Adventure Books

I've always thought about reading adventure books, but never have. "Into Thin Air" is the one that people seem to know and talk about the most.

Then Ellen read a youth book in her young adult literature class about Shackleton's South Pole adventure that was tremendous, "Shipwreck at the Bottom of the World." I loved it. So, when I started thinking about fun summer reading, I looked around for the best.

I found this sweet list by National Geographic: http://www.nationalgeographic.com/adventure/0404/adventure_books.html

The 100 best adventure books of all time. Into Thin Air is in the top 10, but was checked out from my public library. So I went with "Annapurna," the story of the first summit of a 26,000-foot peak, in 1950. It's pretty amazing. I also read "No Way Down," which is not on the list but is about a deadly day on K2, where 11 of 24 climbers died. It is excellent. So, I've found a new genre I love. I gave the K2 book to Nathan, who is also really enjoying it.

"Annapurna" deserves its place on the list of classics because the writing is really beautiful (translated from French). He is an adventurer with a gift for describing the scenery and the happenings around him. It also deserves a place because the book offers perhaps the best statements I've seen on what motivates folks like him. He lost all fingers and toes to frostbite and the journey down the mountain was agony. Yet he explains so well what drove him and he feels the cost was worth it. This isn't eloquent, but it boils down to: "It's just who I am and I have to be true to myself." From these books, I learn that great explorers have some serious egos and aren't the friendliest folks around or the easiest to get along with.