5 comments about Time Bandit: Two Brothers, the Bering Sea, and One of the World's Deadliest Jobs.

1. I bought this book because I am a big fan of Deadliest Catch. As is usually the case with television, one only gets a small slice of what life is like on a crab boat in the Bering Sea in the worst conditions conceivable. I was hoping for a much more detailed introspective from the crab fisherman I felt I had gotten to know somewhat by watching the show. What I got was so much more.
   
   Not only does this book offer an engrossing perspective that is real enough to make you sea sick, but it also provides quite a bit of background information that helps you understand what gives these brave men the grit that they so obviously possess.
   
   The Hillstrand brothers are obviously not writers by trade, and that shows in places, but I found that the conversational tone added to the feeling that these guys were right next to me, laughing it up over a cold one and nudging me with their elbow as they shared a harrowing tale of the sea. What a wonderful experience!



2. I bought this book the day after it came out. I was waiting very patiently for this to come out. I read it cover to cover in approx. 1 1/2 days. I just couldn't put it down. It is excellent. I watch the show, Deadliest Catch, and have all 3 seasons of the DVD's, so it was natural to buy this book. It is an easy read, and even though there are a number of situations that were on the show, it is nice to read what was going on behind what they were doing. I absolutely loved the book. I didn't even look at the pictures while I was reading, I looked at them after I was through reading the book. There are some things that were mentined in the book that I did not know about Capt. Johnathan and Capt. Andy.



3. I read this book in about 4-5 days. I just couldn't put it down. It really brought me into the minds of the Brothers, what the life of a fisherman is like. if you are a fan of the show Deadliest Catch,this book is a must read.



4. "Time Bandit" is a fantastic read - whether you're a fan of "Deadliest Catch" or not! It gives you an inside look into the lives of these brave men, what they've endured, and how they've become the best in the business. Their stories made me laugh and cry. Their struggles with life and death kept me engrossed and unable to put the book down! "Time Bandit" was endearing, edgy, and enlightening. The Captains Hillstrand did a fantastic job, and I can only hope they'll consider doing another book one day.



5. As soon as I received this book I could not put it down. It took all I had not to jump to the last page to find out how Johnathan's salmon trip ended. Normally a book has to "catch" me within the first chapter, this book "caught" me in the first paragraph!
   
   It was so much more than I expected, a wonderful and honest look into the lives of the Hillstrands and what they love to do. A must read by all!
   
   My only gripe is it wasn't long enough!
   
   I want to know when Book number 2 of the series will be out...lol!

5 comments about Dog Man: An Uncommon Life on a Faraway Mountain.

1. My mother heard a lady talking about this book at the veterinarian's office and told me about it. I immediately ordered it on Amazon.com.
   
   It is a wonderful story about a man, his integrity, a committed wife, their children, and the Akita dog breed. Even if you are not an "Akita person" I am sure you would find this book very interesting. If you are an "Akita person" I am sure it will be on your shelf of favorites. I will be ordering more for gifts... it's that good.
   
   Thank you Mr. Morie (Mor ee ay) for preserving and developing my favorite breed. I have 3 living Akita's, 2 have passed away, and they are like no other dogs. Their intelligence, judge of character, and loyalty amaze me everyday.
   
   Thank you Ms. Sherrill for sharing this man's story with us. Thank you for sharing Kitako (Mr. Morie's wife) and their children's views also. Thank you for showing us an example of integrity and committment, even though it's not the easy road, it is always worth the journey.
   
   I LOVED IT!



2. A truly unique window into the world of a Japanese family. After the first chapter, I was so interested in this unique man and his wife that I could not stop reading the book. I think both dog lovers and history buffs will find this a worthwhile read.



3. Let's get this out of the way right up front... We are Akita owners so we are slightly biased. Martha Sherrill does a wonderful job capturing the essence of the breed and tells an amazing story. You rarely hear her voice in the telling, but you feel well guided through the tale. As an author she was wise to stay out of the way of this amazing tale of a man who wants, and ultimately led, the simple life. In "Dog Man", Morie remained true to himself and his particular view of the world. He was not without his faults, but his wife, dogs, and yes, even his children loved him. His legacy is one of creation. What Morie created, his dogs, mountain retreat and legacy of kindness resonates with those hoping for something more from the world. In fact, the book makes such an impression, that a different outcome for "Into the Wild" might have occurred had this book been available...
   
