- Table View
- List View
The Lost (Witch & Wizard #5)
by James Patterson Emily RaymondWhit and Wisty explore the nature of power in James Patterson's final, explosive conclusion to the bestselling Witch & Wizard saga. Whit and Wisty Allgood have fought and defeated their world's most pernicious threats: the evil dictator, The One Who Is The One, as well as his wicked father and son. But just as the heroic witch and wizard start to settle into their new roles in governance, a deadly crime wave grips their city, with all signs pointing to a magical mastermind every bit as powerful and heartless as The One. Now the siblings find themselves persecuted as the city turns against all those who possess magic. They're questioning everything, including each other and their abilities. Can they confront the citizens' growing hostility and their own doubts in time to face the new enemy barreling toward their gates?
The Lost Book of the White (The Eldest Curses #2)
by Cassandra Clare Wesley ChuFrom #1 New York Times bestselling authors Cassandra Clare and Wesley Chu comes the second book in the Eldest Curses series and a thrilling adventure for High Warlock Magnus Bane and Alec Lightwood, for whom a death-defying mission into the heart of evil is not just a job, it&’s also a romantic getaway. The Lost Book of the White is a Shadowhunters novel.Life is good for Magnus Bane and Alec Lightwood. They&’re living together in a fabulous loft, their warlock son, Max, has started learning to walk, and the streets of New York are peaceful and quiet—as peaceful and quiet as they ever are, anyway. Until the night that two old acquaintances break into Magnus&’s apartment and steal the powerful Book of the White. Now Magnus and Alec will have to drop everything to get it back. They need to follow the thieves to Shanghai, they need to call some backup to accompany them, and they need a babysitter. Also, someone has stabbed Magnus with a strange magical weapon that is changing the very nature of his powers. Fortunately, their backup consists of Clary, Jace, Isabelle, and newly minted Shadowhunter Simon. In Shanghai, they learn that a much darker threat awaits them. Magnus&’s magic is growing unstable, and if they can&’t stop the demons flooding into the city, they might have to follow them all the way back to the source—to the very realm of the dead.
The Lost Prince: Large Print (The Frances Hodgson Burnett Essential Collection)
by Frances Hodgson BurnettFrances Hodgson Burnett&’s classic story of a boy and his father&’s search for the lost prince of Samavia is back with a gorgeous new cover.Twelve-year-old Marco Loristan has spent his life moving from place to place with his father, Stefan, always hiding their heritage. Their home country of Samavia has been in turmoil ever since the king was overthrown five hundred years ago, and now its people are forced to fight in the armies of warring factions. But legend has it that the heir of the true king escaped, and his descendant is waiting until the time is right to reclaim the throne and restore peace to the country. While living in London, Marco learns of a secret his father has been hiding: Stefan knows the identity of the lost prince and that he&’ll reveal himself soon. But they have to spread the word to the prince&’s supporters. And to do that, they&’ll need a messenger who can escape the notice of the current ruler&’s spies—someone like a young boy. With the help of an orphan he befriends in London, Marco is tasked with traveling across Europe to share the news, preparing the way for the lost prince to return.
The Lost Sisters (The Folk of the Air)
by Holly BlackSometimes the difference between a love story and a horror story is where the ending comes... While Jude fought for power in the Court of Elfhame against the cruel Prince Cardan, her sister Taryn began to fall in love with the trickster, Locke. Half-apology and half-explanation, it turns out that Taryn has some secrets of her own to reveal.The Lost Sisters is a companion e-novella to the New York Times bestselling novel The Cruel Prince, by master writer Holly Black.
