A well-researched account of St Kilda first published in 1972 covering what is known of the history of the island and its inhabitants up to the evacuation in 1930. Good bibliography, including more up-to-date material.
Continue reading →The book describes the experiences of an exceptional English woman travelling alone in the Rocky Mountains in 1873. This was the time before Colorado became a State of the Union, and life was mostly hard and brutish. Isabella Bird happily … Continue reading →
Most of this book is a biography of George Mallory, followed by a short account of the expeditions after his death in 1924 which throw significant light on his and Irvine’s fate. Only the last few chapters relate the events … Continue reading →
Patrick French has written a fascinating, well-researched and readable account of the life of Sir Francis Younghusband, soldier, explorer, mountaineer, diplomat, spy, and mystic. If at the end I still find it impossible to define or understand the man, it … Continue reading →
I am not competent to review this book from a philosophical point of view. Instead, I have tried to give an overview of Popper’s themes which might perhaps encourage you to read the book for yourself! To understand Popper’s viewpoint … Continue reading →
Anyone writing more than a simple account of a visit to Antarctica is faced with the problem of which aspects to cover – the narrative, descriptive, historical, scientific, political, and (for many) spiritual aspects of their experience. Sara Wheeler was … Continue reading →
Deutsch bases his theme on the concept of multiple universes, which emerges from quantum theory as a solution to some of its inherent problems. From there he extends into virtual reality, time travel, and the possibilities (and constraints) of near-infinite … Continue reading →
Esther Dyson’s publicity says she has been dubbed "the First Lady of the Internet", so it’s probably my fault that I hadn’t heard of her until I saw a review of this book in the paper. Or perhaps it’s just … Continue reading →
“The Heart Aroused” is about the difficulty David Whyte believes most people experience in trying to reconcile their working lives with the creative parts of their nature. His image of the workplace is one of an impersonal organisation, hierarchical and … Continue reading →
Much more than a travel guide, this book gives comprehensive and authoritative information on the history of exploration of the Antarctic regions, their geography and climate, and the scientific programmes that are the main reason for human presence in the … Continue reading →