time I got to the end the pages were falling out like polar explorer's toe-nails.

Cherry deserves better than this. I hope that Sara Wheeler, who edited it and wrote an informative introduction, will demand Pimlico hire a proof-reader before any reprints.

Tedious and unconvincing, 20 Dec 2008
Fascinating story, but it rapidly became clear as I worked through the book that Menzies is prepared to accept pretty much anything anyone tells him as "evidence". The story starts with the well documented and widely accepted story of Zheng He and the treasure fleets of the early Ming dynasty. These were remarkable vessels and their story, and the large amount of evidence behind it, is ably covered in "When China ruled the seas" by Louise Levathes. The difference between the two authors is that Levathes (mostly) restricts herself to what the evidence supports, while Menzies is happy to accept the flimsiest of conjectures as proof positive.

The actual evidence for Chinese voyages runs out at the eastern coast of Africa and on the Australian coast. But Menzies quite happily extrapolates beyond this. Evidence of Chinese genes and customs in parts of the US? Must have been the treasure fleet (never mind that there have been plenty of other historical contacts). A map purportedly showing the northern coast of Eurasia before it was charted by the Russians? Treasure fleet must have dunnit. A natural rock formation in the Bahamas bearing some visual resemblance to a built structure. Obviously the Chinese made it - based on nothing other than Menzies' claim that the formation has dimensions similar to the largest ships in the fleet.

Menzies is either extremely gullible, or he's taking his audience for a ride on the scale of "Holy Blood, Holy Grail". I wouldn't mind if it were an exhilarating ride, but it's rather long and tedious and just no fun at all. If you want alternative history, can I suggest Harry Turtledove or Michael Moorcock as rather more entertaining?


Risible, flea-brained stupidity, 07 Sep 2008
There is such a thing as a work of fantasy. This is book is just that. No evidence whatsoever. No proof. No circumstantial evidence. Pure tosh from start to finish. This is no more history than books on Atlantis are history.
Do youselves a favour - if Sino-European history interests you, buy a good, well-respected, well-researched work on the subject. Leave foolishness like this to the idiots.

An interesting read, 30 Aug 2008
The basic premise of this book is that prior to the European voyages of discovery a massive fleet of ships left China and ended up circumnavigating the globe and on the way discovered North and South America, Antarctica, Australia, New Zealand and Greenland. The author, Gavin Menzies, is a former Royal Navy submarine commander and as such much of his evidence is based on his knowledge of currents and wind direction when compared to maps that predate the voyages of Columbus. He goes on to use a number of other sources of evidence to back up his case including, among other things, the presence of mysterious wrecks scattered the globe, the presence of animals and plants outside their native lands before Europeans reached them and the diaries of the first European explorers themselves.

While much of the evidence presented in this book is thought provoking and definitely worthy of further study there are many pieces that are open to other interpretation and some that can only be described as circumstantial. I feel some of the problem that this book has is that it doesn't generally present its evidence in the best way possible being overly repetitious in places and being a bit too informal in others. Overall 1421 is an interesting book that does present many new questions for historians on the accepted view of the voyages discovery but it does require more research.

Lovely PR hype - but sadly fairly rubbish history, 19 Jun 2008
You'd hope for more from a former Royal Navy commander, but sadly while his publicity machine is first rate, his history is anything but.

It would be lovely to turn what we know about naval history on its head and say that the Chinese Admiral Zheng He conclusively 'discovered' America or Australia long before any European navigators/explorers.

Unfortunately, this book falls into the category of what publishers call "wa-wa" history. In other words, it ain't true - and the historical reseach is shoddy.

The publishers know it's rubbish. We the public know it's rubbish, but we buy it anyway. And so they publish, because they know we'll buy it and they'll make money. In other words we get the books we deserve. We should be reading decent, reseach-based histories - but we find them rather dull so we don't....

Despite the welter of 5 and 4 star reviews this book has garnered on Amazon, it is important - before you buy it - to note one important fact.

Not ONE single naval historian has given any credence to these claims. Not any European - nor any Chinese - historian. In fact, they all say that the evidence is not there.