   For me... maybe one day my partner and I will end up with our own tin roofed cabin in a spot of the world that takes your breath away. Of course when I say "cabin of our own" that includes an Akita sleeping on the bed. Morie and Uesugi would not have approved of an Akita in the bed, but I bet Kitako would not mind so much!
   
   Thank you Martha Sherrill for writing this book. Even though it is only March, I now know what our friends will be getting for Christmas this year.



4. Martha Sherrill is an extraordinarily gifted writer across many genres. Here, her voice, muted and elegaic, captures a lost world with delicacy and economy befitting its subject matter. So much more than a dog story--although as someone who loves a good dog story I enjoyed it on that level too--it is an unexpected window into an often opaque culture and a love story that transcends a specific place and time..



5. This book is a rare treasure. As a dog lover, an amateur student of Japanese history, and a resident of Japan, I found it irresistable. It provides great information about a relatively unknown place in Japan, even to Japanese folks. It also chronicles a period of time in Japanese history from an unusual vantage point. The book is an excellent book for dog lovers, but it's about much more than that. It details incredible human relationships in tight, hypnotic verse, it tells about the most beautiful areas in Japan, and it tells about the changing dynamics of Japanese marriage. I read it from cover to cover, totally unable to put it down. A must read!

5 comments about Endurance: Shackleton's Incredible Voyage.

1. This book was exactly what I wanted and it arrived in great shape. The service was excellent; thank you!



2. Great book! We used this book in our book club. Everyone enjoyed it! Very interesting and kept your attention. You really felt like you were there on the ice with the men.



3. This book is a treasure. It's hands down the best retelling of a survivor tale that I've read. The author just tells the story in such a simple and yet compelling way. The details that are included are incredible. And the story is totally miraculous. I recommend this book to anyone who likes history or tales of courage/adventure. I was blown away by Shackletons (and his men's) accomplishment in the face of what was should have been sure death.



4. There's not much to add to the almost 400 reviews preceding-other than another five stars.
   
   Working almost exclusively with a palette of black, white, gray and blue, Lansing manages to craft a vivid account of the Imperial Trans Antarctic Expedition of 1914. As others have mentioned, this story, as interpreted by Lansing, is so engrossing you won't want to put the book down. (Even after a second or third time!) It's also an interesting perspective on leadership under the most dismal conditions that can be imagined.
   
   A tidbit from one of the one star reviews that deserves mention: there was more than one publisher for the paperback versions of this book; Carroll & Graf, and Tyndale. As I understand, the Carroll & Graf edition contains the familiar secular foreword followed by Lansing's original text. The Tyndale edition has a Christian themed foreword from James C. Dobson, followed by Lansing's text edited for a Christian audience. IF this bothers you, make sure you're getting the Carroll & Graf version! (Thanks, Joel Abrams, for that information.)



5. Utterly astonishing book, that builds and builds, leaving the reader in near disbelief at the display of sheer will-power, persistence---and yes, endurance--of all these heroic survivors. After reading this, I went and read the several negative reviews here, and while at first I was puzzled and of a polar-opposite (pun intended) opinion, I quickly came to see how worthless said reviews are, when considering the sources, with their concomitant, atrocious grammar and spelling. One can only conclude that such reviewers, being more familiar with the "airport fiction" genre, are persons unfamiliar with the reading of history, true-life narratives, or maybe even of reading itself. Seriously, even a fictionalized account could hardly have been more gripping, especially toward the mid-point of the book and onward. The fact that this was real makes the book all the more fascinating and riveting.
   Indeed, the book does not begin by suddenly plunging the reader into break-neck-pace action. Rather, there is a deliciously slow build-up---the descriptions of the preparations made for the journey ahead, and of the men and their individual temperament and personalities----which became more fleshed-out as their individual contributions toward survival was told. Yes, the first 1/3 of the book is low on pure action and adventure, since basically the men are merely camping (on an ice flow probably the size of a city), and the book narrates day-to-day life on the flow. But this is indispensable in fleshing-out the personalities of the characters, and in bonding the reader to these men; we truly care about them, as things get dangerously more dicey as the books proceeds.
   Once the ice flow breaks-up, and the men take to the boats, there is no end to the excitement and exhilaration in reading this book. The reader will be amazed at how, right to the very end, fate seems to erect constant, seemingly insurmountable, barriers and impediments to their ingenious and courageous efforts at self-preservation.
   One small criticism of the book: I wish there was a follow-up, prologue chapter, describing what happened to the men following their rescue---maybe a "where they are now" summary.
   Again, I can't, for the life of me, understand how someone could give this a poor rating, unless, as I stated, one concludes such reviewers are ignorant and inexperienced practitioners of the reading and historical arts (again, you be the judge, after noting their misspellings and grammar).
   Anyway, I will probably get this in hardcover, if available, as it is a worthy addition to my permanent library collection. And I will likely seek out more books and information on the subject.

