Brings it home to you, 24 Jul 2001
This book is the definitive guide, on what the people who climb the world's highest mountain, think, and are like as people. It recounts a sad tale, in enough detail to be interesting, and horrifying, but not enough to be sick. If anyone is thinking about wanting to climb Everest, then I would recommend this as sound reading material, for you to make up your mind.

Coffee table it is, 11 Aug 1999
While the other accounts of Everest 1996 focus in on Fischer'sand Hall's teams, this one focus in the the IMAX team. From the looks of it, they were the only moderates on the mountain that season. They positioned themselves for rescue efforts with the Alpine Ascents team. While everyone else was being selfish with supplies and radio's and rescue teams, Brashiers and Viesters were there to give vital oxygen, help climbers from camp 3 and coordinate the helecopter rescue of Weathers and Gao.

While the narration may not be the most riviting part of the book, the full page color pictures are. This was a film making trip for the IMAX crew so the pictures they brought back for this book were increadible. They also published Scott Fischer's pictures of summit day. I noticed one picture where Krackauer is sitting in the snow as many climbers are going up the Hillary step. It really brought to life the sceene from "Into thin Air" where he was wanting everyone to hurry up so he could get to his oxygen on the south summit.

The short stories in the middle of the book make this the ultimate coffee table book. They read like magazine articles. The other books on Everest 1996 can be checked out of a library. This is the one you want to have in your home.

Outstanding, 04 Aug 1999
This book is an educational learning tool along with an amazing story. Any person interested in Mt. Everest and the tragic story must add this to their book collection. Outstanding photos included.

AWESOME!!!, 16 Jul 1999
This book is INCREDIBLE!!! First off, the pictures are so clear, and so beautiful, it gives you an idea of how AWESOME Everest really is! This is the perfect, "put in your collection to show off book." I read the book "Into Thin Air" (another awesome book) and this book should be the "pictures" of that book. GET IT!!

A top book-with an objective summary of the events of 1996, 16 Jun 1999
I was loaned a copy of this book while staying at a lodge in Dingbouche, Nepal whilst on an Everest Base Camp trek. Having read 'Into Thin Air' and 'The Climb', both written from a personal perspective, it was enlightening to study the events of 1996 from an objective viewpoint. However that is only a portion of the book. The photography is breathtaking and the coverage of the culture/attractions of the country of Nepal is excellant. For anyone remotely interested in trekking/adventure/mountaineering this book is a 'must have'.

Brings it home to you, 24 Jul 2001
This book is the definitive guide, on what the people who climb the world's highest mountain, think, and are like as people. It recounts a sad tale, in enough detail to be interesting, and horrifying, but not enough to be sick. If anyone is thinking about wanting to climb Everest, then I would recommend this as sound reading material, for you to make up your mind.

Coffee table it is, 11 Aug 1999
While the other accounts of Everest 1996 focus in on Fischer'sand Hall's teams, this one focus in the the IMAX team. From the looks of it, they were the only moderates on the mountain that season. They positioned themselves for rescue efforts with the Alpine Ascents team. While everyone else was being selfish with supplies and radio's and rescue teams, Brashiers and Viesters were there to give vital oxygen, help climbers from camp 3 and coordinate the helecopter rescue of Weathers and Gao.

While the narration may not be the most riviting part of the book, the full page color pictures are. This was a film making trip for the IMAX crew so the pictures they brought back for this book were increadible. They also published Scott Fischer's pictures of summit day. I noticed one picture where Krackauer is sitting in the snow as many climbers are going up the Hillary step. It really brought to life the sceene from "Into thin Air" where he was wanting everyone to hurry up so he could get to his oxygen on the south summit.

The short stories in the middle of the book make this the ultimate coffee table book. They read like magazine articles. The other books on Everest 1996 can be checked out of a library. This is the one you want to have in your home.

Outstanding, 04 Aug 1999
This book is an educational learning tool along with an amazing story. Any person interested in Mt. Everest and the tragic story must add this to their book collection. Outstanding photos included.

AWESOME!!!, 16 Jul 1999
This book is INCREDIBLE!!! First off, the pictures are so clear, and so beautiful, it gives you an idea of how AWESOME Everest really is! This is the perfect, "put in your collection to show off book." I read the book "Into Thin Air" (another awesome book) and this book should be the "pictures" of that book. GET IT!!

A top book-with an objective summary of the events of 1996, 16 Jun 1999
I was loaned a copy of this book while staying at a lodge in Dingbouche, Nepal whilst on an Everest Base Camp trek. Having read 'Into Thin Air' and 'The Climb', both written from a personal perspective, it was enlightening to study the events of 1996 from an objective viewpoint. However that is only a portion of the book. The photography is breathtaking and the coverage of the culture/attractions of the country of Nepal is excellant. For anyone remotely interested in trekking/adventure/mountaineering this book is a 'must have'.

*** awesome ***, 14 Nov 2003
This is basically just a picture book, but what amazing pictures. . Rather than explain the beauty of the place (which is pretty much undescribable),all I can say is that it would worth getting to serve as a reminder of a past trip, or for ideas for future trips, or even just to day dream the hours a way.

Nice pix & nice price. Add it to your cart!

Brings it home to you, 24 Jul 2001
This book is the definitive guide, on what the people who climb the world's highest mountain, think, and are like as people. It recounts a sad tale, in enough detail to be interesting, and horrifying, but not enough to be sick. If anyone is thinking about wanting to climb Everest, then I would recommend this as sound reading material, for you to make up your mind.

Coffee table it is, 11 Aug 1999
While the other accounts of Everest 1996 focus in on Fischer'sand Hall's teams, this one focus in the the IMAX team. From the looks of it, they were the only moderates on the mountain that season. They positioned themselves for rescue efforts with the Alpine Ascents team. While everyone else was being selfish with supplies and radio's and rescue teams, Brashiers and Viesters were there to give vital oxygen, help climbers from camp 3 and coordinate the helecopter rescue of Weathers and Gao.

While the narration may not be the most riviting part of the book, the full page color pictures are. This was a film making trip for the IMAX crew so the pictures they brought back for this book were increadible. They also published Scott Fischer's pictures of summit day. I noticed one picture where Krackauer is sitting in the snow as many climbers are going up the Hillary step. It really brought to life the sceene from "Into thin Air" where he was wanting everyone to hurry up so he could get to his oxygen on the south summit.

The short stories in the middle of the book make this the ultimate coffee table book. They read like magazine articles. The other books on Everest 1996 can be checked out of a library. This is the one you want to have in your home.

Outstanding, 04 Aug 1999
This book is an educational learning tool along with an amazing story. Any person interested in Mt. Everest and the tragic story must add this to their book collection. Outstanding photos included.

AWESOME!!!, 16 Jul 1999
This book is INCREDIBLE!!! First off, the pictures are so clear, and so beautiful, it gives you an idea of how AWESOME Everest really is! This is the perfect, "put in your collection to show off book." I read the book "Into Thin Air" (another awesome book) and this book should be the "pictures" of that book. GET IT!!

A top book-with an objective summary of the events of 1996, 16 Jun 1999
I was loaned a copy of this book while staying at a lodge in Dingbouche, Nepal whilst on an Everest Base Camp trek. Having read 'Into Thin Air' and 'The Climb', both written from a personal perspective, it was enlightening to study the events of 1996 from an objective viewpoint. However that is only a portion of the book. The photography is breathtaking and the coverage of the culture/attractions of the country of Nepal is excellant. For anyone remotely interested in trekking/adventure/mountaineering this book is a 'must have'.

*** awesome ***, 14 Nov 2003
This is basically just a picture book, but what amazing pictures. . Rather than explain the beauty of the place (which is pretty much undescribable),all I can say is that it would worth getting to serve as a reminder of a past trip, or for ideas for future trips, or even just to day dream the hours a way.

Nice pix & nice price. Add it to your cart!