While other readers seem to like this book, I have to say that having read other books on global trade and sea voyages in the pre-modern era, I found Menzies style very confusing and it was very difficult to follow his train of thought and how he was using evidence to support his conclusions

Astonishingly, Menzies seems to have ignored two key pieces of Chinese evidence for Zheng He's voyages which list the countries he visited - and don't mention anything that could be America.

In fact Menzies does not read Chinese and there are no direct quotes from any articles or studies written in Chinese. Which is pretty gob-smacking when you think the book is about a Chinese Admiral!

The book may be entertaining, and I am sure Gavin Menzies is a nice bloke etc etc. But that ain't enough. For me his book was full of circular reasoning, speculation, distorted sources and slapdash research.

Or as has already been said - this book may well prove to be the Piltdown Man of literature and should only be classified as fiction.

You may think this is a case of the little man, the amateur, beating the massed hords of the professionals. That is always a very beguiling image, but it's the wrong one to picture.

This book is a triumph for publishing hype and muddled thinking and writing. For that reason we should give it a wide berth. Unless of course you actually like your history as fiction. In which case, be my guest. However, you have been warned....

Mind boggling pseudo-history, 25 May 2008
His far-fetched theories, while very interesting, have no scientific basis.
Any curious fact stated in the book that was checked by a (reputable) scientists was found false.
Read the well researched and scientifically sound "When China Ruled the Seas" by Louise Levathes, or check the Internet sites at & to understand the hoax...

Great!, 31 Oct 2008
Brought this for alot more than for sale here, from high street store. Grrrr! Anyway got to say Bruce is a legend and its a perfect crimbo present!

Bravo Bruce, 29 Oct 2008
I dont usually buy books that accompany a TV series or film, thinking of them as quite frivolous marketing ploys, however I was given this as a gift and have definitely reassessed my opinion.

The book is an insightful accompaniment to the show, delving deeper into the characters that we meet only briefly on screen.The photography provides candid shots of both Bruce,the landscape and the indigenous tribes he meets.

I would highly reccomend this book for anyone who has an interest in the enviroment and what is happening in the Amazon. It is also a great Christmas present for any fans of the charming Mr Parry!

Food for thought, 24 Oct 2008
This, perhaps unsurprisingly for followers of the series is an intelligent and thought provoking counterpart to the BBC series and another addition to the canon of admirable work Parry is undertaking. This is beautifully produced full of sumptuous photos but it does not shirk the harder issues tackled in the show. He has a knack of managing to raise awareness of all important issues without patronising or preaching. Buy. And buy Bruce's wonderful charity album too as well - might go some way to helping the human casualties of amazon exploitation - tribes.

Bruce rocks!, 10 Oct 2008
In his inimitable style Bruce is bringing attention to one of the biggest scandals in the modern world, no less than the destruction of the most important habitat on our planet. It's something our generation will go down in history for and nobody is doing anything to stop it. More power to Bruce for showing how even some of the people destroying the forest are just trying to survive. We won't begin to tackle this issue until we appreciate that there are no easy answers (if you want a good summary of why the Amazon and other environments are so precious I'm a big fan of Bruce's other book Serious Survival as well).

In To The Wild.... superbly intense, 07 Dec 2008
I can across this book by chance. I wanted to read a book that involved travel and adventure. I wanted a book that wasn't full of extreme storylines but a simple book.

In To The Wild is a wonderful book. It's so emotional. You can't help but become emotional attached to Chris. He reminded me of myself or others I know. Some say what a fool he was to waste his young life unnecessarily, but to die achieving your dream is a life worth living. Many of us have dreams that over time never evolve into reality. I have pure admiration for what Chris achieved and for all he believed in. To live a life more intensely and naturally is a life we should aim for.

Jon Krakauer is an excellent author who slowly lets the adventure unfold, although the two chapters which tells his own story I found misplaced and unneeded.

I would recommend this book to anybody. It makes you reflect upon your own ethics and way of life. If Chris' death could help anybody fulfil their dreams it's a life that was not wasted.

