Best traveler & explorer biographies according to redditors
We found 579 Reddit comments discussing the best traveler & explorer biographies. We ranked the 215 resulting products by number of redditors who mentioned them. Here are the top 20.
We found 579 Reddit comments discussing the best traveler & explorer biographies. We ranked the 215 resulting products by number of redditors who mentioned them. Here are the top 20.
Some may remember me from a year ago when I was introduced to the reddit community via an epic AMA. To celebrate my cake day, I'm giving away the Kindle edition of my book "Chomp, Chomp, Chomp; How I Survived a Bear Attack and Other Cautionary Tales" free to any redditor who wants to read it. Just go here and download.
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B009PXTGHG
Good until midnight tonight PDT. Thanks all!
This is a great question. There are all sorts of extreme technical challenges associated with spelunking. In many ways, spelunking deep caves is much more difficult than high peak mountaineering.
For one, the amount of equipment needed far exceeds that of mountaineering. A deep expedition will use specialized camping gear, food, lights, SCUBA re-breathers, suspension gear and literally miles of rope.
The spelunkers must go slowly as mistakes/injuries put the everyone in the expedition in danger. Think about how difficult it would be to have to haul a non-ambulatory person out from the bottom of a cave.
It's dark and cold. Spelunkers do not use their lights unless absolutely necessary to save on power. This slows everything down.
It's also very wet. These caves are filled with flowing water howling winds. Spelunkers are constantly soaked. The nature of caves ensures that no permanent base camps can be set up. The water will destroy anything you leave down there, so every time they go in, they essentially must start all over.
And I haven't even touched on sumps yet. Caves are just basically massive water conduits. Every so often they form what they call sumps. They look like pools but really there are completely flooded sections of the cave, beneath the water's surface. That's why they need the re-breather equipment, because once you hit a sump, you have to swim through it. Navigating sumps is the most dangerous part of spelunking.
If you, or anyone else, truly are interested in this then I recommend checking out Blind Descent. It goes into great detail on just how truly difficult it is to explore these caves. It also details the rare breed of person that takes on the challenge of exploring the deep caves. One of the most fascinating books I have ever read.
This was originally a book. My uncle forced me to read the book before he let me watch the movie. Well worth it.
https://www.amazon.com/Death-Long-Grass-Hunters-Adventures/dp/0312186134
There is a really enjoyable book that details the exploration of this and Huatla cave.
I'm a big fan of books. Here's two books I quite enjoy that I don't think have been linked yet (lots of good books already linked by others, so check those out too!):
If you're totally new to backpacking in addition to ultralight backpacking, this book focuses on the absolute basics:
There's a fantastic book written by a man who spent 76 days at sea. He floated in a raft, purifying water and eating what little fish he could catch.
At night, he couldn't see or hear the sharks. But he knew they were there from the hard bumps they'd give the raft.
No motor. No communication to anyone. Just endless black sea and sky, while sharks kept him up at night.
If you're interested in this, I can't recommend Moitessier's book, La Longue Route, enough.
When I told my Mom about this guy Kropp, her only reaction was, "How did he get all that time off work?"
http://www.amazon.com/Ultimate-High-My-Everest-Odyssey/dp/156331830X
Well, it was from their view as a "professional hunter" in africa. See, they'd take these rich white guys to places to hunt these dangerous things. Then when the noob makes a bad shot and wounds the animal, it's the Pro hunter's responsibility to track down that wounded animal and finish it. Leopards were known for NOT charging when wounded. They hid and ambushed them. 80 lbs of unnaturally strong leopard jumping on you from 4 feet. Patient, angry, hiding. Stood my hairs up. You should give em a read!
Here I'll link a couple
http://www.amazon.com/Death-Long-Grass-Hunters-Adventures/dp/0312186134
http://www.amazon.com/Complete-Short-Stories-Ernest-Hemingway/dp/0684843323/ref=sr_1_4?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1377466847&sr=1-4
Everything by Hemingway is awesome. Capstick was a helluva writer, but there's some saying he wasn't a really good hunter.
Just started this: The Man Who Quit Money, looks good and deals with this...
While this book is outstanding, I have to point out that it says nothing at all about Shackleton's journey. It's about the almost equally difficult task the other half of that mission had laying supply depots on the other side of the continent. For, it turned out, an expedition which would never arrive.
One of many absolutely shocking details: the ship which they took, the Aurora, had a wireless set which they used to radio for help after a terrible winter of hardship. The expedition didn't fund the set, though. A group of ladies in Australia (where the Aurora was purchased and fitted out) discovered with just weeks to go that the plan was to set sail without one, as the expedition couldn't afford it. They took up a collection and bought a set for the ship.
On the subject of Shackleton's side of the expedition, I highly recommend his own book, "South". The modern retelling, "Endurance" also has stellar reviews.
Not if you are planning to work. Although if you wanna go "Into the Wild" style, I doubt anyone would really care to go after you; although you would be technically free-loading (security provided by police/military, park rangers in case you get lost, etc.)
Here is a book about a dude who lived in a national park for a while: http://www.amazon.com/The-Man-Who-Quit-Money/dp/1594485690
Try Krakauer's other well known book Into Thin Air, and because there's some controversy regarding his version of events, also The Climb by Anatoli Boukreev who was a major player that day.
Krakauer's other book Under the Banner of Heaven is a good "true crime" style story about some Morman murders, but may not be enough like Into the Wild to appeal to you.
Over the Edge of the World is more of a history, covering Magellan's circumnavigation of the earth. It was facinating and definately had intrigue, machinations, and survival elements.
Another book on exploration and survival, Endurance: Shakleton's Incredible Voyage
And another one, Fatal Journey: The Final Expedition of Henry Hudson. I think this is the one I read, but I can't be certain. It doesn't seem to be as well regarded, but i thought it was still interesting.
A book on diving and survival: The Last Dive, Chowdhury
The Hot Zone could be thought of as science survival. Anyway, you'll probably love the opening bits in Africa, although it does slow way down after that.
Far away from survival, but still about travel are the wonderful Bill Bryson's travelogues. Witty and informative. In a Sunburned Country and A Walk in the Woods are particularly recommended.
I'm in a similar boat where I'm beefing up my winter gear. This book has some good resources both for skiing and winter camping. Assuming you'll be on snow there are a few things that stick out regardless of temperature range and whether you'll be above or below treeline.
I remember reading in Adrift: Seventy-six Days Lost at Sea that people who are found used an average of 10 flares before they were sighted. So, way more flares.
And definitely a water distiller, or two.