Covers more species in total than "Red Sea Reef Guide", 09 Sep 2008
From the books about coral reef life in the Red sea I have seen and used this one, Coral Reef Guide Red Sea by Lieske & Meyers (2004), has the best coverage of species and groups I have wanted to identify. The closest alternative, or complement, I know about now is "Red sea reef guide" by Helmus Debelius (2 ed 2000 - 5 ed 2007). The latter has almost 900 scientific names in the index, compared with around 1800 for this one (but some of these are genera, families, classes and other group names). The weights and sizes of these books are almost the same (384 pages vs 321 in Debelius). Almost all species in Debelius book seem to be included in this book. Apart from Debelius book the closest competitor to me seem to be "Reef fishes and corals of the red sea" by Harrison and Misiewicz (2000), which has some good text and pictures but covers about 250 species only.

To provide some examples, Lieske and Meyers book has 30 pages about Cnidarians (corals and more) vs Debelius 5 pages. Fishes, reptiles and mammals are covered in 212 pages for around 600 species, vs Debelius 223 pages for slightly fewer species. If you are interested also in sponges, algae and seagrasses the choice is simple - 16 pages in Lieske and Meyers and none in Debelius. For Molluscs the figures are 40 vs 48. Counting pages can be misleading of course: for cone shells (a mollusc group) I prefer this book over Debelius, not only because it shows 13 species vs 3 in Debelius, but also for more informative descriptions. There are other species or groups where Debelius provides more details.

So, if you are interested in everything visible at the coral reefs of the Red sea, you surely want both this book and others. But if I had to choose one, it would be this one. For the next edition I would be happy to see even more species included.

An excellent guide for underwater enthusiasts, 27 Jun 2007
A really good detailed book for anyone who wants more information on the underwater species in the Red Sea. I am really impressed. The photos are clear and better than the drawings you get in many fish guides. The book also covers corals and mammals as well as fish and is very comprehensive.

The best for Red Sea divers, 07 Jun 2007
Simply put, this is the best guide to the marine life of the Red Sea available today. Great images, reliable identification, clear and interesting texts, enormous scope, handy size, reasonable price - what more could one ask? Divers and u/w photographers planning to visit this specific area cannot do without it - one of its authors, Robert Myers, has also produced another landmark in area-specific marine life guidebooks, the incredibly complete Micronesian Reef Fishes.

Indispensable guide, 13 Sep 2005
My partner and I took this book to Sharm El Sheikh for our first underwater excursion in the Red Sea. We used it everyday! It's full of great photos of fish and, by the time we came home, we could identify lots of different types of fish, coral etc. It also has information about the fish so that when you're looking at them you know a bit about them which I think is important. It tells you which fish are dangerous as well and how to stay safe. It enhanced my trip immensely and I would recommend it to anyone with a love of the natural world.

Brings it home to you, 24 Jul 2001
This book is the definitive guide, on what the people who climb the world's highest mountain, think, and are like as people. It recounts a sad tale, in enough detail to be interesting, and horrifying, but not enough to be sick. If anyone is thinking about wanting to climb Everest, then I would recommend this as sound reading material, for you to make up your mind.

Coffee table it is, 11 Aug 1999
While the other accounts of Everest 1996 focus in on Fischer'sand Hall's teams, this one focus in the the IMAX team. From the looks of it, they were the only moderates on the mountain that season. They positioned themselves for rescue efforts with the Alpine Ascents team. While everyone else was being selfish with supplies and radio's and rescue teams, Brashiers and Viesters were there to give vital oxygen, help climbers from camp 3 and coordinate the helecopter rescue of Weathers and Gao.

While the narration may not be the most riviting part of the book, the full page color pictures are. This was a film making trip for the IMAX crew so the pictures they brought back for this book were increadible. They also published Scott Fischer's pictures of summit day. I noticed one picture where Krackauer is sitting in the snow as many climbers are going up the Hillary step. It really brought to life the sceene from "Into thin Air" where he was wanting everyone to hurry up so he could get to his oxygen on the south summit.

The short stories in the middle of the book make this the ultimate coffee table book. They read like magazine articles. The other books on Everest 1996 can be checked out of a library. This is the one you want to have in your home.

Outstanding, 04 Aug 1999
This book is an educational learning tool along with an amazing story. Any person interested in Mt. Everest and the tragic story must add this to their book collection. Outstanding photos included.

AWESOME!!!, 16 Jul 1999
This book is INCREDIBLE!!! First off, the pictures are so clear, and so beautiful, it gives you an idea of how AWESOME Everest really is! This is the perfect, "put in your collection to show off book." I read the book "Into Thin Air" (another awesome book) and this book should be the "pictures" of that book. GET IT!!

A top book-with an objective summary of the events of 1996, 16 Jun 1999
I was loaned a copy of this book while staying at a lodge in Dingbouche, Nepal whilst on an Everest Base Camp trek. Having read 'Into Thin Air' and 'The Climb', both written from a personal perspective, it was enlightening to study the events of 1996 from an objective viewpoint. However that is only a portion of the book. The photography is breathtaking and the coverage of the culture/attractions of the country of Nepal is excellant. For anyone remotely interested in trekking/adventure/mountaineering this book is a 'must have'.

*** awesome ***, 14 Nov 2003
This is basically just a picture book, but what amazing pictures. . Rather than explain the beauty of the place (which is pretty much undescribable),all I can say is that it would worth getting to serve as a reminder of a past trip, or for ideas for future trips, or even just to day dream the hours a way.

Nice pix & nice price. Add it to your cart!

Covers more species in total than "Red Sea Reef Guide", 09 Sep 2008
From the books about coral reef life in the Red sea I have seen and used this one, Coral Reef Guide Red Sea by Lieske & Meyers (2004), has the best coverage of species and groups I have wanted to identify. The closest alternative, or complement, I know about now is "Red sea reef guide" by Helmus Debelius (2 ed 2000 - 5 ed 2007). The latter has almost 900 scientific names in the index, compared with around 1800 for this one (but some of these are genera, families, classes and other group names). The weights and sizes of these books are almost the same (384 pages vs 321 in Debelius). Almost all species in Debelius book seem to be included in this book. Apart from Debelius book the closest competitor to me seem to be "Reef fishes and corals of the red sea" by Harrison and Misiewicz (2000), which has some good text and pictures but covers about 250 species only.

To provide some examples, Lieske and Meyers book has 30 pages about Cnidarians (corals and more) vs Debelius 5 pages. Fishes, reptiles and mammals are covered in 212 pages for around 600 species, vs Debelius 223 pages for slightly fewer species. If you are interested also in sponges, algae and seagrasses the choice is simple - 16 pages in Lieske and Meyers and none in Debelius. For Molluscs the figures are 40 vs 48. Counting pages can be misleading of course: for cone shells (a mollusc group) I prefer this book over Debelius, not only because it shows 13 species vs 3 in Debelius, but also for more informative descriptions. There are other species or groups where Debelius provides more details.

So, if you are interested in everything visible at the coral reefs of the Red sea, you surely want both this book and others. But if I had to choose one, it would be this one. For the next edition I would be happy to see even more species included.

An excellent guide for underwater enthusiasts, 27 Jun 2007
A really good detailed book for anyone who wants more information on the underwater species in the Red Sea. I am really impressed. The photos are clear and better than the drawings you get in many fish guides. The book also covers corals and mammals as well as fish and is very comprehensive.

The best for Red Sea divers, 07 Jun 2007
Simply put, this is the best guide to the marine life of the Red Sea available today. Great images, reliable identification, clear and interesting texts, enormous scope, handy size, reasonable price - what more could one ask? Divers and u/w photographers planning to visit this specific area cannot do without it - one of its authors, Robert Myers, has also produced another landmark in area-specific marine life guidebooks, the incredibly complete Micronesian Reef Fishes.