5 comments about Eat, Pray, Love: One Woman's Search for Everything Across Italy, India and Indonesia.

1. What a delightful book! I read it twice. Having been to Italy and Indonesia several times, I connected immediately to what Liz Gilbert had written, and I tended to breeze through India a bit too fast. That part was probably the most meaningful of the book and I'm glad I paid more attention the 2nd time around.
   What an inspiring story. The author's style is easy to follow. It's one of the best books of the decade in my opinion!



2. After seeing this book do so well, I had to read it! However, while reading it, I found myself wondering what all the fuss was about. While I found Gilbert to be incredibly talented with metaphors and insightful at times, she displayed an air of superiority that got under my skin and kept me from fully enjoying her story.



3. I enjoyed sharing Elizabeth Gilbert's journey to find herself. Although she had a life many would envy her for, she was unhappy. I believe the fact that she took the initiative to do something about it and take time out in order to come to terms with herself is what this book is all about. While I feel that her decisions were selfish, at least she was truthful and determined not to deceive herself or those close to her.
   
   During her journey, she was determined to seek God. However, I believe she missed out on seeking His order and purpose for Man. In addition, she came to her own conclusions about God that I have to strongly disagree with. I don't believe that anyone can make his or her speculations about God and assume them to be true.
   
   Nevertheless, the success in finding inner peace and forgiveness is commendable. I did find myself getting a lot of laughs as I was reading! Gilbert's honest and realistic perspective is what made this book an enjoyable read. I like it when people say it like it is!



4. This is an exellent book for those of you who love the richness of grammar and descriptive language.
   
   I could not put down the book. Elizabeth's journey towards discovering herself made me ponder if I had discovered my purpose in life!!!
   
   Highly recommended for those in search of who they want to be and for those who have a light sense of humor.



5. SHALLOW! I can not believe this is a best seller. It makes me sad to think so many people find this book good.

5 comments about Boone: A Biography.

1. You could make a pretty good argument that Daniel Boone is the most noted American historical figure at this time, and probably throughout our history. There have been hundreds upon hundreds of books, articles, poems, songs, movies, plays and stories featuring him as the central subject since even before his death in 1820. It is possible that more people have heard of George Washington, but I doubt it. Few men or women have captured the imagination of an entire people as this one individual. In many ways, he has become, and been used as a symbol of the young American Republic, and indeed rightfully so, both the good, and to a lesser extent the bad. Quite a lot of information that most of know of Boone is pure legend, or at worse, pure myth. With all the material out there, why on earth did Robert Morgan choose to write another biography? The reasons here may be multiple, and actually have little to do with this review, but lets all be grateful that this author did choose this particular man as the subject of his first biography.
   
   Boone: A Biography, by Robert Morgan is a well crafted and certainly, as far as I can tell, well researched bit of work. The author has gone to great lengths to clear up and separate myth from reality. This was no easy task. There are great gaps in Boone's life, where so much is actually unknown or has been clouded by well meaning biographers, movie makers and the public in general. Morgan has been very quick to point this out, and when he does delve into the area of speculation, something all or most biographers must do from time to time, he lets us know. What is so absolutely fascinating, for me, is the fact that the truth, in this case, is so very much better than fiction when it comes to Daniel Boone. What the man actually accomplished in his life is so much more impressive than all the "tall tales" we have all heard since childhood. The "real" Boone is much more exciting and much more dynamic than the "fairy tale" Boone.
   