The Lost Souls of Benzaiten
by Kelly MurashigeThis heartfelt and quirky young adult fantasy debut follows a young outcast on a journey of transformation . . . into a robot vacuum cleaner.A fresh twist on Japanese mythology that doubles as a deep, honest dive into mental health.&“I wish to become one of those round vacuum cleaner robots.&” That&’s what Machi prays for at the altar of Japanese goddess Benzaiten. Ever since her two best friends decided they want nothing to do with her, Machi hasn&’t been able to speak. After months of online school and a carousel of therapists, she can no longer see the point of being human. She doesn&’t expect Benzaiten to hear her prayer, much less offer a different prayer on Machi&’s behalf—that Machi discover the beauty of humanity, ultimately restoring her to her previous self.Benzaiten is enamored with the human world and, as she&’s the goddess of love, humanity is enamored right back. Being second-best once again isn&’t helping Machi move past her trauma, and with each adventure they share, Machi is reminded of everything she&’s lost. It isn&’t until Machi starts interacting with the souls of the dead—which tends to happen around Benzaiten—that she starts to rediscover her place among the living.From an author to watch, The Lost Souls of Benzaiten is a highly original debut about the nature of happiness and the potential for healing.
The Losting Fountain
by Lora SenfEmber, Miles, and Sam have been called home—only home is a place none of them have ever been before. The choices they make will not only determine their own futures but will also have vast and permanent consequences—they will either restore a cosmic balance or destroy the dams that separate two worlds, ending them both. Ember was called because she belonged, Miles because his mother belonged, and Sam . . . well, Sam arranged his own invitation. The Fountain itself is beautiful and alluring—yet so is the light of an anglerfish. Hidden below the surface, the world of the Fountain is vast: unexplored and unmapped and full of wild things—leviathan and tiny, scuttling things and all manner of creature in between. There are other entities as well, entities that haunt and hunt in the Fountain, because it rewards nearly as often as it punishes, and it has been punishing the greedy and merciless and cruel for a very long time. For those, the Fountain becomes a prison. The borders between our world and the world of the Fountain are already porous. If the balance between them is upset and control of the Fountain is lost, the consequences will be rapid, merciless, and world-ending. In every timeline that has been or will be, everywhere that water stands in our world will become a passageway for the violent damned to enter ours from the Fountain. For Ember, Miles, and Sam, all from different times, what starts as a journey to take control of their lives quickly becomes a quest to save—or destroy—both worlds, depending on whom you ask.Rising star and Bram Stoker Award-winning author, Lora Senf has created a gorgeously written, pitch-black fantasy that will transport readers to a world that is as beautiful as it is horrifying and will keep readers on their toes as they devour it page by page.
The Loudest Silence
by Sydney LangfordTwo disabled queer teens find belonging in this poignant platonic love story about singing, signing, and solidarity.Casey Kowalski once dreamed of becoming a professional singer. Then the universe threw her a life-altering curveball—sudden, permanent, and profound hearing loss—just before her family&’s move from Portland to Miami. Now, she&’s learning to navigate the world as a Deaf-Hard of Hearing person while trying to conceal her hearing loss from her new schoolmates. Hayden González-Rossi is also keeping secrets. Three generations of González men have risen to stardom on the soccer field, and Hayden knows his family expects him to follow in their footsteps, but he wants to quit soccer and pursue a career on Broadway. If only his Generalized Anxiety Disorder didn&’t send him into a debilitating spiral over the thought of telling the truth.Casey and Hayden are both determined to hide who they really are. But when they cross paths at school, they bond over their shared love of music and their mutual feeling that they don&’t belong, and the secrets come spilling out. Their friendship is the beating heart of this dual-perspective story featuring thoughtful disability representation, nuanced queer identities, and a lovably quirky supporting cast.
The Love Match
by Priyanka Taslim&“Jane Austen meets Bengali cinema&” (Publishers Weekly) in this delightful and heartfelt rom-com about a Bangladeshi American teen whose meddling mother arranges a match to secure their family&’s financial security—just as she&’s falling in love with someone else.Zahra Khan is basically Bangladeshi royalty, but being a princess doesn&’t pay the bills in Paterson, New Jersey. While Zahra&’s plans for financial security this summer involve working long hours at Chai Ho and saving up for college writing courses, Amma is convinced that all Zahra needs is a &“good match,&” Jane Austen style. Enter Harun Emon, who&’s wealthy, devastatingly handsome, and…aloof. As soon as Zahra meets him, she knows it&’s a bad match. It&’s nothing like the connection she has with Nayim Aktar, the new dishwasher at the tea shop, who just gets Zahra in a way no one has before. So, when Zahra finds out that Harun is just as uninterested in this match as she is, they decide to slowly sabotage their parents&’ plans. And for once in Zahra&’s life, she can have her rossomalai and eat it too: &“dating&” Harun and keeping Amma happy while catching real feelings for Nayim. But life—and boys—can be more complicated than Zahra realizes. With her feelings all mixed up, Zahra discovers that sometimes being a good Bengali kid can be a royal pain.