Heart breaking, 14 Oct 2008
I watched the movie before I read the book, and while the movie brought tears to my eyes, the book broke my heart (SOBBING). I NEVER read a book after I have watched its movie but Jon Karkuer did an amazing job. Even though I knew how it would end I still found myself wanting, hoping, praying Christopher McCandless would make it out alive. I am a first time reader of Jon Karkuers' work and I am really impressed.


Beautiful Blueberries!, 23 Sep 2008
I got into Jon Krakauer through Joe Simpson books and have found him to be an excellent writer. With little material to go on he manages to paint a vivid picture of Chris McCandless and his adventures across the USA. Towards the end of the book, Jon relies mostly on guesswork as to what happened with Chris, and I thought it extremely well done. The only point which jarred slightly for me was Jon describing his troubles with his father, which didn't seem entirely relevant to the rest of the plot. However, one sentence from the book (written by Chris in his copy of Dr Zhivago) will always remain with me: "Happiness is only real when shared with others". Read it and enjoy.

the film might be more easy to understand !!!!, 19 Aug 2008
takes a very long time for the story to get going and you could very easy put this book down and move on.

Unforgettable Adventure, 31 Jul 2008
Think adventure, dream of being free, living each day as it comes, never really knowing what joys or hardships tomorrow may bring.

This is the story of Chris McCandless, who in 1992 abondoned everything in search of adventure and survival in the Alaskan wilderness. Notes, lettersw and diaries discovered after he was found dead in an old bus detailed his day to day adventure after leaving his home state of Atlanta.

This true story ends in tragedy, but the very way Chris lives freely during that time has a rather uplifting affect.

Whether you read the book or see the film, I highly recommend this one.

How To Keep Your Man: And Keep Him For Good

Real Life Dramas - Volume One: 1

Darren G. Burton

Gripping and at times terrifying, 06 Jan 2009
Mad, Bad & Dangerous to Know by Ranulph Fiennes

I received this book as a Christmas present, so I leafed through the first few pages in a desultory manner, expecting to discard it soon after. I could not put it down. Fiennes recounts his unlikely exploits with some skill. Not only is he the most famous explorer alive to day, but he is also a talented writer. The sheer mad determination of the man is staggering. Along with his feted successes, he has also had numerous failures, some of which have resulted in extremities maimed by frostbite. Yet he keeps going back, year after year, to the frozen ends of the earth. It seems miraculous that he has not yet succumbed to one of his many duckings in the Arctic Ocean, or his numerous close encounters with Antarctic crevasses. At an age when many men are slumping into inactivity, he decides that it is time to confront a lifelong problem with vertigo, so he climbs the North Face of the Eiger, or the "Mordwand" (death wall) as the Germans call it. Only months after a near-fatal heart attack, he enters the record books by running seven marathons, on seven continents, over seven successive days. As I said: gloriously, certifiably crackers.

Fiennes is not much given to introspection - it is possible to read between the lines that he does not suffer fools gladly - but writes very touchingly about his relationship with his first wife, Ginny, and of his devastation after her death from cancer.

I almost rated the book at five stars, but the final sections come across as rather rushed, and are not of quite the same high quality as the other 80%. (I suspect that the author was working to a deadline prior to departing on another dangerous exploit). That said, Fiennes' most recent autobiography is an excellent read, which in parts has the narrative drive of a good thriller.

Review by Tony Judge, author of Sirocco Express (ISBN: 978-1409204466 )


Move over Indina Jones!, 30 Dec 2008
I first heard of this book whilst watching an episode of Top Gear that had Sir Ranulph Fiennes as the Star in a Reasonably Priced Car. Through listening to what he had to say I thought this would be an interesting read and went ahead and bought it.

This book really is one adventure after another and time after time demonstrates not only the limits that the human body can be pushed to but the love one person can have for another. It is little wonder that Sir Ranulph has been used as a motivation speaker as his experiences and determination are something that are beyond imagination.

A highly recommended read! Insightful, funny and inspiring!

surprising, touching, motivating, 08 Oct 2008
This book surprised me. It was a Christmas present and its taken this long for me to open it, but I'm very glad I did. I must admit before I read it I thought Ranulph Feinnes was a bit of a nutter. I still do. But there's more to him than that.