Indispensable guide, 13 Sep 2005
My partner and I took this book to Sharm El Sheikh for our first underwater excursion in the Red Sea. We used it everyday! It's full of great photos of fish and, by the time we came home, we could identify lots of different types of fish, coral etc. It also has information about the fish so that when you're looking at them you know a bit about them which I think is important. It tells you which fish are dangerous as well and how to stay safe. It enhanced my trip immensely and I would recommend it to anyone with a love of the natural world.

Thoroughly engaging, if a little repetitive, 05 Aug 2007
John Muir has a very special way with vocabulary, his romanticised descriptions of nature can conjure the most beautiful and pristine of images in the mind. With a little imagination, his words can transport you to a magical world that sounds almost too good to be true.

And often it is. He misses out on mentioning how tired and hot he would have become trekking over thousands of feet of mountains, on the insects buzzing around his head all day, the wasps that inevitably attack you whenever you sit down by a glistening river for a bite to eat, and all the other little irritations that come with the territory. His was a voyage of discovery that seemed immune to all but the best that nature had to offer. His optimism and passion for nature is unsurpassed, and this - his first book, originally published in 1894 - is a remarkable and engaging account of a landscape that few had heard of before that time.

This is what makes the text particularly special, these are truly the words of an adventurer, who is laying eyes for the first time on a kind of beauty that inspired him so deeply, that he wanted to tell the world about it, and protect it from being spoilt.

The Mountains of California is a great escapism, especially from city life, and I read a chapter of this book whenever I am in need of a little joy, a break from tedium. It is inspirational.

My only criticism is that describing with such detail and clarity every peak and valley he comes across, every plateau every brook, each tree each shrub, can become a little tedious and repetitive after a while. This makes it less a book one can read from cover to cover, and more a book for dipping into for brief moments of respite from the daily grind. But those moments are exceptionally rewarding.

I should add that the synopsis is a little misleading; while the book does contain a number of sketches, it does not contain photographs.

When Alfred Lansing's Endurance was first published in 1959, few people in this country--or anywhere else for that matter--had heard of Shackleton or the Imperial Transantarctic Expedition of 1914. Britain's polar history had been rewritten with Shackleton airbrushed out and Captain Scott taking centre stage as the archetypal English hero who died on the Great Barrier on his long haul back from the South Pole.

If Scott's deification was almost instantaneous, Shackleton's descent into obscurity was more of a slow fade than a sudden death. He achieved a certain amount of acclaim when South, his own account of the Expedition, was published, but his legend seemed to die with him when he suffered a fatal heart attack on another trip south in 1922. His memory deserved much better. Not only was he a far better explorer than Scott, both in terms of his technical and man management capabilities, but the story of the Transantarctic expedition read like an epic out of a Boys Own annual. With his boat crushed, he led his men across the pack-ice, sailed them in open boats to Elephant Island. Once he realised there was no chance of rescue, he and four crew mates sailed a further 600 miles across the southern ocean to South Georgia where they were shipwrecked. The five men then made the first crossing of the island to reach the whaling station at Stromness. Three attempts and three and a half months later, Shackleton returned to Elephant Island to pick up the remaining men. Not a single member of either party was lost.

So we have Lansing to largely thank for Shackleton's rehabilitation. But herein lies the problem. Shackleton's story has been now been so well told both in books--especially Roland Huntford's definitive biography, and in film and TV, that even though Lansing's thrilling account, making liberal use of the diaries of several expedition members, was the first to be published it now feels all terribly familiar and adds nothing to what we already know. Even Frank Hurley's exquisite photographs which illustrate the book now engender a slight feeling of déjà vu--not least because they have already been better reproduced in a single volume published by Bloomsbury. But Lansing deserves his day in the snow and no polar library would be complete without this book. And if, by any chance, you've never previously read a word about Shackleton, this is as good a place as any to start. --John CraceYou can't really fail with a book about the Endurance. Although Ernest Shackleton's attempt to make the first Trans-Antarctic crossing barely made it out of base camp, his expedition has gone into the history books as one of the great epics of polar travel. Endurance left England in August 1914 and reached the pack-ice off Antarctica in January the following year. It sank in November, crushed by the weight of the ice, leaving Shackleton and his 27 men stranded in one of the most desolate areas of the world with no hope of rescue. Undaunted, Shackleton led his team to the edge of the ice, dragging three open life-boats that had been salvaged from the Endurance every step of the way. They then sailed to Elephant Island, a remote uninhabited outcrop of rock, where they lived off penguins and seagull. By April 1916, Shackleton realised there was no chance of them being spotted by a passing ship and he and five men set sail in the open-decked 20-foot boat, the James Caird, across 650 miles of the stormiest seas of the southern oceans for South Georgia. After narrowly surviving being shipwrecked on the reefs surrounding the western coast of South Georgia, Shackleton then proceeded to make the first-ever crossing of the mountainous island before reaching the sanctuary of the whaling station at Stromness. And it was Shackleton, in person, who led the rescue mission to Elephant Island to pick up the rest of his men. Miraculously, all 28 men survived.

Alfred Lansing's book, first published in 1957, tells it as it was. He draws heavily on the diaries and other first-person memoirs of those involved, and he writes with both style and pace. As such it is the classic tale of derring-do. What Lansing misses, though, is the social context. He provides little sense of history; in August 1914, when the Endurance left England, World War One was starting. By the time he returned home two years later, thousands of young men of his generation were lying dead on the battlefields of the Somme. The contrast is almost unbearable but Lansing makes nothing of it. Similarly he does not explain how someone like Scott, whose South Pole expedition several years earlier had been an unmitigated disaster of incompetence and bad planning, should go down in British history as one of our all-time heroes, while Shackleton, whose exploits were indeed truly heroic, has lived for so long in Scott's shadow. --John Crace

Brings it home to you, 24 Jul 2001
This book is the definitive guide, on what the people who climb the world's highest mountain, think, and are like as people. It recounts a sad tale, in enough detail to be interesting, and horrifying, but not enough to be sick. If anyone is thinking about wanting to climb Everest, then I would recommend this as sound reading material, for you to make up your mind.

Coffee table it is, 11 Aug 1999
While the other accounts of Everest 1996 focus in on Fischer'sand Hall's teams, this one focus in the the IMAX team. From the looks of it, they were the only moderates on the mountain that season. They positioned themselves for rescue efforts with the Alpine Ascents team. While everyone else was being selfish with supplies and radio's and rescue teams, Brashiers and Viesters were there to give vital oxygen, help climbers from camp 3 and coordinate the helecopter rescue of Weathers and Gao.

While the narration may not be the most riviting part of the book, the full page color pictures are. This was a film making trip for the IMAX crew so the pictures they brought back for this book were increadible. They also published Scott Fischer's pictures of summit day. I noticed one picture where Krackauer is sitting in the snow as many climbers are going up the Hillary step. It really brought to life the sceene from "Into thin Air" where he was wanting everyone to hurry up so he could get to his oxygen on the south summit.

The short stories in the middle of the book make this the ultimate coffee table book. They read like magazine articles. The other books on Everest 1996 can be checked out of a library. This is the one you want to have in your home.

Outstanding, 04 Aug 1999
This book is an educational learning tool along with an amazing story. Any person interested in Mt. Everest and the tragic story must add this to their book collection. Outstanding photos included.

AWESOME!!!, 16 Jul 1999
This book is INCREDIBLE!!! First off, the pictures are so clear, and so beautiful, it gives you an idea of how AWESOME Everest really is! This is the perfect, "put in your collection to show off book." I read the book "Into Thin Air" (another awesome book) and this book should be the "pictures" of that book. GET IT!!

A top book-with an objective summary of the events of 1996, 16 Jun 1999
I was loaned a copy of this book while staying at a lodge in Dingbouche, Nepal whilst on an Everest Base Camp trek. Having read 'Into Thin Air' and 'The Climb', both written from a personal perspective, it was enlightening to study the events of 1996 from an objective viewpoint. However that is only a portion of the book. The photography is breathtaking and the coverage of the culture/attractions of the country of Nepal is excellant. For anyone remotely interested in trekking/adventure/mountaineering this book is a 'must have'.