I've got a copy of The Strange Last Voyage of Donald Crowhurst. Highly recommended, a great book and very, very creepy towards the end. His mind fell apart and went to some very strange places. I can picture him on the boat at night, writing away, completely mad.
Btw this is the ad for one what would become the Endurance. One of the greatest voyages ever.
book is a great read.
https://www.amazon.com/Endurance-Shackletons-Incredible-Alfred-Lansing/dp/0465062881/
Against The God: the remarkable story of Risk- Outlines the history of probability theory and risk assessment through the centuries
https://www.amazon.com/Against-Gods-Remarkable-Story-Risk/dp/0471295639/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1475105434&sr=1-1&keywords=against+the+gods
When Genius Failed - A narrative of the spectacular fall of Long Term Capital Management, a hedge fund which had on its board both Myron Scholes AND Robert Merton (you will recall them from MFE)
https://www.amazon.com/When-Genius-Failed-Long-Term-Management/dp/0375758259/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1475105453&sr=1-1&keywords=when+genius+failed
Black Swan/ Antifragility- A former quant discusses the nature of risk in these controversial and philosophical books. Some parts of this book are actually called out and shamed in McDonald's Derivative Markets, one or the both of them are worth reading
https://www.amazon.com/Black-Swan-Improbable-Robustness-Fragility/dp/081297381X/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1475105478&sr=1-1&keywords=black+swan
Godel, Escher, Bach- Very dense look into recursive patterns in mathematics and the arts. While not actuarial, it's obviously very mathematical, a must read.
https://www.amazon.com/G%C3%B6del-Escher-Bach-Eternal-Golden/dp/0465026567/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1475105497&sr=1-1&keywords=geb
Endurance- This was recommended to me by a pure mathematics professor. Again, not actuarial, but more about the nature of perseverance though problem solving(sound familiar). It's about Shakleton's famous voyage to the south pole.
https://www.amazon.com/Endurance-Shackletons-Incredible-Alfred-Lansing/dp/0465062881/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1475105520&sr=1-1&keywords=endurance+shackleton%27s+incredible+voyage
The Miracle of Castel di Sangro by Joe McGinniss
It kind of matters where in the world you are. Some places are much easier to "dip your toes in" than others, i.e. stay safe.
My general recommendations include:
here is another that I haven't read, but has been recommended:
http://www.amazon.com/Book-Backcountry-Skiing-Skills/dp/B007L0D45K
I would second the Kon-tiki reccommendation.
I would also highly recommend Bernard Moitessier's "The Long Way"
Mainly for his passages about nature, the sea, and his views of humanity. He was a pretty quirky french guy who grew up in Vietnam, but it struck me as some of the best writing in that vein by a sailor.
>"I am a citizen of the most beautiful nation on earth. A nation whose laws are harsh yet simple, a nation that never cheats, which is immense and without borders, where life is lived in the present. In this limitless nation, this nation of wind, light, and peace, there is no other ruler besides the sea."
and
>"You do not ask a tame seagull why it needs to disappear from time to time toward the open sea. It goes, that's all."
Seem to be very in line with what you're writing about.
The Miracle of Castel di Sangro is a classic, its not so much about history but about the writer following one team for a season http://www.amazon.com/The-Miracle-Castel-Sangro-Passion/dp/0767905997
Endurance: Shackleton's Incredible Voyage https://www.amazon.com/dp/0465062881/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_Ojl3AbQFEHQVT
This was an excellent read about this voyage
I highly recommend this book about his story. It has all the history about this complicated man and his voyage. Fascinating read.
Edit: Here's a preview of the documentary about him. Its great if you can find it online.
Soccer Against The Enemy is kind of a similar idea to How Soccer Explains the World, but it talks about some different stuff.
The Miracle of Castel di Sangro - a bizarre, true story about an Italian team that climbs from the basement of Italian soccer to the Serie B. It's about the country and the people as much as it is about soccer, but it was absurd and fascinating and I couldn't put it down.
>.... appears to be very accurate.
Did you read Anatoli Boukreev's account of the same events?
How long do you plan to be out (weekend, 5 days?), where are you thinking about going, and what time of year, and how would you rate yourself in a “willing to endure discomfort scale?”
For a person just getting started I recommend the following resources:
Allen and Mike’s Really Cool Backpacking Book
Don Ladigan’s Lighten Up!
Go light, take a couple of shorter trips with stuff you kind of already have (a fork and spoon from fast food place or your kitchen drawer instead of a titanium spork for instance) and can find around the house at first.
Around the World in Wanderer III by Eric Hiscock is fantastic. If you're looking for a more instructional book I'd also advise Cruising Under Sail by the same author.
Hard to have any list about cruising without starting off without mentioning Slocum's Sailing Alone Around the World as he was the inspiration for many of the following authors. He fixed a wrecked hulk of a sloop in a field in CT that he was given for free (as a joke) then proceeded to sail alone around the world (as the title would lead you to believe). At the time everyone thought that it would be impossible and likely suicidal to try and sail a boat so small around the globe and he apparently caused quite a stir when he did.
Of course The Long Way by Bernard Moitessier is an absolute classic for sailing literature. His was an account of the Golden Globe non-stop solo circumnavigational race, so there's not really any island hopping or drinks in paradise, but his writing is amazing and really gets to the zen of being at sea. He also named his boat JOSHUA after Cpt. Slocum mentioned above.
Jack London loved to sail and had a ketch (I thought it was a schooner, and Amazon page says schooner, but looking on GIS looks more like a ketch) built and sailed around the South Pacific and wrote about it in The Cruise of the Snark. London has some really funny commentary in there and it's a hell of a good read.
Last, and most expensive, is South Sea Vagabonds by John Wray. This book has been out of print for a little while and apparently is in high demand by looking at the price now. The cheapest I've ever seen it is between $40 and $50. I got my copy from a seller on eBay that lived in New Zealand for about $25 USD but after shipping ended up being about $40 total. That said, it was worth every penny. John Wray got fired from his job for daydreaming about sailing all day and since he had nothing but time on his hands decided to make a boat. Found all his wood on beaches and used his friends sailboat to haul it back to a mill, used a motorcycle and trailer to haul it from the mill to his house, then built a sloop with no prior ship-building experience. He sailed it all around the South Seas on various adventures and, like London, is a great and humorous author. Keep an eye out on ebay and used book sites for this one at a decent price (or find a library to borrow it from) because I guarantee that it's worth the effort and cash.