I think this book is about love, failure and doing and not thinking! He doesn't talk about his first wife, Ginny, much. He uses far more words describing how he wedged his hands in various crannies, or tried to get the blood flowing back through them once they were frozen. But he speaks so poignantly about her it's touching. More so because he doesn't wallow in sentimentality.

He failed a lot. There's a temptation to think about him as the bloke who trekked on his own to the North Pole or more recently did seven marathons in seven days on seven continents after a heart by-pass, but he failed more than he succeeded, and the matter-of-fact way he deals with failure is as inspirational as the success.

I also found the narrative of the challenges compelling and there are a few heart-stopping moments and very amusing anecdotes. Frankly, I don't know if he's a good adventurer or not, he seems reckless sometimes, and luck often played a part, but he's as hard as they come.

I don't even know if he's a good writer. If you lead a life as full of adventure, love and commitment as his, the books probably write themselves.

Good book but heavy reading, 21 Aug 2008
I enjoyed this book overall, but found it a bit heavy going at times. The early part where Fiennes describes his upbringing, school life and time in the armed forces was very good and was at just the right pace. However, when he goes on to write about the various expeditions and races he subsequently took part in, I found the level of detail uneccesary. Its almost like he recounts each trip day by day from his diaries. This made for quite heavy reading, and certainly slowed the pace of the book right down. By the end it had become quite hard work, and I was glad to finish it. Overall a good read, but not one you'll be able to get through without a lot of time and concentration!

Outstanding, 17 Jul 2008
Wow. This man is absolutely incredible. I'm sure others have been through the examples from the book, so I won't repeat, but if you have respect for someone who can push their body to the absolute limit, then this is a must read.

Superb, 29 Jul 2008
This whole series of books is seriously inspiring and a complete joy to browse through. The photos are breathtaking, the commentary is engaging and the whole book is thoroughly compelling. I've already booked my next holiday to include 3 of the suggestions made in these books!

Disappointing for anyone but the travel novice, 01 Feb 2008
I was a little disappointed with this book. I had hoped it would be inspirational, off-the-beaten-track type of "unforgettable places" but it was just very subjective and at times questionable entries which were no better than a guide book's ..
Sorry but even the photography was disappointing, a copy of the National Geographic or even Wanderlust has better images

Inspirational, 14 Aug 2006
We were looking for an appropriate destination for an unforgettable family holiday last year but inspiration was hard to come by. Eventually we realised that instead of trawling the internet, we would have a quick look through this book and see if anywhere really took our fancy. We found Aitutaki in the cook islands, a place we were very unfamiliar with but looked unspoilt and beautiful. We travelled to Aitutaki last summer and were not disappointed. The book perfectly described and displayed what we would see and get but left us wanting to go there too.

If all the other places mentioned in the book live up to what we found on Aitutaki, then this really is the definitive list of unforgettable places to see before you die.

Inspiring!, 30 May 2006
This book will make you want to pack your bags and get travelling! Beautiful pictures, my only complaint being there are definately more unforgettable places in Scotland than the castle mentioned but an author can never keep everyone happy!

beautiful, 01 Mar 2006
A beutiful book, which allows you to tick off the places you'd never normally venture too. I loved it.

The most amazing journey in the world., 25 Sep 2008
This is by far the most intriguing book I have ever read. It contains all the neccesary ingredients for a great work of fiction, but the fact that this is a true story makes it even more fantastic.

A Desert Islands Discs book, 12 May 2008
There are few books that have left so lasting impression upon me. This book deserves all the superlatives too casually granted other, lesser books. This man, so young, so lacking in cynicism, so loyal and idealistic will haunt your memory as surely as he was ever-lastingly haunted by the Antarctic and the loss of his companions. His writing is superlative, a true craftsman, he will lead you into this world and leave the impression of it upon you forever. I return to this book with reverence.