*** awesome ***, 14 Nov 2003
This is basically just a picture book, but what amazing pictures. . Rather than explain the beauty of the place (which is pretty much undescribable),all I can say is that it would worth getting to serve as a reminder of a past trip, or for ideas for future trips, or even just to day dream the hours a way.

Nice pix & nice price. Add it to your cart!

Covers more species in total than "Red Sea Reef Guide", 09 Sep 2008
From the books about coral reef life in the Red sea I have seen and used this one, Coral Reef Guide Red Sea by Lieske & Meyers (2004), has the best coverage of species and groups I have wanted to identify. The closest alternative, or complement, I know about now is "Red sea reef guide" by Helmus Debelius (2 ed 2000 - 5 ed 2007). The latter has almost 900 scientific names in the index, compared with around 1800 for this one (but some of these are genera, families, classes and other group names). The weights and sizes of these books are almost the same (384 pages vs 321 in Debelius). Almost all species in Debelius book seem to be included in this book. Apart from Debelius book the closest competitor to me seem to be "Reef fishes and corals of the red sea" by Harrison and Misiewicz (2000), which has some good text and pictures but covers about 250 species only.

To provide some examples, Lieske and Meyers book has 30 pages about Cnidarians (corals and more) vs Debelius 5 pages. Fishes, reptiles and mammals are covered in 212 pages for around 600 species, vs Debelius 223 pages for slightly fewer species. If you are interested also in sponges, algae and seagrasses the choice is simple - 16 pages in Lieske and Meyers and none in Debelius. For Molluscs the figures are 40 vs 48. Counting pages can be misleading of course: for cone shells (a mollusc group) I prefer this book over Debelius, not only because it shows 13 species vs 3 in Debelius, but also for more informative descriptions. There are other species or groups where Debelius provides more details.

So, if you are interested in everything visible at the coral reefs of the Red sea, you surely want both this book and others. But if I had to choose one, it would be this one. For the next edition I would be happy to see even more species included.

An excellent guide for underwater enthusiasts, 27 Jun 2007
A really good detailed book for anyone who wants more information on the underwater species in the Red Sea. I am really impressed. The photos are clear and better than the drawings you get in many fish guides. The book also covers corals and mammals as well as fish and is very comprehensive.

The best for Red Sea divers, 07 Jun 2007
Simply put, this is the best guide to the marine life of the Red Sea available today. Great images, reliable identification, clear and interesting texts, enormous scope, handy size, reasonable price - what more could one ask? Divers and u/w photographers planning to visit this specific area cannot do without it - one of its authors, Robert Myers, has also produced another landmark in area-specific marine life guidebooks, the incredibly complete Micronesian Reef Fishes.

Indispensable guide, 13 Sep 2005
My partner and I took this book to Sharm El Sheikh for our first underwater excursion in the Red Sea. We used it everyday! It's full of great photos of fish and, by the time we came home, we could identify lots of different types of fish, coral etc. It also has information about the fish so that when you're looking at them you know a bit about them which I think is important. It tells you which fish are dangerous as well and how to stay safe. It enhanced my trip immensely and I would recommend it to anyone with a love of the natural world.

Thoroughly engaging, if a little repetitive, 05 Aug 2007
John Muir has a very special way with vocabulary, his romanticised descriptions of nature can conjure the most beautiful and pristine of images in the mind. With a little imagination, his words can transport you to a magical world that sounds almost too good to be true.

And often it is. He misses out on mentioning how tired and hot he would have become trekking over thousands of feet of mountains, on the insects buzzing around his head all day, the wasps that inevitably attack you whenever you sit down by a glistening river for a bite to eat, and all the other little irritations that come with the territory. His was a voyage of discovery that seemed immune to all but the best that nature had to offer. His optimism and passion for nature is unsurpassed, and this - his first book, originally published in 1894 - is a remarkable and engaging account of a landscape that few had heard of before that time.

This is what makes the text particularly special, these are truly the words of an adventurer, who is laying eyes for the first time on a kind of beauty that inspired him so deeply, that he wanted to tell the world about it, and protect it from being spoilt.

The Mountains of California is a great escapism, especially from city life, and I read a chapter of this book whenever I am in need of a little joy, a break from tedium. It is inspirational.

My only criticism is that describing with such detail and clarity every peak and valley he comes across, every plateau every brook, each tree each shrub, can become a little tedious and repetitive after a while. This makes it less a book one can read from cover to cover, and more a book for dipping into for brief moments of respite from the daily grind. But those moments are exceptionally rewarding.

I should add that the synopsis is a little misleading; while the book does contain a number of sketches, it does not contain photographs.

A dramatic true story with a rather sudden end, 13 Nov 2008
Not a book I would probably have chosen to read, but it was selected as the monthly read for our book club by an ex-naval officer and I was delighted he chose it. This was, as many have said before, a truly gripping story and I was thankful that from the start I knew that the team had by and large survived their ordeal, otherwise the suspense mught have got too much at times! They really did seem to be up against impossible odds and surviving those conditions with the equipment available to them was just amazing.

Equally amazing was what the book told you about the people and their incredible leader, Shackleton. They sound like the kind of men you would want on your side in a tight situation and Shackleton's strength in adversity was super-human. They all had to face immense strain over a sustained period of time, but none more so than Shackleton who took his responsibilities terribly seiously. Why his achievements as an antarctic explorer have been so overshadowed by Scott is a mystery to me.

Despite all this, I have docked Lansing one star for his rather abrupt finish to the book. I would have liked to read more about how Shackleton and his men were received back home, what was it like for them to discover what had been happening in the 1st World War while they had been doing battle with the elements, did they all carry on exploring, or was it more than enough for some etc. etc. I think another two or three chapters of Epilogue would have been very appropriate and I felt they were missing.

A remarkable tale woderfully written, 23 Aug 2007
Endurance is, to say the least, one of the most harrowing stories that I have ever read, not least because it's true. Pointless me using adjectives here to describe this book as they have all, I'm sure, been used before. If you get the book, you'll find it all there, fascination, awe inspiring, triumph, emotion, gripping, suspense, compelling... A powerful and fascinating tale of the bravery and determination of Shackleton and his men to survive agianst all the odds and live to tell the tale.

the ultimate survival story, 12 Apr 2006
If this weren't a true story you would consider it too far fetched. The determination to survive in the face of extreme hardship is mindblowing. Shackleton's leadership skills are unparalleled and could be applied to many other areas of life. One of the best books I have ever read - thoroughly recommended.

Brilliant subject, lousy book layout, 15 Feb 2006
The subject matter is awe inspiring, to say the least. It's also amazing that Frank Hurley was still taking photos right up to the time they were rescued. Where this book falls down, though, is that there are no list of contents, no index, no list of photographs and no list of maps. The book is badly laid out. Unforgiveable, really.

A superb account.., 14 Jul 2004
This is an excellent book.It is the true story of Ernest Shackleton's journey to cross the Antarctic overland,but you probably knew that already!!
I can't think of a better book on the subject.Crammed with photos taken by Frank Hurley,'Endurance' is a wonderfully researched account of this almost unbelievable story.Full credit must go to the writer of this account Alfred Lansing.He truly does a fantastic job and keeps the story pushing along at a terrific pace.
At times,it seems a work of fiction,such are the many amazing happenings on this trip of a lifetime.Once again,as in 'The Heart of the Antarctic',Shackleton shows that above all else the safety of his men was paramount.
Don't think about getting this book,just go for it!You won't regret it.

Brings it home to you, 24 Jul 2001
This book is the definitive guide, on what the people who climb the world's highest mountain, think, and are like as people. It recounts a sad tale, in enough detail to be interesting, and horrifying, but not enough to be sick. If anyone is thinking about wanting to climb Everest, then I would recommend this as sound reading material, for you to make up your mind.