The Love Report Volume 2 (The Love Report)
by BeKaIn this second book in the addictive graphic novel series for tweens, Grace and Lola uncover more truths about romance and friendship at home, at school, and on an island holiday.BFFs Grace and Lola are back in volume two of The Love Report. Grace tries to adjust to her parents' split, but dividing her time between two homes is no fun; Lola and Grace help Adele find a place to stay–an old factory–to escape her evil stepmother; and Lola wants to help Felicity after one of the boys begins harassing her, but it&’s not easy. Summer comes just in time, and the change of season brings the girls and Adele to the island of Sardinia, where they continue to discover the ins and outs of love and romance far from home and school.
The Love and Lies of Rukhsana Ali
by Sabina KhanWith a welcome mix of humor, heart, and high-stakes drama, Sabina Khan provides a timely and honest portrait of what it's like to grow up feeling unwelcome in your own culture.Praise for The Love and Lies of Rukhsana AliFeatured on NBC News and the BBCA Junior Library Guild SelectionA Teen Indie Next List Pick (IndieBound)An Amazon Best Book of the Month for FebruaryOprah Magazine's Best YA Books You'll Love in 2019Seventeen.com's Best YA Books of 2019B&N Teen Blog's Most Anticipated LGBTQAP Books of 2019Hypable's Most Anticipated LGBTQ YA Books of 2019Parade's Buzzworthy YA Books to Read in 2019BookRiot's Most Anticipated 2019 LGBTQ YA of 2019Paste Magazine's Best YA Books of January 2019Short-listed, Sheila A. Egoff Children's Literature Prize (BC), 2020Short-listed, OLA White Pine Award, Fiction, 2019Commended, Best Books for Kids and Teens, Canadian Children's Book Centre, 2019Commended, OLA Best Bets: Honourable Mention, 2019"An intersectional, diverse coming of age story that will break your heart in the best way." -- Bustle.com* "With an up-close depiction of the intersection of the LGBTQIA+ community with Bengali culture, this hard-hitting and hopeful story is a must-purchase for any YA collection." -- School Library Journal, starred review"This book will break your heart and then, chapter by chapter, piece it back together again. A much-needed addition to any YA shelf." -- Sandhya Menon, New York Times bestselling author of When Dimple Met Rishi and From Twinkle, With Love"Heart-wrenching yet hopeful, The Love and Lies of Rukhsana Ali is an insightful and honest look at the tangled web of identity, culture, familial loyalty, and love. Sabina Khan crafts a powerful, poignant story about finding yourself, about speaking your truth, and about stepping out of the shadows and into the light." -- Samira Ahmed, New York Times bestselling author of Love, Hate and Other Filters"A daring and timely novel, The Love and Lies of Rukhsana Ali delves head-and-heart-first into the universal complexities of navigating duty and desire, tradition and modernity, and friends and family -- the one we are born into and the one we choose; the friends who are family, and the family we strive to befriend -- all through the prism of multicultured identity. Political, personal, page-turning. Sabina Khan is one to watch." -- Tanuja Desai Hidier, author of Born Confused and Bombay Blues"Bold, heartbreaking, yet hopeful. A story that will stay with you for years to come." -- Sara Farizan, Lambda Award-winning author of If You Could Be Mine"The Love and Lies of Rukhsana Ali unapologetically explores the complex ties between families, friends, and intersectional diversity. Khan brings talent and voice in this brilliant novel that will keep you reading until the very last page." -- Nisha Sharma, author of My So-Called Bollywood Life"[The Love and Lies of Rukhsana Ali] takes LGBTQ fiction to another level and will help open readers' eyes to the realities that many face in these changing times." -- Shelf Awareness
The Lucky List