   With this book, we not only get the benefit of a well written biography, we also get another chance to savor the prose of the author of Gap Creek and eight other wonderful novels, as well as twelve volumes of poetry. Folks, this man can write! His description of the country which Boone explored is absolutely worth the read alone. Another aspect that separates Morgan's work from many other biographers is his attention to the women of that era, not only Boone's immediate family, but many of those women around him. This is an aspect of frontier life often overlooked. The author has also given quite a bit of attention, and given a good account, of his subject's relationship with the Native Americans, who played a major role in his life. I also appreciated the way the author has included the names of many of the common people he dealt with on a daily bases. He has not only included the famous of the time, but the not so famous. This, to me, is quite refreshing. If I want to read a book on the life of say, George Washington, then I will pick up a biography on him. Truthfully, I am much more interested in Joe Nobody, who happened to live up the hollow, and helped Daniel skin a deer once, on such and such a day.
   
   What I did not realize, was the tremendous influence that Boone had upon our literature of the time, and consequently the literature of our time. Thoreau, Cooper, Whitmen, Emerson, Lord Byron, Faulkner, Guthrie, and many, many others were influenced by Boone the man and his deeds. His life also had a major impact over one of our first major schools of art, the Hudson River School. (Being a bit on the romantic side, this is one of my personal favorites).
   
   I have read quite a number of biographies and stories about Boone over the years, and will quite likely read more, given the time. This work though, stands at the top of my list of informative and enjoyable reads on the life of a very unique American and indeed, is one of the better biographies I have read over the past couple of years.



2. 
   
   In 1729 there were paid scouts in Kentucky over fifty years before Boone. Even earlier there were a few hunters and trappers. That is not soon after the first to arrive. Morgan does a good job with his character of Boone. The people liked and trusted Boone. They knew he did know where there was good land for hunting. The long-hunters killed game for their skins and not caring that they weren't eaten. By Ruth Thompson author of "The Bluegrass Dream" and "Natchez Above The River"



3. This is a very well researched and written bio on Daniel Boone, one with all known anecdotes and history, adventures and accomplishments of a great man of his time and his peers. I am a g,g,g, etc.,grandson of two of his sisters, Mary and Elizabeth, and so directly to his parents. I have an interest in the people at the time of our Nation's birth, when Daniel, and all the many other woodsmen, could have really cared less about whether they were British or not. This is a better book than most (although others are excellent) because it discusses Indian relations and Indian misfortune from all sides - French, English, Colonial, other native Nations. Though not explicitly blaming whites for destroying wilderness and displacement of native peoples, the book is all about it - through tales of forts, stations, roads, battles, kidnappings, adoptions and betrayal, land speculation and title wars. A longer book than many it reads very well, the result of the author's talent in fiction and the poetic vein. I found my Boone and surname kin to be as interesting as they were odd, not the patriotic heros who sent the Brits home, but the tough thieves and deerslayers who bought and stole Kentucky after settling North Carolina and Virginia.



4. A good read that would be enhanced by maps. The lack of maps, large and small, make the reading far less interesting than it could be.



5. So far, I have found this to be a book everyone should read. Especially if one is a History major or just interested in Early American History.
   The book itself is beautifully bound and the paper that is used is representative of the early times, the type is well chosen and easy on the eyes.
   We often read about Daniel Boone in high school history class, however, not many history teachers know enough about him to realy give the account that is given by Robert Morgan. The author gives facts about Boons's real life and not the folk lore that most people have of him.

5 comments about Miracle in the Andes: 72 Days on the Mountain and My Long Trek Home.

1. This book takes you on a journey that inspires you to live everyday to the fullest and appreciate what you have.
   It's a incredible book and hard to put down once you start reading. I am in awe at the pain and suffering they experienced and how they overcame all the obstacles that were in their way including death. I had listened to the audio book first and then bought the book and read it too, love everything about it.
   It is worth your time.