Coffee table it is, 11 Aug 1999
While the other accounts of Everest 1996 focus in on Fischer'sand Hall's teams, this one focus in the the IMAX team. From the looks of it, they were the only moderates on the mountain that season. They positioned themselves for rescue efforts with the Alpine Ascents team. While everyone else was being selfish with supplies and radio's and rescue teams, Brashiers and Viesters were there to give vital oxygen, help climbers from camp 3 and coordinate the helecopter rescue of Weathers and Gao.

While the narration may not be the most riviting part of the book, the full page color pictures are. This was a film making trip for the IMAX crew so the pictures they brought back for this book were increadible. They also published Scott Fischer's pictures of summit day. I noticed one picture where Krackauer is sitting in the snow as many climbers are going up the Hillary step. It really brought to life the sceene from "Into thin Air" where he was wanting everyone to hurry up so he could get to his oxygen on the south summit.

The short stories in the middle of the book make this the ultimate coffee table book. They read like magazine articles. The other books on Everest 1996 can be checked out of a library. This is the one you want to have in your home.

Outstanding, 04 Aug 1999
This book is an educational learning tool along with an amazing story. Any person interested in Mt. Everest and the tragic story must add this to their book collection. Outstanding photos included.

AWESOME!!!, 16 Jul 1999
This book is INCREDIBLE!!! First off, the pictures are so clear, and so beautiful, it gives you an idea of how AWESOME Everest really is! This is the perfect, "put in your collection to show off book." I read the book "Into Thin Air" (another awesome book) and this book should be the "pictures" of that book. GET IT!!

A top book-with an objective summary of the events of 1996, 16 Jun 1999
I was loaned a copy of this book while staying at a lodge in Dingbouche, Nepal whilst on an Everest Base Camp trek. Having read 'Into Thin Air' and 'The Climb', both written from a personal perspective, it was enlightening to study the events of 1996 from an objective viewpoint. However that is only a portion of the book. The photography is breathtaking and the coverage of the culture/attractions of the country of Nepal is excellant. For anyone remotely interested in trekking/adventure/mountaineering this book is a 'must have'.

*** awesome ***, 14 Nov 2003
This is basically just a picture book, but what amazing pictures. . Rather than explain the beauty of the place (which is pretty much undescribable),all I can say is that it would worth getting to serve as a reminder of a past trip, or for ideas for future trips, or even just to day dream the hours a way.

Nice pix & nice price. Add it to your cart!

Covers more species in total than "Red Sea Reef Guide", 09 Sep 2008
From the books about coral reef life in the Red sea I have seen and used this one, Coral Reef Guide Red Sea by Lieske & Meyers (2004), has the best coverage of species and groups I have wanted to identify. The closest alternative, or complement, I know about now is "Red sea reef guide" by Helmus Debelius (2 ed 2000 - 5 ed 2007). The latter has almost 900 scientific names in the index, compared with around 1800 for this one (but some of these are genera, families, classes and other group names). The weights and sizes of these books are almost the same (384 pages vs 321 in Debelius). Almost all species in Debelius book seem to be included in this book. Apart from Debelius book the closest competitor to me seem to be "Reef fishes and corals of the red sea" by Harrison and Misiewicz (2000), which has some good text and pictures but covers about 250 species only.

To provide some examples, Lieske and Meyers book has 30 pages about Cnidarians (corals and more) vs Debelius 5 pages. Fishes, reptiles and mammals are covered in 212 pages for around 600 species, vs Debelius 223 pages for slightly fewer species. If you are interested also in sponges, algae and seagrasses the choice is simple - 16 pages in Lieske and Meyers and none in Debelius. For Molluscs the figures are 40 vs 48. Counting pages can be misleading of course: for cone shells (a mollusc group) I prefer this book over Debelius, not only because it shows 13 species vs 3 in Debelius, but also for more informative descriptions. There are other species or groups where Debelius provides more details.

So, if you are interested in everything visible at the coral reefs of the Red sea, you surely want both this book and others. But if I had to choose one, it would be this one. For the next edition I would be happy to see even more species included.

An excellent guide for underwater enthusiasts, 27 Jun 2007
A really good detailed book for anyone who wants more information on the underwater species in the Red Sea. I am really impressed. The photos are clear and better than the drawings you get in many fish guides. The book also covers corals and mammals as well as fish and is very comprehensive.

The best for Red Sea divers, 07 Jun 2007
Simply put, this is the best guide to the marine life of the Red Sea available today. Great images, reliable identification, clear and interesting texts, enormous scope, handy size, reasonable price - what more could one ask? Divers and u/w photographers planning to visit this specific area cannot do without it - one of its authors, Robert Myers, has also produced another landmark in area-specific marine life guidebooks, the incredibly complete Micronesian Reef Fishes.

Indispensable guide, 13 Sep 2005
My partner and I took this book to Sharm El Sheikh for our first underwater excursion in the Red Sea. We used it everyday! It's full of great photos of fish and, by the time we came home, we could identify lots of different types of fish, coral etc. It also has information about the fish so that when you're looking at them you know a bit about them which I think is important. It tells you which fish are dangerous as well and how to stay safe. It enhanced my trip immensely and I would recommend it to anyone with a love of the natural world.

Thoroughly engaging, if a little repetitive, 05 Aug 2007
John Muir has a very special way with vocabulary, his romanticised descriptions of nature can conjure the most beautiful and pristine of images in the mind. With a little imagination, his words can transport you to a magical world that sounds almost too good to be true.

And often it is. He misses out on mentioning how tired and hot he would have become trekking over thousands of feet of mountains, on the insects buzzing around his head all day, the wasps that inevitably attack you whenever you sit down by a glistening river for a bite to eat, and all the other little irritations that come with the territory. His was a voyage of discovery that seemed immune to all but the best that nature had to offer. His optimism and passion for nature is unsurpassed, and this - his first book, originally published in 1894 - is a remarkable and engaging account of a landscape that few had heard of before that time.

This is what makes the text particularly special, these are truly the words of an adventurer, who is laying eyes for the first time on a kind of beauty that inspired him so deeply, that he wanted to tell the world about it, and protect it from being spoilt.

The Mountains of California is a great escapism, especially from city life, and I read a chapter of this book whenever I am in need of a little joy, a break from tedium. It is inspirational.

My only criticism is that describing with such detail and clarity every peak and valley he comes across, every plateau every brook, each tree each shrub, can become a little tedious and repetitive after a while. This makes it less a book one can read from cover to cover, and more a book for dipping into for brief moments of respite from the daily grind. But those moments are exceptionally rewarding.

I should add that the synopsis is a little misleading; while the book does contain a number of sketches, it does not contain photographs.

A dramatic true story with a rather sudden end, 13 Nov 2008
Not a book I would probably have chosen to read, but it was selected as the monthly read for our book club by an ex-naval officer and I was delighted he chose it. This was, as many have said before, a truly gripping story and I was thankful that from the start I knew that the team had by and large survived their ordeal, otherwise the suspense mught have got too much at times! They really did seem to be up against impossible odds and surviving those conditions with the equipment available to them was just amazing.

Equally amazing was what the book told you about the people and their incredible leader, Shackleton. They sound like the kind of men you would want on your side in a tight situation and Shackleton's strength in adversity was super-human. They all had to face immense strain over a sustained period of time, but none more so than Shackleton who took his responsibilities terribly seiously. Why his achievements as an antarctic explorer have been so overshadowed by Scott is a mystery to me.

Despite all this, I have docked Lansing one star for his rather abrupt finish to the book. I would have liked to read more about how Shackleton and his men were received back home, what was it like for them to discover what had been happening in the 1st World War while they had been doing battle with the elements, did they all carry on exploring, or was it more than enough for some etc. etc. I think another two or three chapters of Epilogue would have been very appropriate and I felt they were missing.