If you're into tall ships I just finished The Peking Battles Cape Horn by Irving Johnson which was a quick but thoroughly entertaining read. I'm now working my way through Two Years Before the Mast which is an amazing insight into the life of the merchant marine in the early 19th century aboard a square rigger.
Miracle of Castel di Sangro
Football Against the Enemy
This is a good spot to start:
Allen and Mikes Really Cool Backpackin' Book
https://www.amazon.com/Allen-Mikes-Really-Cool-Backpackin/dp/1560449128/ref=asap_bc?ie=UTF8
the book The Miracle of Castel di Sangro is a great one about Italian football
http://www.amazon.com/The-Miracle-Castel-Sangro-Passion/dp/0767905997
Into Thin Air by Jon Krakauer.
"When Jon Krakauer reached the summit of Mt. Everest in the early afternoon of May 10,1996, he hadn't slept in fifty-seven hours and was reeling from the brain-altering effects of oxygen depletion. As he turned to begin the perilous descent from 29,028 feet (roughly the cruising altitude of an Airbus jetliner), twenty other climbers were still pushing doggedly to the top, unaware that the sky had begun to roil with clouds...
Into Thin Air is the definitive account of the deadliest season in the history of Everest by the acclaimed Outside journalist and author of the bestselling Into the Wild. Taking the reader step by step from Katmandu to the mountain's deadly pinnacle, Krakauer has his readers shaking on the edge of their seat. Beyond the terrors of this account, however, he also peers deeply into the myth of the world's tallest mountain. What is is about Everest that has compelled so many poeple--including himself--to throw caution to the wind, ignore the concerns of loved ones, and willingly subject themselves to such risk, hardship, and expense?
Written with emotional clarity and supported by his unimpeachable reporting, Krakauer's eyewitness account of what happened on the roof of the world is a singular achievement."
And when you want to go the other way: Blind Descent by James M. Tabor.
"In 2004, two great scientist-explorers attempted to find the bottom of the world. American Bill Stone took on the vast, deadly Cheve Cave in southern Mexico. Ukrainian Alexander Klimchouk targeted Krubera, a freezing nightmare of a supercave in the war-torn former Soviet republic of Georgia. Both men spent months almost two vertical miles deep, contending with thousand-foot drops, raging whitewater rivers, monstrous waterfalls, mile-long belly crawls, and the psychological horrors produced by weeks in absolute darkness, beyond all hope of rescue. Based on his unprecedented access to logs and journals as well as hours of personal interviews, James Tabor has crafted a thrilling exploration of man’s timeless urge to discover—and of two extraordinary men whose pursuit of greatness led them to the heights of triumph and the depths of tragedy. Blind Descent is an unforgettable addition to the classic literature of true-life adventure, and a testament to human survival and endurance."
Death in the Long Grass
African Game Trails
This is probably hard to beat - ride your bike from Sweden to Mt Everest and climb it without oxygen:
http://www.amazon.com/Ultimate-High-My-Everest-Odyssey/dp/156331830X
Endurance by Alfred Lansing.
Adrift by Steven Callahan.
I'm reading a book about the Endurance right now! I'm about halfway through and so far it's very exciting. Give it a read if you haven't!
https://www.amazon.com/Endurance-Shackletons-Incredible-Alfred-Lansing/dp/0465062881
anyone ever read any Peter Capstick? Made me really appreciate what goes into hunting and the connection between hunters and conservationists: http://www.amazon.com/Death-Long-Grass-Hunters-Adventures/dp/0312186134/ref=la_B000AQ4R4E_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1404298743&sr=1-1
Also scary as shit! The comments on the huffpost article are talking about how this is unsportsmanlike because "you have a gun" but that doesn't always do much good if you can't hit the vitals of a charging buffalo in the split-second you have before you're crushed to death. Even with guards it's hard to make things really safe. She's not shooting sleeping bunny wabbits in their burrows. Add to that the fact that the woman in these pictures seems to be hunting with a bow and arrow. Unless she's shooting shit from a helicopter, in which case I agree with all the hate (see: Norman Mailer's "Why are we in Vietnam?").
I know literally nothing about Everest, and have never gone anywhere you can't plug in a hairdryer, but I've read a few books about climbing, and I'm pretty sure it's nowhere near that simple. Mountains aren't perfect triangles. You have to climb up and down and up and down, and sometimes you start climbing down and realize you're facing a crevasse and you have to go back up, or you have to spend days scrambling across a field of rocks.
In this case, the girlfriend fell early on and may have been too injured to walk, and within a pretty short timeframe they both would have been too weak to make it down alive. It probably made more sense to find shelter and wait for rescue.
Edit: Into Thin Air, Dead lucky, and Touching the Void are all really good reads, if you're interested. Lincoln Hall's story was made into a documentary, and the 2015 Everest movie is pretty good.
Not Arsenal related at all, but this is the single best football book I've ever read:
http://www.amazon.com/The-Miracle-Castel-Sangro-Passion/dp/0767905997
Great TRUE story about an American journalist embedded in a lower league Italian club as they miraculously progress up through the divisions against all odds. It follows the ins and outs of players, managers, and owners, and provides a really good picture of what life is like for footballers not playing at the game's highest levels.
It is one of the best on tactics. If you want to read a really good story about a football team then [The Miracle of Castel Di Sangro] (http://www.amazon.com/The-Miracle-Castel-Sangro-Passion/dp/0767905997) is a great read. An American journalist coincidentally follows the rise and fall (on and off the field) of a tiny Italian football club.
Not a book about prepping per se, but a book about survival in the most brutal of conditions.
Such a fantastic account of persistence and the will to survive.
https://www.amazon.com/Endurance-Shackletons-Incredible-Alfred-Lansing/dp/0465062881
Also: Endurance if you want something that ends a bit less bleakly.
The book Endurance about their 1914 expedition is an amazing read.
Gents, do yourself a favor and read the book Endurance: Shackleton's Incredible Voyage. It's probably my favorite book. That guy is a bad A.
This is from Allen and Mike's Really Cool Backcountry Ski Book by Allen O'Bannon
I think you're off to a good start. I would recommend these two if you are just getting started:
Chris Townsend's Backpackers Handbook
Allen and Mike's Really Cool Backpackin Book - it's easy and digestible
The answers to your questions really depend on preference. The distance of your hike will be up to you- start small, make sure you like it and don't bite off more than you should chew.
Of course pitching a tent, follow Leave No Trace principles.
Have fun!!
you dig a hole in the snow. you also want to try and shoot for a ceiling and a wall that is greater than 2' thick.
also, if you find a snowbank, you can make your entrance lower than your sleeping spot, allowing the more dense, cold air to not settle around you and your sleeping bag. the way OP has his set up, the cold air will come in through the top and will act like a refrigerator!