by Rachael LippincottRachael Lippincott, coauthor of #1 New York Times bestseller Five Feet Apart, weaves a &“breezy…truly charming&” (Kirkus Reviews) love story about learning who you are, and who you love, when the person you&’ve always shared yourself with is gone.Emily and her mom were always lucky. But Emily&’s mom&’s luck ran out three years ago when she succumbed to cancer, and nothing has felt right for Emily since. Now, the summer before her senior year, things are getting worse. Not only has Emily wrecked things with her boyfriend Matt, who her mom adored, but her dad is selling the house she grew up in and giving her mom&’s belongings away. Soon, she&’ll have no connections left to Mom but her lucky quarter. And with her best friend away for the summer and her other friends taking her ex&’s side, the only person she has to talk to about it is Blake, the swoony new girl she barely knows. But that&’s when Emily finds the list—her mom&’s senior year summer bucket list—buried in a box in the back of her closet. When Blake suggests that Emily take it on as a challenge, the pair set off on a journey to tick each box and help Emily face her fears before everything changes. As they go further down the list, Emily finally begins to feel close to her mom again, but her bond with Blake starts to deepen, too, into something she wasn&’t expecting. Suddenly Emily must face another fear: accepting the secret part of herself she never got a chance to share with the person who knew her best.
The Machine in America: A Social History of Technology
by Carroll Pursell2008 Outstanding Academic Title, Choice MagazineFrom the medieval farm implements used by the first colonists to the invisible links of the Internet, the history of technology in America is a history of society as well. Arguing that "the tools and processes we use are a part of our lives, not simply instruments of our purpose," historian Carroll Pursell analyzes technology's impact on the lives of women and men, on their work, politics, and social relationships—and how, in turn, people influence technological development.Pursell shows how both the idea of progress and the mechanical means to harness the forces of nature developed and changed as they were brought from the Old World to the New. He describes the ways in which American industrial and agricultural technology began to take on a distinctive shape as it adapted and extended the technical base of the industrial revolution. He discusses the innovation of an American system of manufactures and the mechanization of agriculture; new systems of mining, lumbering, and farming, which helped conquer and define the West; and the technologies that shaped the rise of cities. In the second edition of The Machine in America, Pursell brings this classic history up to date with a revised chapter on war technology and new discussions on information technology, globalization, and the environment.
The Mad Ones: Crazy Joe and the Revolution at the Edge of the Underworld
by Tom FolsomA powerful collision of true crime and pop culture, The Mad Ones captures the revolutionary spirit of the sixties and brings to life one of the most vibrant antiheroes in American history.
The Mad and Magical World of Sukumar Ray
by Sukumar RayWelcome to the extraordinary world of Sukumar Ray – King of Humour and Wizard of Wordplay!A gifted poet, writer, playwright and illustrator, Ray wrote stories of various shapes, colours and flavours, transforming words into things of wonder and whimsy for generations of readers. Featuring broken stars and enchanted forests, cures for anger and greed, lazy pigs and sly parrots, wicked sorcerers and talking dolls, many of the tales in this unusual medley have been translated into English for the first time. The collection highlights not only Ray’s crazy imagination but also his ability to breathe life into fables from faraway lands. Brimming with wit and magic, this dazzling display of Sukumar Ray’s storytelling genius is sure to leave you utterly spellbound.