A remarkable tale woderfully written, 23 Aug 2007
Endurance is, to say the least, one of the most harrowing stories that I have ever read, not least because it's true. Pointless me using adjectives here to describe this book as they have all, I'm sure, been used before. If you get the book, you'll find it all there, fascination, awe inspiring, triumph, emotion, gripping, suspense, compelling... A powerful and fascinating tale of the bravery and determination of Shackleton and his men to survive agianst all the odds and live to tell the tale.

the ultimate survival story, 12 Apr 2006
If this weren't a true story you would consider it too far fetched. The determination to survive in the face of extreme hardship is mindblowing. Shackleton's leadership skills are unparalleled and could be applied to many other areas of life. One of the best books I have ever read - thoroughly recommended.

Brilliant subject, lousy book layout, 15 Feb 2006
The subject matter is awe inspiring, to say the least. It's also amazing that Frank Hurley was still taking photos right up to the time they were rescued. Where this book falls down, though, is that there are no list of contents, no index, no list of photographs and no list of maps. The book is badly laid out. Unforgiveable, really.

A superb account.., 14 Jul 2004
This is an excellent book.It is the true story of Ernest Shackleton's journey to cross the Antarctic overland,but you probably knew that already!!
I can't think of a better book on the subject.Crammed with photos taken by Frank Hurley,'Endurance' is a wonderfully researched account of this almost unbelievable story.Full credit must go to the writer of this account Alfred Lansing.He truly does a fantastic job and keeps the story pushing along at a terrific pace.
At times,it seems a work of fiction,such are the many amazing happenings on this trip of a lifetime.Once again,as in 'The Heart of the Antarctic',Shackleton shows that above all else the safety of his men was paramount.
Don't think about getting this book,just go for it!You won't regret it.

Keep your hands on this book - all the diveboat will want to read it, 09 Nov 2008
This is a superb book which provides fantastic information surrounding the major wrecks of the Red Sea. When I pulled this out of my dive bag on board a dive boat heading for the Abu Nahas reef, everyone wanted to read it. It gives outstanding insight into the circumstances surrounding the sinking of each wreck as well as valuable diving recommendations which supplement those of your dive guide. An absolute must.

The Definitive Guide to The Ship Wrecks of The Egyptian Red Sea, 24 Mar 2008
Ned Middleton has surpassed himself with this book, I have no doubt that this book will become the red sea dive guides bible and the most authoritive source on some of the best wrecks out there.

I took this book with me on the dive boat as I dived some of these wrecks, I really wish I had taken a few copies with me as absolutely everyone, especially the dive guides wanted to buy it of me.

All the wrecks are thoroughly researched and written up, with beautiful pictures and absolutely stunning artwork by Rico.

I have had the pleasure of Talking to Ned and can honestly say he is a lovely chap to know, and I await eagerly his next book.


Ultimate Reference Book for Red Sea Wrecks, 27 Nov 2007
Whether you are planning a trip to the Red Sea or you like to sit in your couch and dream about past dive trips, this book - with its extensive research and coverage - will take you there. Whether you are an avid wreck diver or not, a trip to the Red Sea is not complete without some or a lot of wreck diving. This book is a must to help you plan your trip and make the most out of your diving experience. Personally, I love to go through the pages and dream... Great Xmas gift!!!

This is one awesome book, 14 Nov 2007
This author can write. This man can take pictures and this man can put together one great book about shipwrecks. I have never seen a book like this except from the legendary Dr Robert Ballard and this author actually states that Ballard was the inspiration for this book because of the quality. If you like shipwrecks, if you like stories about shipwrecks, then this is the book for you. The illustrations are out of this world. If you were wondering what all the fuss was about with Egypt's shipwrecks - then here are all the answers. If you just wanna write a book about shipwrecks - then this is how it should be done.

I went to Sinai and dove some of these wrecks last year and a diver from England had one of these books so I bought it from him right there. Each chapter is devoted to one of the wrecks you can dive and starts with a painting as good as I ever saw. Right next to it is a picture of the original ship and all the details of size, tons and history. Then you have that spine-chilling, exciting story of how the ship got sunk. In one case all the passengers dressed for dinner. Yep, all with their Tuxedos on and the ship was aground and sinking. Then you have a description of what the wreck is like today. Then you turn the page and start all over with the next wreck. Then, when you've done all that 20 times over. You get all the info on those smaller ships like tugboats. Then you get a list of all the ships involved with those that were sunk, and names of famous shipwrecks that never even existed. Truly!



The definitive work, 13 Sep 2007
I have dived Egypt's wrecks every year for the passed 12 years sometimes twice a year. I take photos and I read up all I can find to learn all there is to learn. Some of what I have read has been rubbish because the facts in the maritime museum are different from what is written in some magazines and books. Ned Middleton doesn't make mistakes like that because he checks his facts before writing anything at all. I didn't want to spend as much as £35 on a book when I thought I knew all there was to know about these wrecks but I was wrong because I hadn't even heard of the first wreck and I thought the Zingara was the Kormorant. I learnt something about every wreck I thought I knew and then some. The bit at the back with all those ships names is great reading. Gave me an idea for taking are club out looking for something new. I still didn't pay for it though, I got it as a birthday present. Best book I ever got.

Diver magazine described this book as the definitive work on the subject. I didn't know what that meant so I looked it up. It means authoritative, ultimate, perfect, best, classic, state of the art. This book is all those things and the artwork is something Bob Ballard would have been proud of.

Brings it home to you, 24 Jul 2001
This book is the definitive guide, on what the people who climb the world's highest mountain, think, and are like as people. It recounts a sad tale, in enough detail to be interesting, and horrifying, but not enough to be sick. If anyone is thinking about wanting to climb Everest, then I would recommend this as sound reading material, for you to make up your mind.

Coffee table it is, 11 Aug 1999
While the other accounts of Everest 1996 focus in on Fischer'sand Hall's teams, this one focus in the the IMAX team. From the looks of it, they were the only moderates on the mountain that season. They positioned themselves for rescue efforts with the Alpine Ascents team. While everyone else was being selfish with supplies and radio's and rescue teams, Brashiers and Viesters were there to give vital oxygen, help climbers from camp 3 and coordinate the helecopter rescue of Weathers and Gao.

While the narration may not be the most riviting part of the book, the full page color pictures are. This was a film making trip for the IMAX crew so the pictures they brought back for this book were increadible. They also published Scott Fischer's pictures of summit day. I noticed one picture where Krackauer is sitting in the snow as many climbers are going up the Hillary step. It really brought to life the sceene from "Into thin Air" where he was wanting everyone to hurry up so he could get to his oxygen on the south summit.

The short stories in the middle of the book make this the ultimate coffee table book. They read like magazine articles. The other books on Everest 1996 can be checked out of a library. This is the one you want to have in your home.

Outstanding, 04 Aug 1999
This book is an educational learning tool along with an amazing story. Any person interested in Mt. Everest and the tragic story must add this to their book collection. Outstanding photos included.

AWESOME!!!, 16 Jul 1999
This book is INCREDIBLE!!! First off, the pictures are so clear, and so beautiful, it gives you an idea of how AWESOME Everest really is! This is the perfect, "put in your collection to show off book." I read the book "Into Thin Air" (another awesome book) and this book should be the "pictures" of that book. GET IT!!

A top book-with an objective summary of the events of 1996, 16 Jun 1999
I was loaned a copy of this book while staying at a lodge in Dingbouche, Nepal whilst on an Everest Base Camp trek. Having read 'Into Thin Air' and 'The Climb', both written from a personal perspective, it was enlightening to study the events of 1996 from an objective viewpoint. However that is only a portion of the book. The photography is breathtaking and the coverage of the culture/attractions of the country of Nepal is excellant. For anyone remotely interested in trekking/adventure/mountaineering this book is a 'must have'.

*** awesome ***, 14 Nov 2003
This is basically just a picture book, but what amazing pictures. . Rather than explain the beauty of the place (which is pretty much undescribable),all I can say is that it would worth getting to serve as a reminder of a past trip, or for ideas for future trips, or even just to day dream the hours a way.