Compelling story of quiet determination, 23 Nov 2007
Cherry-Garrard's book is indeed a treasure. The sensitive portraits that he paints of his fellow explorers, the descriptions of the landscape and conditions and his account of his own travels and exertions put you right there in it with them. Within the measured and maybe repressed framework of his age he writes openly and with a sustained ring of truth, i.e. that this was what he really felt at the time. He indeed paints Scott in a rosy light, but who can blame him after spending so long with Scott in such a closed environment? Scott had many good qualities but above all was a product of his time, of the Royal Navy and Edwardian Britain. With the benefit of hindsight, the expedition could have been better prepared, trained and equipped, but I'm not sure that it could have been better served by the men who were part of it. I recommend Cherry-Garrard's book to anyone interested to read of human determination and companionship in the face of extreme hardship.

Excellent book about "The Worst Journey In The World", 05 Feb 2007
A fantastic gripping harrowing account of what the author rightly calls The Worst Journey iin the World. he should know he was there!
The youngest member of Scott's team who later formed the rescue party that eventually found the frozen bodies of Scott and the three men who had made the final effort to reach the Pole.
Ignore the reviewer who casts against this edition. It was obviously a poor copy of the book that made the pages fall out! I have read this book and I have 2 friends who have their own copies and the pages remain firm.
Please, do not be put off from buying what is a masterpiece of work.

The Worst Edition in the World, 05 Dec 2005
I'm not going to review 'The Worst Journey', which is of course wonderful.

Instead I want to warn you off buying the Pimlico 2003 edition, which is shockingly poor quality. The introductory sections are riddled with typos, including misspellings of proper names. The back pages began to fall out while I was reading the opening sections - and I didn't mistreat the book at all. By the time I got to the end the pages were falling out like polar explorer's toe-nails.

Cherry deserves better than this. I hope that Sara Wheeler, who edited it and wrote an informative introduction, will demand Pimlico hire a proof-reader before any reprints.

Tedious and unconvincing, 20 Dec 2008
Fascinating story, but it rapidly became clear as I worked through the book that Menzies is prepared to accept pretty much anything anyone tells him as "evidence". The story starts with the well documented and widely accepted story of Zheng He and the treasure fleets of the early Ming dynasty. These were remarkable vessels and their story, and the large amount of evidence behind it, is ably covered in "When China ruled the seas" by Louise Levathes. The difference between the two authors is that Levathes (mostly) restricts herself to what the evidence supports, while Menzies is happy to accept the flimsiest of conjectures as proof positive.

The actual evidence for Chinese voyages runs out at the eastern coast of Africa and on the Australian coast. But Menzies quite happily extrapolates beyond this. Evidence of Chinese genes and customs in parts of the US? Must have been the treasure fleet (never mind that there have been plenty of other historical contacts). A map purportedly showing the northern coast of Eurasia before it was charted by the Russians? Treasure fleet must have dunnit. A natural rock formation in the Bahamas bearing some visual resemblance to a built structure. Obviously the Chinese made it - based on nothing other than Menzies' claim that the formation has dimensions similar to the largest ships in the fleet.

Menzies is either extremely gullible, or he's taking his audience for a ride on the scale of "Holy Blood, Holy Grail". I wouldn't mind if it were an exhilarating ride, but it's rather long and tedious and just no fun at all. If you want alternative history, can I suggest Harry Turtledove or Michael Moorcock as rather more entertaining?


Risible, flea-brained stupidity, 07 Sep 2008
There is such a thing as a work of fantasy. This is book is just that. No evidence whatsoever. No proof. No circumstantial evidence. Pure tosh from start to finish. This is no more history than books on Atlantis are history.
Do youselves a favour - if Sino-European history interests you, buy a good, well-respected, well-researched work on the subject. Leave foolishness like this to the idiots.

An interesting read, 30 Aug 2008
The basic premise of this book is that prior to the European voyages of discovery a massive fleet of ships left China and ended up circumnavigating the globe and on the way discovered North and South America, Antarctica, Australia, New Zealand and Greenland. The author, Gavin Menzies, is a former Royal Navy submarine commander and as such much of his evidence is based on his knowledge of currents and wind direction when compared to maps that predate the voyages of Columbus. He goes on to use a number of other sources of evidence to back up his case including, among other things, the presence of mysterious wrecks scattered the globe, the presence of animals and plants outside their native lands before Europeans reached them and the diaries of the first European explorers themselves.