The Magician's Nephew (Chronicles of Narnia #1)
by C. S. LewisDon’t miss one of America’s top 100 most-loved novels, selected by PBS’s The Great American Read. Narnia . . . a land frozen in eternal winter . . . a country waiting to be set freeWitness the creation of a magical land in The Magician's Nephew, the first title in C. S. Lewis's classic fantasy series, which has captivated readers of all ages for over sixty years On a daring quest to save a life, two friends are hurled into another world, where an evil sorceress seeks to enslave them. But then the lion Aslan's song weaves itself into the fabric of a new land, a land that will be known as Narnia. And in Narnia, all things are possible.This ebook contains the complete text and art. Illustrations in this ebook appear in vibrant full color on a full-color ebook device and in rich black-and-white on all other devices.This is a stand-alone novel, but if you want to journey back to Narnia, read The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, the second book in The Chronicles of Narnia.
The Magnetic Universe: The Elusive Traces of an Invisible Force
by J. B. ZirkerA main selection of Scientific American Book ClubMagnetic fields permeate our vast universe, urging electrically charged particles on their courses, powering solar and stellar flares, and focusing the intense activity of pulsars and neutron stars.Magnetic fields are found in every corner of the cosmos. For decades, astrophysicists have identified them by their effects on visible light, radio waves, and x-rays. J. B. Zirker summarizes our deep knowledge of magnetism, pointing to what is yet unknown about its astrophysical applications. In clear, nonmathematical prose, Zirker follows the trail of magnetic exploration from the auroral belts of Earth to the farthest reaches of space. He guides readers on a fascinating journey of discovery to understand how magnetic forces are created and how they shape the universe. He provides the historical background needed to appreciate exciting new research by introducing readers to the great scientists who have studied magnetic fields. Students and amateur astronomers alike will appreciate the readable prose and comprehensive coverage of The Magnetic Universe.
The Making of the Women's World Cup: Defining stories from a sports coming of age
by Kieran Theivam Jeff KassoufWith a foreword by England legend Kelly Smith, the country's all-time record goalscorer and a player widely considered one of the best to have played the game.The exciting story of one of the fastest growing sports in the world, played by over 30 million girls and women. Over 25 million people tuned in for the Americans' 2015 Women's World Cup final victory - the most-watched football match in United States history. The Making of the Women's World Cup details the most incredible tales from previous Women's World Cups, including: Carli Lloyd's 13-minute hat trick and the worldwide movement set off by 2015How Japan made their country smile for the first time since the devastating tsunamiThe USA's World Cup triumph on home soil in 1999Germany's back-to-back titles in 2003 and 2007 Marta's magic: The birth of a Brazilian iconHow Kelly Smith announced her arrival with the kiss of a bootThe beginnings of Australia's golden generation The 122nd-minute USA equalizer against Brazil: the quarterfinal that changed everythingThe dawn of the Lionesses: England joins world elite through tears of joy and despair
The Mambi-Land, or Adventures of a Herald Correspondent in Cuba: A Critical Edition (New World Studies)
by James J. O'KellyIn late 1872, the New York Herald named James J. O’Kelly its special correspondent to Cuba, to cover what would later be known as the Ten Years’ War. O’Kelly was tasked with crossing Spanish lines, locating the insurgent camps, and interviewing the president of the Cuban republic, Carlos Manuel de Céspedes. O’Kelly became a political lightning rod when, after fulfilling his mission, he was arrested, court-martialed, and threatened with execution in Spanish Cuba. For the book that followed, The Mambi-Land, or Adventures of a Herald Correspondent in Cuba, O’Kelly assembled edited versions of the eighteen dispatches he sent to the Herald, some written in the remotest imaginable places in the Cuban interior.The Mambi-Land constitutes the first book-length account of Cuba’s Ten Years’ War for independence from Spain (1868–1878) and provides a window on an understudied moment in U.S.-Cuba relations. More than recovering an important lost work, this critical edition draws attention to Cuba’s crucial place in American national consciousness in the post–Civil War period and represents a timely and significant contribution to our understanding of the complicated history of Cuba-U.S. relations.
The Mammoth Book Of Everest: From the first attempts to today, 40 first-hand accounts
by Jon E. LewisThis selection of the very best writing on Everest begins with the first attempts and continues, via Mallory's failed bid and Hillary and Tenzing's triumph, to the disasters of recent years. It features 35 white-knuckle accounts of climbing on the world's highest mountain, with all the tragedy and triumph of humankind's striving for the top of the world, by those who know the 'Death Zone' best - the climbers themselves. But this is much more than just the best of exhilarating first-hand accounts of climbing on Everest. It includes the full history of the conquest of Everest, and provides an evocative portrait of the cruel, natural beauty of Chomolungma, 'The Mother Goddess of the World'.