Nice pix & nice price. Add it to your cart!

Covers more species in total than "Red Sea Reef Guide", 09 Sep 2008
From the books about coral reef life in the Red sea I have seen and used this one, Coral Reef Guide Red Sea by Lieske & Meyers (2004), has the best coverage of species and groups I have wanted to identify. The closest alternative, or complement, I know about now is "Red sea reef guide" by Helmus Debelius (2 ed 2000 - 5 ed 2007). The latter has almost 900 scientific names in the index, compared with around 1800 for this one (but some of these are genera, families, classes and other group names). The weights and sizes of these books are almost the same (384 pages vs 321 in Debelius). Almost all species in Debelius book seem to be included in this book. Apart from Debelius book the closest competitor to me seem to be "Reef fishes and corals of the red sea" by Harrison and Misiewicz (2000), which has some good text and pictures but covers about 250 species only.

To provide some examples, Lieske and Meyers book has 30 pages about Cnidarians (corals and more) vs Debelius 5 pages. Fishes, reptiles and mammals are covered in 212 pages for around 600 species, vs Debelius 223 pages for slightly fewer species. If you are interested also in sponges, algae and seagrasses the choice is simple - 16 pages in Lieske and Meyers and none in Debelius. For Molluscs the figures are 40 vs 48. Counting pages can be misleading of course: for cone shells (a mollusc group) I prefer this book over Debelius, not only because it shows 13 species vs 3 in Debelius, but also for more informative descriptions. There are other species or groups where Debelius provides more details.

So, if you are interested in everything visible at the coral reefs of the Red sea, you surely want both this book and others. But if I had to choose one, it would be this one. For the next edition I would be happy to see even more species included.

An excellent guide for underwater enthusiasts, 27 Jun 2007
A really good detailed book for anyone who wants more information on the underwater species in the Red Sea. I am really impressed. The photos are clear and better than the drawings you get in many fish guides. The book also covers corals and mammals as well as fish and is very comprehensive.

The best for Red Sea divers, 07 Jun 2007
Simply put, this is the best guide to the marine life of the Red Sea available today. Great images, reliable identification, clear and interesting texts, enormous scope, handy size, reasonable price - what more could one ask? Divers and u/w photographers planning to visit this specific area cannot do without it - one of its authors, Robert Myers, has also produced another landmark in area-specific marine life guidebooks, the incredibly complete Micronesian Reef Fishes.

Indispensable guide, 13 Sep 2005
My partner and I took this book to Sharm El Sheikh for our first underwater excursion in the Red Sea. We used it everyday! It's full of great photos of fish and, by the time we came home, we could identify lots of different types of fish, coral etc. It also has information about the fish so that when you're looking at them you know a bit about them which I think is important. It tells you which fish are dangerous as well and how to stay safe. It enhanced my trip immensely and I would recommend it to anyone with a love of the natural world.

Thoroughly engaging, if a little repetitive, 05 Aug 2007
John Muir has a very special way with vocabulary, his romanticised descriptions of nature can conjure the most beautiful and pristine of images in the mind. With a little imagination, his words can transport you to a magical world that sounds almost too good to be true.

And often it is. He misses out on mentioning how tired and hot he would have become trekking over thousands of feet of mountains, on the insects buzzing around his head all day, the wasps that inevitably attack you whenever you sit down by a glistening river for a bite to eat, and all the other little irritations that come with the territory. His was a voyage of discovery that seemed immune to all but the best that nature had to offer. His optimism and passion for nature is unsurpassed, and this - his first book, originally published in 1894 - is a remarkable and engaging account of a landscape that few had heard of before that time.

This is what makes the text particularly special, these are truly the words of an adventurer, who is laying eyes for the first time on a kind of beauty that inspired him so deeply, that he wanted to tell the world about it, and protect it from being spoilt.

The Mountains of California is a great escapism, especially from city life, and I read a chapter of this book whenever I am in need of a little joy, a break from tedium. It is inspirational.

My only criticism is that describing with such detail and clarity every peak and valley he comes across, every plateau every brook, each tree each shrub, can become a little tedious and repetitive after a while. This makes it less a book one can read from cover to cover, and more a book for dipping into for brief moments of respite from the daily grind. But those moments are exceptionally rewarding.

I should add that the synopsis is a little misleading; while the book does contain a number of sketches, it does not contain photographs.

A dramatic true story with a rather sudden end, 13 Nov 2008
Not a book I would probably have chosen to read, but it was selected as the monthly read for our book club by an ex-naval officer and I was delighted he chose it. This was, as many have said before, a truly gripping story and I was thankful that from the start I knew that the team had by and large survived their ordeal, otherwise the suspense mught have got too much at times! They really did seem to be up against impossible odds and surviving those conditions with the equipment available to them was just amazing.

Equally amazing was what the book told you about the people and their incredible leader, Shackleton. They sound like the kind of men you would want on your side in a tight situation and Shackleton's strength in adversity was super-human. They all had to face immense strain over a sustained period of time, but none more so than Shackleton who took his responsibilities terribly seiously. Why his achievements as an antarctic explorer have been so overshadowed by Scott is a mystery to me.

Despite all this, I have docked Lansing one star for his rather abrupt finish to the book. I would have liked to read more about how Shackleton and his men were received back home, what was it like for them to discover what had been happening in the 1st World War while they had been doing battle with the elements, did they all carry on exploring, or was it more than enough for some etc. etc. I think another two or three chapters of Epilogue would have been very appropriate and I felt they were missing.

A remarkable tale woderfully written, 23 Aug 2007
Endurance is, to say the least, one of the most harrowing stories that I have ever read, not least because it's true. Pointless me using adjectives here to describe this book as they have all, I'm sure, been used before. If you get the book, you'll find it all there, fascination, awe inspiring, triumph, emotion, gripping, suspense, compelling... A powerful and fascinating tale of the bravery and determination of Shackleton and his men to survive agianst all the odds and live to tell the tale.

the ultimate survival story, 12 Apr 2006
If this weren't a true story you would consider it too far fetched. The determination to survive in the face of extreme hardship is mindblowing. Shackleton's leadership skills are unparalleled and could be applied to many other areas of life. One of the best books I have ever read - thoroughly recommended.

Brilliant subject, lousy book layout, 15 Feb 2006
The subject matter is awe inspiring, to say the least. It's also amazing that Frank Hurley was still taking photos right up to the time they were rescued. Where this book falls down, though, is that there are no list of contents, no index, no list of photographs and no list of maps. The book is badly laid out. Unforgiveable, really.

A superb account.., 14 Jul 2004
This is an excellent book.It is the true story of Ernest Shackleton's journey to cross the Antarctic overland,but you probably knew that already!!
I can't think of a better book on the subject.Crammed with photos taken by Frank Hurley,'Endurance' is a wonderfully researched account of this almost unbelievable story.Full credit must go to the writer of this account Alfred Lansing.He truly does a fantastic job and keeps the story pushing along at a terrific pace.
At times,it seems a work of fiction,such are the many amazing happenings on this trip of a lifetime.Once again,as in 'The Heart of the Antarctic',Shackleton shows that above all else the safety of his men was paramount.
Don't think about getting this book,just go for it!You won't regret it.

Keep your hands on this book - all the diveboat will want to read it, 09 Nov 2008
This is a superb book which provides fantastic information surrounding the major wrecks of the Red Sea. When I pulled this out of my dive bag on board a dive boat heading for the Abu Nahas reef, everyone wanted to read it. It gives outstanding insight into the circumstances surrounding the sinking of each wreck as well as valuable diving recommendations which supplement those of your dive guide. An absolute must.

The Definitive Guide to The Ship Wrecks of The Egyptian Red Sea, 24 Mar 2008
Ned Middleton has surpassed himself with this book, I have no doubt that this book will become the red sea dive guides bible and the most authoritive source on some of the best wrecks out there.