:edit: here is a really, really great book: https://www.amazon.com/Allen-Really-Backcountry-Revised-Better/dp/0762745851
Reminds me of the Miracle of Castel di Sangro, one of the best sports books and most uplifting underdog tales you will ever read.
Hmmm... fiction? Non-fiction? First-person meaning told through a first-person narrative style, or just generally following a single person fighting for survival?
Fiction-wise, I'm a fan of To The White Sea by James Dickey. I've also always heard universally good things about the young adult novel Hatchet by Gary Paulsen, but have yet to read it myself.
In the realm of non-fiction, Touching The Void is a pretty incredible story, and was made into a stellar documentary film. Also, anything about the Shackleton expedition to Antarctica is worth checking out, so there you've got Endurance by Alfred Lansing, as well as Shackleton's own account, South: The Endurance Expedition.
About ten years ago or so I stocked up on books because the army sent me to Afghanistan and I needed non electronic stuff to pass time on missions.
I picked up books about real life people who dived. The one that I remember loving the most was about guys who dived the wrecks off of NC. The book was incredible but I can't remember the title. If I can find it I'll edit and post here.
These diving books really helped me pass the time in the turret when were stopped at some place with nothing to do.
Edit: I found the books:
The Last Dive is about a Father and Son diving team. This one actually focuses on the German U Boat off of the NYC coast but I think they talk about NC wrecks too. This one is my favorite.
Fatal Depth is the other book I really enjoyed and taught me about the world of deep wreck diving. It blows my mind at everything a diver must train and know about. I'll never forget lessons that can even be applied to non diving things in your life. This book I think focuses on a wreck off of Nantucket called Andrea Doria. But I think both of these books talk about diving off of NC because of all the awesome wrecks down there.
I agree with this list of Top 10 Documentaries on Mountaineering. Not exactly on point for what you wanted. Not sure it really exists at this point.
​
I really liked Meru. If you don't mind reading here are a few books that got me into it:
​
Into Thin Air.
No Shortcuts to the Top.
The Climb.
​
Training Books:
​
Training for New Alpinism
Climbing: Training for Peak Performance.
He's got a very interesting book about his experience, called Adrift: 76 Days Lost at Sea.
I highly recommend it if you like adventure/survival stories.
Check out these books if you haven't seen them yet.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/offer-listing/0762737344/ref=tmm_pap_used_olp_sr?ie=UTF8&condition=used&qid=&sr=
https://www.amazon.com/Ultralight-Backpackin-Tips-Inexpensive-Lightweight/dp/0762763841/ref=pd_bxgy_14_img_2?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=0762763841&pd_rd_r=KECR7BQ2FKBK8YEB8R5E&pd_rd_w=oEMgW&pd_rd_wg=jbk23&psc=1&refRID=KECR7BQ2FKBK8YEB8R5E
https://www.amazon.com/Allen-Mikes-Really-Cool-Backpackin/dp/1560449128/ref=pd_sim_14_2?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=1560449128&pd_rd_r=XKZNM6QW1FAMRP4Z1FPM&pd_rd_w=qJgYG&pd_rd_wg=AQN7T&psc=1&refRID=XKZNM6QW1FAMRP4Z1FPM
All very cheap used.
"The Avalanche Handbook" is a good, thick reference though drier then Trempers "Staying Alive."
Tremper has a new book that I haven't read.
"Snow Sense" is a classic but short.
I just recommended this book on another thread and it is really great and covers lots of emergency shelter style stuff. Written by two NOLS instructors one of whom happens to be a brilliant cartoonist. They have other books on avalanches and telemark skiing too.
Some good blogs are http://wildsnow.com, http://bedrockandparadox.com/, http://straightchuter.com/, http://forrestmccarthy.blogspot.com/.
>Are you saying that those conditions are so bad that there was no chance the guy would have survived?
Yes
>Are you saying that those conditions would have put whoever tried to help him in physical danger?
Yep
Lots of experienced climbers passed him that day, mostly sherpas who had summitted many times before. They knew there was no hope.
A real rescue attempt of a frozen person like that would have taken days to get him down to base camp. Dozens of people would be required plus all the oxygen tanks and water and food to keep all those people alive. It's very probable someone else would be injured in the attempt and that even if he was alive when they started he would be alive at the bottom.
Really, I'm not trying to be glib or dismissive, but read some books about Everest disasters like Into Thin Air or The Climb.
Hopefully if they survive some "perfect storms" or Daddy's desire to trek thousands of miles across the ocean which other adventurers [single men and women in this case or crews of grown men and women] have died trying to do in sail boats. Maybe he needs this book sent to him.
https://www.amazon.com/Strange-Last-Voyage-Donald-Crowhurst/dp/0071414290
Sailings a hobby if you can afford it but not something you drag a wife and 4 kids on. He seems to want his own isolated Sea.Org. Say goodbye to friends kids. I feel sorry for them. [the kids have already been taken on some sailing trips but this is like a guy who likes camping moving his kids to the middle of the woods to build a log cabin]
Great book: Death in the Long Grass goes on and on about all the cool animals in Africa... and how they kill people.
Adrift. A fascinating (and true) story about being lost at sea for over 2 months in an inflatable life boat.
I extremely recommend reading this book:
Endurance: Shackleton's Incredible Voyage
It is #1 on my favorite books ever read. Following the story of Ernest Shackleton and his crew. Which Henry Worsley was trying to replicate. It's amazing due to the incredible documentation of the journey, from the journals kept and even photographs.
Once you've read Slocum's book, check out The Long Way, By Bernard Moitessier.
Some other books I highly recommend, especially if you're setting out alone
THIS:
>Once you've read Slocum's book, check out The Long Way, By Bernard Moitessier.
He was fascinating.
Chomp, Chomp, Chomp; How I Survived a Bear Attack and Other Harrowing Tales
She did an AMA a while back, here
"The Climb" is by Anatoli Boukreev, who perhaps gets some unfair blame/condemnation in Into Thin Air. He died shortly after finishing the book. It's pretty good and definitely worth it even if you've already read Thin Air.
http://www.amazon.com/The-Climb-Tragic-Ambitions-Everest/dp/0312206372
Read Anatoli Boukreev's account in The Climb.
An Island to Oneself is a great read. Also, Touching the Void is a pretty intense true tale.
I'm currently reading Adrift, the true story of a man who survived over a month at sea in a rubber raft!