The Mammoth Book of Great British Humour (The Mammoth Bks.)
by Michael PowellA doorstopper of a collection of the very best of both contemporary and classic British wit and humour. From Monty Python's 'Nudge, nudge, wink, wink, say no more . . .' to Dan Antopolski's 'Hedgehogs. Why can't they just share the hedge?'. From George Bernard Shaw to Michael McIntyre, from Eric Morecombe to Omid Djalili, and from Oscar Wilde to Jimmy Carr, a side-splitting look at Britain, the British and life in general. Including these gems from Britain's finest comedians:I was delighted to learn that my friend's schadenfreude was not as satisfying as mine. Armando Iannucci.I went on a girls' night out recently. The invitation said 'dress to kill'. I went as Rose West. Zoe LyonsFor a while I was the perfect mother. Then the Pethidine wore off. Jenny Eclair.My girlfriend was complaining last night that I never listen to her. Or something like that. Jack Dee.Why do dogs always race to the door when the doorbell rings because it's hardly ever for them? Harry Hill.Arse-gravy of the very worst kind. Stephen Fry on The Da Vinci Code.You have to come up with this shit every year. Last week I just wrote "I still love you, see last year's card for full details." Michael McIntyre on Valentines Day.I went to the doctor and he said, 'You've got hypochondria.' I said, 'Not that as well!'Tim Vine.I have the body of an eighteen year old. I keep it in the fridge. Spike Milligan.When someone close to you dies, move seats. Peter Kay.My neighbour asked if he could use my lawnmower and I told him of course he could, so long as he didn't take it out of my garden. Eric Morecambe.My dad's dying wish was to have his family around him. I can't help thinking he would have been better off with more oxygen. Jimmy Carr.Eighty-two point six per cent of statistics are made up on the spot. Vic Reeves.A bird in the hand invariably shits on your wrist. Billy Connolly.Getting divorced isn't like a bereavement at all, because if he's died, I'd have had me mortgage paid, and I could've danced on his grave. Sarah Millican.My greatest hero is Nelson Mandela: incarcerated for 25 years, he was released in 1990, he's been out about 18 years now and he hasn't re-offended. Ricky Gervais.If you want to confuse a girl, buy her a pair of chocolate shoes. Milton Jones.Phil Collins is losing his hearing, making him the luckiest man at a Phil Collins Concert. Simon Amstell.We'll continue our investigation into the political beliefs of nudists. We've already noticed a definite swing to the left. Ronnie Barker.A guy walks into the psychiatrist wearing only Clingfilm for shorts. The psychiatrist says, "Well, I can clearly see your nuts. Tommy Cooper
The Mammoth Book of Prison Breaks
by Paul SimpsonTrue stories of prison breaks including those of Frank Abagnale, whose story is told in Catch Me If You Can; Henri Charrière who claimed to have escaped from the supposedly inescapable Devil's Island - the true story as opposed to his questionable memoir, Papillon; Bud Day, said to be the only US serviceman ever to have escaped to South Vietnam; the six prisoners who escaped from Death Row in Mecklenburg Correctional Center; and Pascal Payeret, the French armed robber who escaped not once, but twice from French prisons with the help of a helicopter.
The Mammoth Book of Really Silly Jokes: Humour for the whole family (The Mammoth Bks.)
by Geoff TibballsThe biggest and best collection of jokes for all the family to enjoy. 8,000 rib-ticklers, covering every subject under the sun from Aardvarks to Zombies, including chicken jokes, doctor-doctor jokes, elephant jokes, horror jokes, knock-knock jokes, excruciating puns, riddles, school jokes, sports jokes and waiter jokes. Most of the jokes are sharp one-liners but there is also a scattering of slightly longer stories.
