Some of the books selected by our book group members are enduring classics...
A Short Walk in The Hindu Kush
Eric Newby
When
explorer and adventurer Eric Newby finally realised that Haute Couture was not
the career for him, he sent a cable to his friend Hugh Carless, saying ‘Can you
travel Nuristan June?’
So began a classic journey from Mayfair to the wild
mountains of the Hindu-Kush in Afghanistan. Written with great humour and
self-deprecation, Newby describes their adventures through this stunningly
beautiful, but inhospitable and dangerous country. This book was first published in 1958.
Cath
Sailing Alone Around the World
Joshua Slocum
Colvyn gave this one a 3 .5 - 4 star rating. He particularly enjoyed the understated writing, and the Shackleton style approach to adventure. Joshua Slocum was in his 50s when he set out in 1895 to sail around the World alone.
He spent 3 years at sea circling the Earth in 'Spray' his 36ft sailing boat. He was undaunted by storm and Pirate attacks, and met many famous, and infamous, people along the way. This book has never been out of print since 1900.
Seven Years In Tibet
Heinrich Harrer
Pam was recommended this one, and gave it a 3 star rating. It was originally published in 1953, and has become an adventure classic about Austrian mountaineer Heinrich Harrer's 1943 escape from a British internment camp in India. He trekked across the Himalayas into the remote region of Tibet, where foreign visitors were rare. Even so, he became tutor to the Dalai Lama, which gave him a rare glimpse of Tibetan rites, culture and tradition. The Chinese invasion in 1950 prompted Harrer's departure. Pam enjoyed the insight into Tibetan life, but didn't find the description of the treks through the mountains especially gripping.