I tend to go for interesting non-fiction books. I like history; last year I read a book about imperial Spain and one of my favorite books ever is The Rape of Nanking, about Japanese atrocities in China during WWII.
It's up there on worst ways to go. If you like these kind of things, I strongly suggest:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/0060932597/ref=redir_mdp_mobile/176-1045339-2524000
Fantastic book, absolutely terrifying stuff.
Touching the Void. It is a great book about a mountaineering accident and the will to survive.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/0060730552/ref=cm_sw_r_tw_dp_x_IuWAyb23PV3E4
This! "Punching" down the hill can really help you remember to keep both hands out in front.
More tips:
Also, a necessary heads up for Allen & Mike's telemark book. There are a bunch of suggestions in there for a trailing uphill hand.
https://www.amazon.com/Allen-Really-Backcountry-Revised-Better/dp/0762745851
There's a really good series of cartoon books about lightweight backpacking and mountaineering by a few guys from NOLS which really helped me adjust what I thought was "necessary".
Mountaineering
Ultralight
General Backpacking
I had a really solid mountaineer once tell me that the key to success on the mountains is camping like a champion. If you're poorly rested, poorly fed or angry with your partners because of a crappy camp setup, you're less likely to achieve your goals.
I mostly do ski mountaineering with some summer stuff thrown in for kicks (I'm in the Canadian rockies so "Summer" is relative). Typically I'll have my ski touring day pack 35L+ and my wife carries a 45L+ bag (she tends to carry but not wear more layers) on any trip where I'm based out of a base camp or hut. We'll drag our gear in on a pull sled or we'll both bring our 65 or 85L bags (depending on trip length) to camp, then ditch em.
I didn't look super thoroughly, I just noticed the format said paperback and it didn't give me an option to change. I was on mobile though.
edit: Tis! tis!
http://www.amazon.com/Blind-Descent-Quest-Discover-Deepest-ebook/dp/B0036S4D0Q/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1395705552&sr=1-1&keywords=Blind+Descent
for some reason the link you provided doesn't give the usual option to select format, but i specifically checked kindle store and found it. That just cemented my purchase....as if I don't have enough shit to read for university, ugh.
Thanks though.
for non-fiction, may i suggest Adrift: 76 days lost at sea. true story written by the man who was adrift. i love it.
This is a great read on the story of it. Absolutely one of the greatest survival stories I have ever read.
Because it keeps me sane.
Go on deck often, regardless of the weather. Many things are cured by the wind and the sea, if you stay on deck with them long enough.
I apply that to pretty much any of the challenges in my life.
From http://www.amazon.com/The-Long-Way-Bernard-Moitessier/dp/0924486848
[While my adult/geek self was equally pleased.] (http://i.imgur.com/nWxICmN.jpg)
I just started reading this book, Adrift, today.
The Strange Last Voyage of Donald Crowhurst. 'Cause sailing's not all rum cocktails and tropical anchorages. Crowhurst's story is a tragedy - a fascinating tragedy.
I'd also recommend A World of My Own by Robin Knox-Johnston. It's his story from the same race that Crowhurst was in. (Which is the same race that Moitessier writes about in The Long Way Home previously referenced here.)
Allen and Mike's Really Cool Backpackin' Book
I was hoping for this http://www.amazon.co.uk/The-Miracle-Of-Castel-Sangro/dp/075152753X but there are a few other good reads there
Some good reading:
http://www.amazon.com/Cape-Horn-Starboard-John-Kretschmer/dp/1580801625/
http://www.amazon.com/World-My-Own-non-stop-voyage/dp/0713668997/
http://www.amazon.com/Sailing-Alone-Around-Joshua-Slocum/dp/0486203263/
http://www.amazon.com/The-Long-Way-Bernard-Moitessier/dp/0924486848/
http://www.amazon.com/Across-Islands-Oceans-Journey-Around/dp/1470004615/
http://www.amazon.com/Voyages-Extraordinary-Times-Larry-Pardey/dp/1929214987/
I assume it is The Damned United which the movie was based on?
You might also enjoy Walking on Water, Clough The Autobiography and I personally look forward to this, Nobody Ever Says Thank You.
> Any suggestions of other soccer related books is appreciated as well.
Would highly recommend Fever Pitch, Miracle of Castel di Sangro, Inverting the Pyramid, Brilliant Orange and Behind the Curtains.
If you want more, read this insane book.
And then this one.
I've recommended this book to several beginners in the past.
Allen & Mike's Really Cool Backpackin' Book
It's an easy read, lots of informative drawings & pics, and it's full of helpful information.
I would remove this as a gear question, but it sounds like you really need avalanche and backcountry safety. I have yet to take a course myself, but I have read a couple of great books that I would recommend.
Avalanche Essentials
Allen and Mike's Backcountry
If you have a guide maybe you will get some training, but these books are excellent. As far as backpacks go these are many great one out there. Make sure to get something specific for snowboarding/skiing. It will have a pad or hard plate so if you land hard on it your belongings won't hurt you. If you have the cash you migh also consider an avalanche backpack with floatation. And if you sre going to do a lot of backcountry get the ave level 1 training. That is what I am signing up for this year. And a helmet is even more important in the backcountry. People have been found unburied after a big slide with head trauma.
Comments made as I read through:-
1/ Semi-colon required: "Too many bandits; too little food."
2/ Heading to the beach: I now get the impression the court astrologers were a red herring, in which case were they the best thing to have in your first sentence?
3/ So much info-dumping. And this while they meander past corpses to the beach. I would have thought there would be urgency, at least.
4/ I'm beginning to think your story should not have so much flashback. You could begin it on the beach (during the eruption) without any difficulty. Elements such as Yura's advice and death, the fall of the ash etc seem well realised, and lead up naturally to the dismal walk to the beach.
5/ The facts of Gura being a slave once and familiar with battle, should best be saved for immediately before an action sequence.
6/ I hope the boy doesn't get nixed. I'm going to do something I don't usually do and recommend a book because I have a sneaking suspicion you'll like it. It's a novel-like recounting of Shackleton's expedition to the
South Pole. Time and time again you'll be saying to yourself "how did they survive?" It all seems so implausible but was a true story. I always think about this book when I'm writing. https://www.amazon.co.uk/Endurance-Shackletons-Incredible-Alfred-Lansing-ebook/dp/B00IC8VF10/ref=la_B000APENOO_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1487499932&sr=1-1
Summary: your writing and vision are both very good. But the story and your story-telling need to be enlivened. You could do this by starting at the eruption, involving your characters in the brief dramas you've outlined, and then, perhaps as soon as chapter 2 or 3, have them arrive at the beach.