The Mammoth Book of Sex, Drugs & Rock 'n' Roll
by Jim DriverOver 60 gripping accounts tracking the dark side of rock 'n' roll from the early days of the drugs-and-drink culture, and the birth of rock 'n' roll, through The Beatles, Stones, Sex Pistols, Madonna, Kurt Cobain and Oasis, to Amy Winehouse, Pete Doherty and other stars of the current rock-music scene.From trashed hotel rooms to cars in swimming pools, all rock 'n' roll's excesses are here, including murder and sexual deviancy, surprising brushes with the law that the stars thought they'd kept quiet, early and tragic deaths, drug overdoses, robbery, mis-marriages and groupies by the truckload
The Mammoth Book of Travel in Dangerous Places: Antarctic
by John KeayFarthest South - Ernest Henry ShackletonBorn in Ireland, Shackleton joined the merchant navy before being recruited for Captain Scott's 1901 expedition to Antarctica. He was with Scott on his first attempt to reach the South Pole and, though badly shaken by the experience, realized that success was now feasible. In 1907, with a devoted team but little official support, he launched his own expedition. A scientific programme gave it respectability but Shackleton was essentially an adventurer, beguiled alike by the challenge of the unknown and the reward of celebrity. His goal was the Pole, 90 degrees south, and by Christmas 1908 his four-man team were already at 85 degrees.The Pole at Last - Roald AmundsenAmundsen's 1903-6 voyage through North West Passage had heralded a new era in exploration. The route by then was tolerably well known and its environs explored. His vessel was a diminutive fishing smack, his crew a group of Norwegian friends, and his object simply to be the first to have sailed through. He did it because it had not been done and "because it was there". The same applied to his 1911 conquest of the South Pole. Shackleton had shown the way and Amundsen drew the right conclusions. The Pole was not a scientist's playground nor a mystic's dreamland; it was simply a physical challenge. Instead of officers, gentlemen and scientists, he took men who could ski and dogs that could pull; if need be, the former could eat the latter. The only real anxiety was whether they would forestall Scott.In Extremis - Robert Falcon ScottScott was chosen to lead the 1900-4 British National Antarctic Expedition. Its considerable achievements seemed to vindicate the choice of a naval officer more noted for integrity and courage than any polar experience, and, following Shackleton's near success, in 1910 Scott again sailed south intending to combine a busy scientific programme with a successful bid for the South Pole. On 17 January 1912 he and four others duly reached the Pole, indeed they sighted a real pole and it bore a Norwegian flag; Amundsen had got there 34 days ahead of them. Bitterly disappointed, soon overtaken by scurvy and bad weather, and still dragging sledges laden with geological specimens, they trudged back. The tragedy which then unfolded eclipsed even Amundsen's achievement and won them an immortality beyond the dreams of any explorer.
The Mammoth Book of Travel in Dangerous Places: Arabia
by John KeayEscape from Riyadh - William Gifford PalgraveA scholar and a solider, a Jesuit and a Jew, a French spy and a British ambassador- Palgrave was a man of contradictions, all of them highly compromised when in 1862-3, fortified by Pius IX's blessing and Napoleon III's cash, he attempted the first west- east crossing of the Arabian peninsular. To steely nerves and a genius for disguise he owed his eventual success; but not before both were sorely tested when, as a Syrian doctor, he became the first European to enter Riyadh. The desert capital of the fanatical Wahabis, dangerous for an infidel at the best of times, was then doubly so as the sons of the ageing King Feisal intrigued for power.Desert Days - Charles Montagu DoughtyDuring two years (1875-7) wandering in Central Arabia Doughty broke little new ground; dependant on desert charity, his achievement was simply to have survived. Yet his book, Arabia Deserta, was instantly recognized as a classic. Its eccentric prose proves well suited to that minute observation and experience of Bedouin life which was Doughty's main contribution to exploration. T.E. Lawrence called it "a bible of a kind"; both syntax and subject matter have biblical resonances, as in this description of a day's march, or rahla.