Endurance: 100 Tales of Survival, Adventure and Exploration

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Description

100 of the most astonishing stories of human survival, adventure and exploration, chosen by Levison Wood. We are always captivated by tales of courage and bravery, of world-firsts and death-defying experiences. In this anthology, explorer and bestselling author Levison Wood has gathered 100 of the most fascinating accounts of human endurance throughout history. From the heroism of Antarctic explorers to pioneering women in the Middle East, from record-breaking athletes to survivors of war and torture, this wide-ranging collection embraces both classics of the genre, as well as new and neglected voices. The extracts are organised around a range of themes; you will find those who sought out new frontiers, or who purposely tested their physical limits in full knowledge of the dangers or risks they might face, but also those who endured persecution and suffering, or were thrust into life or death situations yet defied the odds to survive. Endurance is packed full of you-couldn't-make-it-up true stories and adventure fiction classics, from the high seas to the poles, from inhospitable jungles and deserts to the unknown realms of space, through physical and mental despair to euphoric highs. Yet all of these extraordinary stories celebrate the enduring nature of the human spirit, and show the mental and physical determination it sometimes takes to achieve one's aims. This varied and compelling collection will take you on an adventure around the world, but also on an emotional journey exploring what it means to be human. Includes extracts about and by Ernest Shackleton, Robert Falcon Scott, Sir Edmund Hillary, Tenzing Norgay, Amelia Earhart, Marie Colvin, Jon Krakauer, Solomon Northup, Ella Maillart, Freya Stark, Ed Stafford, Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn, Aron Lee Ralston, Mara Elena Moyano, Gertrude Bell, Isabelle Eberhardt, Nellie Bly, Alex Honnold, Nelson Mandela, David Nott, Jules Verne, Neil Armstrong and Scott Kelly.

Reviews

Rediscover old familiar classics, but then be blown away by a new adventure you've never heard of before (and wish you'd known about sooner) * Adventure 52 *
PRAISE FOR LEVISON WOOD: 'Levison Wood has breathed new life into adventure travel' Michael Palin. 'Levison Wood is a great adventurer and a wonderful storyteller' Ranulph Fiennes. 'Britain's best-loved adventurer... He looks like a man who will stare danger in the face and soak up a lot of pain without complaint' * The Times *

Author Bio

Levison Wood served as an officer in the Parachute Regiment in Afghanistan before becoming an explorer, author and documentary maker. He is famous for undertaking the first expedition to walk the entire length of the Nile River on foot, as well as walking the length of the Himalayas and circumnavigating the Arabian peninsula from Iraq to Lebanon. He has written nine best-selling books and produced several critically acclaimed documentaries. He is an elected Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society and The Explorers Club.