The book “the long way” is a must read for sailors
https://www.amazon.com/Long-Way-Bernard-Moitessier/dp/0924486848/ref=nodl_
[Dove] (https://www.amazon.com/Sailing-Alone-Around-Joshua-Slocum/dp/0486203263)
[Sailing Alone Around The World] (https://www.amazon.com/Sailing-Alone-Around-Joshua-Slocum/dp/0486203263)
[The Long Way] (https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/0924486848/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1496093457&sr=8-1&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_QL65&keywords=the+long+way+sailing&dpPl=1&dpID=51L%2Btgd-fQL&ref=plSrch)
I have 2 non-fiction books that you might enjoy: Fatal North - Murder and Survival on the First North Pole Expedition.
The other is, IMHO, the best adventure story ever written, and it's all true. Endurance -Shackleton's Incredible Voyage.
I've heard this is a good one. https://www.amazon.com/Allen-Mikes-Really-Cool-Backpackin-ebook/dp/B001OI2YCO
You are probably already be familiar with it, but in case you're not: check out The Man Who Quit Money by Mark Sundeen, a biography of Daniel "Suelo" Shellabarger. He has lived a full and active, if unconventional and frequently challenging, life without money for the last decade or so. While I consider his philosophy extreme and some of his supporting rationale flawed, on the whole he makes for a fascinating, bold case study in money-free living -- on the fringe of the American social fabric but with a tiny footprint. I find him both inspirational and maddening at the same time, and the author does a great job of assembling the guy's life story and showing the evolution in his thinking that led to his finally quitting money. In short, a remarkable book.
[The American West - Dee Brown]
(https://www.amazon.com/American-West-Dee-Brown/dp/0684804417) More so history regarding westward expansion.
[The Art of Seeing Things - Essays by John Burroughs]
(https://www.amazon.com/Art-Seeing-Things-Essays-Burroughs/dp/0815606788)
[Undaunted Courage - Stephen E. Ambrose]
(https://www.amazon.com/Undaunted-Courage-Meriwether-Jefferson-American/dp/0684826976)
[Astoria - Peter Starkk]
(https://www.amazon.com/Astoria-Jeffersons-Pacific-Ambition-Survival/dp/0062218298)
[Frozen in Time - Mitchell Zuckoff]
(https://www.amazon.com/Frozen-Time-Survival-Modern-Heroes-ebook/dp/B009NG2G54)Survival/military but I enjoyed it.
[Alone on the Ice - Daid Roberts]
(https://www.amazon.com/Alone-Ice-Greatest-Survival-Exploration-ebook/dp/B007Q6XJL8)
[Farthest North - Fridtjog Nansen]
(https://www.amazon.com/Farthest-North-Incredible-Three-Year-Exploration/dp/0375754725/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1483043755&sr=1-1&keywords=farthest+north+nansen)
[Steller's Island - Dean Littlepage]
(http://www.mountaineersbooks.org/Stellers-Island-P484.aspx)
[The Arctic Year - Freuchen & Salomonsen]
(https://www.amazon.com/Arctic-year-Peter-Freuchen/dp/B0007IZCNK)
[Endurance: Shackleton's Incredible Voyage - Alfred Lansing]
(https://www.amazon.com/Endurance-Shackletons-Incredible-Alfred-Lansing/dp/0465062881)
Basic Economics - Thomas Sowell
Six Degrees: The Science of a Connected Age - Duncan Watts
Linked: How Everything Is Connected to Everything Else and What It Means - Albert-Laszlo Barabasi
Nexus: Small Worlds and the Groundbreaking Theory of Networks - Mark Buchanan
The Selfish Gene - Richard Dawkins
Sperm Wars: Infidelity, Sexual Conflict, and Other Bedroom Battles - Robin Baker
Motley Crue: The Dirt - Confessions of the World's Most Notorious Rock Band - Neil Strauss
The Black Swan: The Impact of the Highly Improbable - Nassim Nicholas Taleb
The World is Flat - Thomas Friedman
The Tipping Point: How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference - Malcolm Gladwell
The Wisdom of Crowds - James Surowiecki
Into Thin Air: A Personal Account of the Mt. Everest Disaster - Jon Krakauer
The Climb - Anatoli Boukreev
Ultramarathon Man: Confessions of an All-Night Runner - Dean Karnazes
www.amazon.com/The-Man-Who-Quit-Money/dp/1594485690
I read a few chapters...liked it a lot...
Here... I really enjoyed it.
https://www.amazon.com/Adrift-Seventy-six-Days-Lost-Sea/dp/0618257322
Here's a worldcat link, but check the author's name for other versions of the same book if you're looking to borrow a copy from a nearby library
https://www.worldcat.org/title/adrift-76-days-lost-at-sea/oclc/952379350&referer=brief_results
The guy would have never made it without fishing the little ecosystem that developed under his raft as he drifted across the Atlantic. Worth a read.
There is a story told by the late great Göran Kropp about a mouse that defeats the trap. Tragically the record of him telling the story aloud seems lost, I heard it at this talk in 1999. It may be in his book. You'll have to deal with my version though, just imagine I have a comical Swedish accent.
So, I have just finished riding my bike all the way from my house in Sweden to the Nepal Plateau, and Mount Everest is in sight. I am staying in a freezing one-room cabin there, waiting for the rest of my climbing party to arrive. The cabin is stocked with some basic rations and supplies. It's terrible food but I'm used to it, and the cabin is a far sight better than my tent.
On my first night there, I'm woken up by scurrying sounds near the pantry. I clumsily grab my flashlight and turn it on. Mice scatter away from the food as I jump up shouting at them. They've gotten into some crackers, which I move into my pack for safety and go back to sleep. I'll deal with the mice tomorrow.
The next evening after dinner I get to constructing my mouse trap. There's an empty oil drum outside that I heave into the cabin. I take a metal rod, impale a small bit of cheese on it and center it over the barrel. Mouse tries to get cheese, mouse falls off of rod into barrel and is trapped, I kill mouse. Easy. I go to bed.
I am again woken in the night by the sound of scurrying mice, but this time it is the sound of their feet on metal, not wood. I grab my flashlight, hop up and run to the oil drum. One mouse on the floor scurrys away before I can get there. There are another two mice trapped in the drum and they've eaten the fallen piece of cheese. I crush both of them with my climbing boots. Two down, one to go. Our mouse friend who has escaped will fare no better. I throw out the bodies, get another piece of cheese, reset the trap and go back to bed.
