Full Description
'A fascinating and unique look at these celebrated expeditions. Ed Stafford knows all too well how important an explorer's kit can be and this brilliant book gives great insight into the role it plays.' -Sir Ranulph FiennesIn this unique and enthralling book, explorer and survivalist Ed Stafford curates 25 great expeditions through the lens of the kit these remarkable explorers took with them. In an environment where lack of preparation could mean certain death, the equipment carried, ridden and sailed into uncharted territories could mean the success or failure of an expedition. Was it simply a case of better provisions and preparation that helped Amundsen beat Scott to the South Pole? And how has the equipment taken to Everest changed since Hillary's first ascent?Through carefully curated photographs and specially commissioned illustrations we can see at a glance the scale, style and complexity of the items taken into the unknown by the greatest explorers of all time, and the impact each item had on their journey. How it potentially saved a life, or was purely for comfort or entertainment, and how these objects of survival have evolved and adapted as science advances, and we plunge further into the extremes.Conquering fears and mountains, adversity and wild jungles, each item these explorers flew, pulled or hauled played a crucial role in their ambitious and dangerous missions to find out a little more about our world. Through each of these objects, we can gain a better understanding ourselves.Get an intimate view of these and more amazing expeditions:Roald Amundsen, race to the Pole: Norwegian expedition (snowshoes, Primus stove, piano, violin, gramophone... )Amelia Earhart, first woman to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean (Bendix radio direction finder, parachutes, emergency life raft, rouge... )Tim Slessor, first overland from London to Singapore (machetes, crowbar, typewriter, Remington dry shaver, tea... )Nellie Bly, around the world in 72 days (Mumm champagne, accordion, silk waterproof wrap, dark gloves...This book is also available in a black and white paperback edition under the title EPIC EXPEDITIONS: 25 Great Explorations into the Unknown.
Contents
IntroductionNellie Bly 14Round the world in 72 daysCaptain Robert Falcon Scott 20Race to the Pole: Terra Nova expeditionRoald Amundsen 30Race to the Pole: Norwegian expeditionLieutenant Colonel Percy Fawcett 38Search for the lost city of 'Z'Eva Dickson 46First woman to cross the Sahara by carClarenore Stinnes 52First circumnavigation of the globe by production carAmelia Earhart 60First woman to fly solo across the Atlantic OceanThor Heyerdahl 68Kon-Tiki expeditionJacques Cousteau 78First underwater archaeology operationSir Edmund Hillary 84Everest first ascentTim Slessor 94London to Singapore by Land RoverSir Robin Knox-Johnston 104First solo-sailed circumnavigation of the globeRobyn Davidson 114Trek across the deserts of west Australia using camelsSir Ranulph Fiennes 126Transglobe expeditionReinhold Messner 136First ascent of Everest without supplemental oxygenJason Lewis 144First human-powered circumnavigation of the globeAlastair Humphreys 154Cycle around the worldRune Gjeldnes 162Longest solo ski journeyEd Stafford 170Walking the AmazonSarah Outen 180London2LondonBertrand Piccard and Andre Borschberg 190First round-the-world solar flightFedor Konyukhov 200Fastest round-the-world balloon flightOlly Hicks and George Bullard 208Greenland to Scotland by kayakApa Sherpa 218Twenty-one Everest ascentsLaura Bingham 224First team to locate the source of and navigate the Essequibo River, GuyanaIndex 234Picture credits 238