While much of the evidence presented in this book is thought provoking and definitely worthy of further study there are many pieces that are open to other interpretation and some that can only be described as circumstantial. I feel some of the problem that this book has is that it doesn't generally present its evidence in the best way possible being overly repetitious in places and being a bit too informal in others. Overall 1421 is an interesting book that does present many new questions for historians on the accepted view of the voyages discovery but it does require more research.

Lovely PR hype - but sadly fairly rubbish history, 19 Jun 2008
You'd hope for more from a former Royal Navy commander, but sadly while his publicity machine is first rate, his history is anything but.

It would be lovely to turn what we know about naval history on its head and say that the Chinese Admiral Zheng He conclusively 'discovered' America or Australia long before any European navigators/explorers.

Unfortunately, this book falls into the category of what publishers call "wa-wa" history. In other words, it ain't true - and the historical reseach is shoddy.

The publishers know it's rubbish. We the public know it's rubbish, but we buy it anyway. And so they publish, because they know we'll buy it and they'll make money. In other words we get the books we deserve. We should be reading decent, reseach-based histories - but we find them rather dull so we don't....

Despite the welter of 5 and 4 star reviews this book has garnered on Amazon, it is important - before you buy it - to note one important fact.

Not ONE single naval historian has given any credence to these claims. Not any European - nor any Chinese - historian. In fact, they all say that the evidence is not there.

While other readers seem to like this book, I have to say that having read other books on global trade and sea voyages in the pre-modern era, I found Menzies style very confusing and it was very difficult to follow his train of thought and how he was using evidence to support his conclusions

Astonishingly, Menzies seems to have ignored two key pieces of Chinese evidence for Zheng He's voyages which list the countries he visited - and don't mention anything that could be America.

In fact Menzies does not read Chinese and there are no direct quotes from any articles or studies written in Chinese. Which is pretty gob-smacking when you think the book is about a Chinese Admiral!

The book may be entertaining, and I am sure Gavin Menzies is a nice bloke etc etc. But that ain't enough. For me his book was full of circular reasoning, speculation, distorted sources and slapdash research.

Or as has already been said - this book may well prove to be the Piltdown Man of literature and should only be classified as fiction.

You may think this is a case of the little man, the amateur, beating the massed hords of the professionals. That is always a very beguiling image, but it's the wrong one to picture.

This book is a triumph for publishing hype and muddled thinking and writing. For that reason we should give it a wide berth. Unless of course you actually like your history as fiction. In which case, be my guest. However, you have been warned....

Mind boggling pseudo-history, 25 May 2008
His far-fetched theories, while very interesting, have no scientific basis.
Any curious fact stated in the book that was checked by a (reputable) scientists was found false.
Read the well researched and scientifically sound "When China Ruled the Seas" by Louise Levathes, or check the Internet sites at & to understand the hoax...

The Boss, 15 Oct 2007
Just for clarity and historical account: South: The Endurance Expedition: The "Endurance" Expedition, was not written by Shack.

Inspiring., 31 Aug 2007
Shackletons first hand account of his doomed transatlantic expedition is undoubtably a story of the utmost fortitude and endurance, from Shackletons crew as well as himself.

True he fails to acknowledge that it was largely his own shortcomings that got his team into such a mess in the first place, but it is hardly fair to expect that from him. What comes across loud and clear is the undoubted and total loyalty that he inspired in others.

The book is a very fluent read, as Shackleton's always are. It certainly gives one a real feel for the privations they suffered. Just a pity that he sullied his copybook by his mean-spirited decision to deny the polar exploration medal to three of his crew. Chippy McNish played as big a part as anyone in the escape and he should have been done justice.



An Extraordinary Account, 31 Jul 2003
Not being a writer myself, I feel that my simple use of words will struggle to give this book justice. It is a frank, first person account of an expedition that bordered on disaster, of heroic endurance, and leadership that you seldom hear of.
The book is similar to Shackleton's first writing, 'The Heart of the Antarctic' in that it is a report and it's style is very matter of fact. This limits the early and later chapters, because t