Later that night I hear the telltale scurrying. I smile knowing I've caught him. But this seems very regular. skitter-skitter-skitter, thump. skitter-skitter-skitter, thump. skitter-skitter-skitter, thump, scurrying on wood? I lunge for my flashlight as I jump out of bed just in time to see the little vermin dash accross the floor and into a small hole in the floorboards. I check the trap, and the cheese is gone. This mouse thinks he can take my cheese and just hop back out of the barrel? This mouse has woken me up too many times and stolen too much food. I will NOT figure this out tomorrow. I must end this tonight.
But this is no ordinary mouse. This is a super mouse, with abilities far beyond those of normal mice. How can I kill a super mouse? I know I could fill up the barrel with water so the mouse couldn't jump out, but I don't have that much water on hand. And would that even work? This is a super mouse I'm dealing with after all. Do I have any other liquid I could use? I look around and notice the can of lighter fluid in a corner. I smile to myself. This will do nicely. I grab the can and pour some into the barrel so that it just covers the bottom of the barrel. No. No mistakes this time. I upend the whole can until there's a solid inch and a half deep pool of gas at the bottom of the drum. I get a healthy portion of cheese and bait the trap. Supermouse deserves it. I go back to sleep for the third time this night.
skitter-skitter-skitter, splash. skitter-skitter-skitter, splash. I leap out of bed, grabbing the matches, and in one swift motion, I strike one and fling it into the barrel. "SUUUUUPPAARRRRR MOOUUUUUSSSSSSSEEEEEE!!!!" I scream as a pillar of fire erupts from the oil drum. I let out a maniacal laugh as the fire warms my face. With a gleam in my eye I revel in my moment of triumph. No mouse, super or not can best the great Göran Kropp! I take a few deep, calming breaths as I reflect on my victory. As I stand next to the fire and smell the burning fur, I feel a tinge of regret that super mouse had to die. I lay down and go back to sleep as the barrel still burns, thinking of what else super mouse might have gone on to do if we had not crossed paths. The next morning, I bury what is left of super mouse in the snow. Rest in Peace, super mouse.
> The Man Who Quit Money, by Mark Sundeen
http://www.amazon.com/The-Man-Who-Quit-Money/dp/1594485690
I don't know how much snow you guys have, but if it's reliably more than 2 meters of snow on the ground you can use dugloos / quinzees. Downsides:
Upsides:
You still need a really good insulated pad whether you're in a tent or in a snow shelter but I stopped bringing my 0F down bag on winter trips and instead just use my +12F summer bag. My winter bag was honestly way too warm even on sub zero (F) nights in a show shelter.
We get a ton of snow where I'm at so I usually go build a dugloo around February and then for that month and into March I've got a shelter. I record the coordinates, it's conveniently at the base of a kick ass ~28 degree bowl, and there I am with my backcountry ski "lodge". Next winter I'm going to haul some firewood out there too so I can really have a kick ass time. Great book if you're interested. Goes over snow shelter construction really well.
Well, this should be relevant then:
https://www.amazon.com/Blind-Descent-Quest-Discover-Deepest/dp/0812979494
link for the lazy
http://www.amazon.com/Blind-Descent-James-M-Tabor-ebook/dp/B0036S4D0Q/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1397692562&sr=8-2&keywords=blind+descent link for the lazy
I got it in the UK - followed the link that OP originally put up - then on the right of the screen there is a big green box saying 'continue to Amazon.co.uk), click on that you will go to the UK page, click on the book cover and you will get the option to purchase by one-click
Here is the UK link
EDIT to add the actual link
Those happened a lot not so long ago, and occasionally still do happen. You may enjoy the book The Miracle of Castel di Sangro.
For those interested, check out "Blind Descent":
http://www.amazon.com/Blind-Descent-Quest-Discover-Deepest/dp/1400067677/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1323522109&sr=8-1
Adrift: Seventy-six Days Lost at Sea
is my favorite.
[You should read this book]
(https://www.amazon.co.uk/Miracle-Castel-Sangro-Joe-McGinniss/dp/075152753X)
In the crazy survival department, Touching the Void is a personal favorite, and for anyone who appreciates satirical humor, The Ascent of Rum Doodle might be among the the top of the genre as a whole, not just as a climbing book. Definitely give it a read if you haven't already.
This is my favourite football book - http://www.amazon.com/The-Miracle-Castel-Sangro-Passion/dp/0767905997
The Man Who Quit Money
There are lots of resources available online (perhaps backpackinglight.com would be useful). Also, you can buy some books to help you (here is one).
> Well, so long "buried alive," you're no longer number one on my list-of-worst-ways-to-die list.
Read The Climb and (as much as I dislike Krakauer) Into Thin Air. I read them back to back (read Into Thin Air first) and it gave me nightmares.
Both books chronicle the events that took place on Everest in May 1996. Krakauer was there to write an article or a different book; Boukreev was there as a hired guide who was using the trip to fund his next personal ascent on another peak.
I'm not sure which part it was that got to me the most; probably Rob Hall being patched through from his radio to base camp to a satellite phone to his pregnant wife in New Zealand, while he sat just below the South Summit freezing to death - as everyone on the mountain listened on their radios.
Allen and Mike's really cool backcountry ski book
or their avalanche book or their telemark book.
These things are seriously great reads.
Kiss or Kill Confessions of a Serial Climber
Beyond The Moutain
Ultimate High
I can't recommend Endurance enough. It's all about Ernest Shackleton's attempt to cross Antarctica. Amazing!
Adrift: Seventy-six Days Lost at Sea - not to scare you, rather to prepare you.
This?
If you dont already have great memento of your grandfather you might consider this to be it. If you want to read a really amazing book about a bunch of badasses and one of these in use read Shackleton's Incredible Voyage Amazing book!
The three books about the first Golden Globe solo round the world race:
The first two are autobiographical. All three are great reads about the first solo round the world race.
This is what bothers me the most. Zero business camping if you can't even handle the basics.
https://www.amazon.com/Allen-Mikes-Really-Cool-Backpackin/dp/1560449128/ref=asap_bc?ie=UTF8
Book about the 1996 disaster by one of the Mountain Madness guides:
http://www.amazon.com/The-Climb-Tragic-Ambitions-Everest/dp/0312206372
I don't remember how I ended up having the book, but I've read it multiple times now. Good read. There's PDF versions floating around on the internet too.
Göran Kropp is one of my heroes.
I recommend everyone here to read his book! Göran kropp 8000+ is the swedish title.
English title is 'Ultimate High: My Everest Odyssey'.
amazon link
Blind Descent is a pretty good book that covers the Krubera expedition as well as the Cheve cave in Mexico.