I took this book with me on the dive boat as I dived some of these wrecks, I really wish I had taken a few copies with me as absolutely everyone, especially the dive guides wanted to buy it of me.

All the wrecks are thoroughly researched and written up, with beautiful pictures and absolutely stunning artwork by Rico.

I have had the pleasure of Talking to Ned and can honestly say he is a lovely chap to know, and I await eagerly his next book.


Ultimate Reference Book for Red Sea Wrecks, 27 Nov 2007
Whether you are planning a trip to the Red Sea or you like to sit in your couch and dream about past dive trips, this book - with its extensive research and coverage - will take you there. Whether you are an avid wreck diver or not, a trip to the Red Sea is not complete without some or a lot of wreck diving. This book is a must to help you plan your trip and make the most out of your diving experience. Personally, I love to go through the pages and dream... Great Xmas gift!!!

This is one awesome book, 14 Nov 2007
This author can write. This man can take pictures and this man can put together one great book about shipwrecks. I have never seen a book like this except from the legendary Dr Robert Ballard and this author actually states that Ballard was the inspiration for this book because of the quality. If you like shipwrecks, if you like stories about shipwrecks, then this is the book for you. The illustrations are out of this world. If you were wondering what all the fuss was about with Egypt's shipwrecks - then here are all the answers. If you just wanna write a book about shipwrecks - then this is how it should be done.

I went to Sinai and dove some of these wrecks last year and a diver from England had one of these books so I bought it from him right there. Each chapter is devoted to one of the wrecks you can dive and starts with a painting as good as I ever saw. Right next to it is a picture of the original ship and all the details of size, tons and history. Then you have that spine-chilling, exciting story of how the ship got sunk. In one case all the passengers dressed for dinner. Yep, all with their Tuxedos on and the ship was aground and sinking. Then you have a description of what the wreck is like today. Then you turn the page and start all over with the next wreck. Then, when you've done all that 20 times over. You get all the info on those smaller ships like tugboats. Then you get a list of all the ships involved with those that were sunk, and names of famous shipwrecks that never even existed. Truly!



The definitive work, 13 Sep 2007
I have dived Egypt's wrecks every year for the passed 12 years sometimes twice a year. I take photos and I read up all I can find to learn all there is to learn. Some of what I have read has been rubbish because the facts in the maritime museum are different from what is written in some magazines and books. Ned Middleton doesn't make mistakes like that because he checks his facts before writing anything at all. I didn't want to spend as much as £35 on a book when I thought I knew all there was to know about these wrecks but I was wrong because I hadn't even heard of the first wreck and I thought the Zingara was the Kormorant. I learnt something about every wreck I thought I knew and then some. The bit at the back with all those ships names is great reading. Gave me an idea for taking are club out looking for something new. I still didn't pay for it though, I got it as a birthday present. Best book I ever got.

Diver magazine described this book as the definitive work on the subject. I didn't know what that meant so I looked it up. It means authoritative, ultimate, perfect, best, classic, state of the art. This book is all those things and the artwork is something Bob Ballard would have been proud of.


Beautiful, yet informative book, 19 Dec 2007
I bought this book for a colleague of mine who was returning to the Far East after a period in Britain. Not only is the photograhy stunning the book is informative detailing the history of Britain from the creation of the land masses through to 2007. It oulines the growth of the "British" people through their dwellings and the change from agricultural feudal system through to squires and then into industrialisation and the modern age all with appropriate photos. What's most pleasing is whilst the usual standards are on show the book wasn't cliched in its selection of photographs and I was constantly refering to the maps at the back to find out where the selected points of interest were located. It's also not the usual huge A3 coffee book size so you can sit and flick through the 400+ pages without breaking your wrist.

Brings it home to you, 24 Jul 2001
This book is the definitive guide, on what the people who climb the world's highest mountain, think, and are like as people. It recounts a sad tale, in enough detail to be interesting, and horrifying, but not enough to be sick. If anyone is thinking about wanting to climb Everest, then I would recommend this as sound reading material, for you to make up your mind.

Coffee table it is, 11 Aug 1999
While the other accounts of Everest 1996 focus in on Fischer'sand Hall's teams, this one focus in the the IMAX team. From the looks of it, they were the only moderates on the mountain that season. They positioned themselves for rescue efforts with the Alpine Ascents team. While everyone else was being selfish with supplies and radio's and rescue teams, Brashiers and Viesters were there to give vital oxygen, help climbers from camp 3 and coordinate the helecopter rescue of Weathers and Gao.

While the narration may not be the most riviting part of the book, the full page color pictures are. This was a film making trip for the IMAX crew so the pictures they brought back for this book were increadible. They also published Scott Fischer's pictures of summit day. I noticed one picture where Krackauer is sitting in the snow as many climbers are going up the Hillary step. It really brought to life the sceene from "Into thin Air" where he was wanting everyone to hurry up so he could get to his oxygen on the south summit.

The short stories in the middle of the book make this the ultimate coffee table book. They read like magazine articles. The other books on Everest 1996 can be checked out of a library. This is the one you want to have in your home.

Outstanding, 04 Aug 1999
This book is an educational learning tool along with an amazing story. Any person interested in Mt. Everest and the tragic story must add this to their book collection. Outstanding photos included.

AWESOME!!!, 16 Jul 1999
This book is INCREDIBLE!!! First off, the pictures are so clear, and so beautiful, it gives you an idea of how AWESOME Everest really is! This is the perfect, "put in your collection to show off book." I read the book "Into Thin Air" (another awesome book) and this book should be the "pictures" of that book. GET IT!!

A top book-with an objective summary of the events of 1996, 16 Jun 1999
I was loaned a copy of this book while staying at a lodge in Dingbouche, Nepal whilst on an Everest Base Camp trek. Having read 'Into Thin Air' and 'The Climb', both written from a personal perspective, it was enlightening to study the events of 1996 from an objective viewpoint. However that is only a portion of the book. The photography is breathtaking and the coverage of the culture/attractions of the country of Nepal is excellant. For anyone remotely interested in trekking/adventure/mountaineering this book is a 'must have'.

*** awesome ***, 14 Nov 2003
This is basically just a picture book, but what amazing pictures. . Rather than explain the beauty of the place (which is pretty much undescribable),all I can say is that it would worth getting to serve as a reminder of a past trip, or for ideas for future trips, or even just to day dream the hours a way.

Nice pix & nice price. Add it to your cart!

Covers more species in total than "Red Sea Reef Guide", 09 Sep 2008
From the books about coral reef life in the Red sea I have seen and used this one, Coral Reef Guide Red Sea by Lieske & Meyers (2004), has the best coverage of species and groups I have wanted to identify. The closest alternative, or complement, I know about now is "Red sea reef guide" by Helmus Debelius (2 ed 2000 - 5 ed 2007). The latter has almost 900 scientific names in the index, compared with around 1800 for this one (but some of these are genera, families, classes and other group names). The weights and sizes of these books are almost the same (384 pages vs 321 in Debelius). Almost all species in Debelius book seem to be included in this book. Apart from Debelius book the closest competitor to me seem to be "Reef fishes and corals of the red sea" by Harrison and Misiewicz (2000), which has some good text and pictures but covers about 250 species only.

To provide some examples, Lieske and Meyers book has 30 pages about Cnidarians (corals and more) vs Debelius 5 pages. Fishes, reptiles and mammals are covered in 212 pages for around 600 species, vs Debelius 223 pages for slightly fewer species. If you are interested also in sponges, algae and seagrasses the choice is simple - 16 pages in Lieske and Meyers and none in Debelius. For Molluscs the figures are 40 vs 48. Counting pages can be misleading of course: for cone shells (a mollusc group) I prefer this book over Debelius, not only because it shows 13 species vs 3 in Debelius, but also for more informative descriptions. There are other species or groups where Debelius provides more details.

So, if you are interested in everything visible at the coral reefs of the Red sea, you surely want both this book and others. But if I had to choose one, it would be this one. For the next