For those interested in learning about DEEP caves and the people who explore their depths, the book Blind Descent by James M. Tabor is excellent.
There is also a good book, "The Man Who Quit Money"
http://www.amazon.com/The-Man-Who-Quit-Money/dp/1594485690/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1334352029&sr=8-1 Overall, it has a 5-star rating so far.
Adrift: Seventy-Six Days Lost at Sea is also a great one. If you got frustrated watching All is Lost, you'll love reading Adrift.
This is a very late response, but before.
The ship was originally named the Polaris when t was completed. Shackleton renamed it the Endurance to be in line with his family's motto: "Fortitudine vincimus," or "By endurance we conquer."
Here's a photograph taken by Frank Hurley, their official photographer. This was taken between the crush that forced them to abandon ship and the eventual sinking, a span of a little less than a month. You can see Endurance on the back of the ship.
And an obligatory "you have to read Lansing's Endurance." It was re-released in a 100th anniversary edition last year.
I read Beyond the Deep and Blind Descent over the summer. Both are about supercave exploration, which it turns out is the most terrifying thing on earth. Both are in the same genre as Into Thin Air, another horribly scary book about things I will never ever do. I'd recommend reading Blind Descent first because it's the more general book, while Into the Deep is about one specific exploration. Both are absolutely mandatory reading if you're planning on seeing that new James Cameron movie that comes out in February.
On the history front, April 1865 by Jay Winik is a superb analysis of the last month of the Civil War. Lincoln's Melancholy by Joshua Wolf Shenk is a great analysis of Lincoln's lifelong battle with depression. And Ecological Imperialism by Alfred Crosby is one of the most interesting history books I've read in a long time. This may be a good follow-up to Guns, Germs, and Steel if you're interested in environmental history.
Awesome- you are a quick reader, though. which one are you reading? If you are reading No Picnic on Mt. Kenya, be sure to read the forward by the author (or if you didn't get a version with the forward, try to find it in the library or online) because his life is fascinating.
If you like Krakauer's writing style, I recommend his other mountaineering book Eiger Dreams
some other good mountaineering writers to check out: Joe Simpson, Maurice Herzog , Ed Viesturs, Anatoli Boukreev, Nick Heil, Beck Weathers, and Dave Breashears
The graphic novels
Set to Sea by drew weing
Baggywrinkles by lucy bellwood
Crogan's Vengeance by Chris Schweizer
Literature
Master and Commander by Patrick O' Brian (based on historical events)
Two years before the Mast by Henrey Dana (Embellished but trueish)
The Wreck of the Whaleship Essex by Owen Chase (True Story)
Endurance by Alfred Lansing (True Story)
The United States Navy Blue Jackets Manual by Thomas J. Cutler (useful for facts and lingo as it's made for teaching seamen the basics)
Under the Black Flag by David Cordingly (Historical info on Pirates)
Movies
Master and Commander (acurat for film)
Yellowbeard (comedy)
Cutthroat Island (Actiony)
Captains Courageous (Just a Film Classic)
Captain Blood (Buckle Swashing)
All links are to the Amazon.com Listings, but most of this should be available via resale or library for less.
Hope this helps.
Touching the Void
Really good book.
That's impressive the low rent, expenses, etc.
Still, at best you're able to fund 2-3 years expenses and that's being optimistic and assuming nothing goes awry. With that low budget you don't have much wiggle room. Even if you cut it down you're gonna need a source of income if it's around $200-300/month even that still would only get you at best 5 years and again that's being super optimistic and assuming you really are able to survive on the low end.
Daniel Suelo has a blog and a book about how he lived without money, but he had a lot of family and friend support and even still barely made it and struggled a bit here and there because of it.
https://www.amazon.com/Man-Who-Quit-Money/dp/1594485690
Maybe check out possum living too. https://www.amazon.com/Possum-Living-Without-Almost-Revised/dp/0982053932 they were able to live on only $700/year but it was in the 70s and they had their family helping with work as well as a home.
While again super impressed, it seemed like it probably wasn't worth emulating to me personally. A lot could go wrong, they were lucky it went as well as it did.
Also as a renter with roommates you're susceptible to increases over time, sure you can move and find a new place, but on that low level it'll be a challenge and moving is a hassle even if you don't have much belongings.
Don't get me wrong I'm all for living an unconventional life and checking out early and/or often, but you're really going to need a source of income or drastically cut costs and even still unless you're able to cut it by like 10x I'm pretty sure you're going to need to do some sort of work or earn an income,
Soccer:
The Miracle of Castel Di Sangro
The Way It Was: Stanley Mathhews
Baseball:
Ball Four
Baseball As I Have Known It: Fred Lieb
Golf:
A Good Walk Spoiled
The Greatest Game Ever Played
Survive the Savage Sea, despite its lurid title, and Adrift are two of the best sea survival stories I've ever read (non-fiction). Jungle is about a guy surviving in the same general area as Juliane Koepcke (although he didn't fall out of a plane...)
Can't find them right now, but Mawson's Will and any good book about Ernest Shackleton will get you going. Then there's Joe Simpson's Touching the Void. Oh, and Desperate Journeys, Abandoned Souls, a really good anthology.
...wow, I read a lot of survival stories.
Futebol: The Brazilian way of Life - really good compilation of articles covering the history of Brazilian football and the penetration of football into various aspects of Brazilian life. The brilliance, madness, personalities and passion are all here, accompanied by sound research and reflection. Very good.
Passovotchka- the tale of Dynamo Moscow's trip to play friendly matches in the UK in 1945. Really interesting story and as much about the east west culture clash in post-WWII as the football story. Fascinating and funny with it.
The Miracle of Castel Di Sangro - the story of one of the most unlikely teams to ever grace the upper echelons of Italian football. This is a great story and a good insight into everyday Italian football life, but the author (a somewhat presumptive American) intrudes a bit too much, to its detriment.
I'm not much of an autobiography reader but one of the few I have read is Tony Cascarino's, and that was excellent. Brutally honest, and one of the first football books that let us see how the stars of the game wrestle with their own demons.
http://www.amazon.com/The-Climb-Tragic-Ambitions-Everest/dp/0312206372
What really happened on Everest, with corroboration by all the other remaining climbers.
For non-fiction:
Adrift
http://www.amazon.com/Adrift-Seventy-six-Days-Lost-Sea/dp/0618257322
You can travel plenty with zilch to your name.
The Man Who Quit Money
Hitchhike, wild camp, dumpster dive, work for room and board, work for transport.