2. I loved this book so much I lent it to family and friends. Now I can't wait to get it back, so I can read it again. A truly empowering book. Written with such compassion that readers could never be "grossed out" by some of the extremes of survival that are revealed in this book.



3. Incredibly inspirational story. This book captures the emotion of the Andes experience through the eyes of Nando Parrado. He seems to leave nothing unrevealed. For anyone who "enjoyed" the movie Alive, yet wants a truer account, a fuller account...this book is wonderful! The highlight is listening to Parrado talk us through his mental and physical journey as he and Canessa risked everything to escape the mountains and save themselves. These events were mostly glossed over in the film Alive. Yet, the trek out of the mountains is arguably the most inspirational, miraculous part of the entire ordeal. A potentially life-changing book. It's up to you really...



4. This is an excellent book. It describes an unfortunate event/airplane crash of the Uruguayan Rugby team on October 13, 1972 high in the Andes, and their astonishing survival, the hardships they had to endure and their long, excruciating trek out of their ordeal, written superbly using lots of adjectives and action verbs. As you read through the pages, you can actually picture what was happening, down to the last detail. I've only started to read the book and I'm already totally captivated. Don't hesitate buying this book or giving it as a gift. It's a great choice. I also bought the video, but won't watch it until I have read the book.



5. I loved this book. I recommend it to anyone who stands still long enough for me to shout, "go get this book!" I'm not a fan of self-help books, and this isn't one, but heck, it should be because if this doesn't make you take stock of your life, stop whining, and start living, than nothing will.
   
   One of my favorite things about it was seeing how much a person's personality dicates how they'll handle adversity - this book has take-charge-bossy types, as well as curl-up-and-give-up types, and oddly enough, the one who adapts best is the take-life-as-it-comes type. I went camping with 14 friends a week after reading this, and saw all personality types and secretly rated them all on how they'd have done in the Andes. ;-)
   
   Read it, and you'll never complain about your life again.

5 comments about Marco Polo: From Venice to Xanadu.

1. What an Excellent Read !!!!!!!!!! history, travelogue, adventure, biography ...................... totally fascinating,
   
   The new revelations on the life, times and travel of Marco, his father and uncle are mind boggling. Based on recent research, it turned out Marco wasn't just a b.s.'ing Venetian after all.
   
   From the great naval battle of Korcula to Marco's final days, this bio/adventure is hard to put down. The history involved, from the "Divine Wind" to Marco's visits to south east asia, india, socotra island .......... history of the great mongol empire, life and times of Kublai Khan, glimpses of the early christian church, voyages, intrepid travellers ....................... it is all here !!
   
   excellent read, rabbie b.



2. A thoroughly researched account of a fascinating life. You could spend a lifetime going through the sources in the book's notes & bibliography, and the book inspires you to do just that. However, it's marred by Bergreen's writing style. His comments after quoted material-- and there is, rightly, a LOT of quoted material-- are often superfluous and give the unpleasant impression of reading a book report. A very well-researched book report, but a book report nonetheless. Still, a good launching point to learn more about an intriguing chapter in history.



3. Having just read Laurence Bergreen's "Over the edge of the world", I couldn't wait to read his new work on the travels of "Marco Polo" Mr. Bergreen is a stickler for accuracy and research. I think he spends more time researching than writing. This is an excellent account of Marco's adventures and experiences traveling along and beyond The Silk Road. My only criticism is that in trying to be so factual some of the passages were difficult for me to understand. Maybe it is the translation from Medieval Italian to English. As of now, I'm just waiting for Mr. Bergreen's next book.



4. MARCO POLO: FROM VENICE TO XANADU BY LAURENCE BERGREEN: Laurence Bergreen, whose last book, Over the Edge of the World, charted Magellan's circumnavigation of the world, returns with a fresh and thorough biography on the remarkable and renowned thirteenth century traveler, Marco Polo. Marco Polo begins in a style that is becoming modern with biographies such as Caroline Alexander's Bounty, near the end of Marco Polo's life when he is a renowned traveler of noble stature and wealth; this makes the return to Polo's younger life as an inexperienced person all the more poignant.
   
   Marco Polo was not the first to feel the urge and thrill to travel the world; it was an experience and almost expectation instilled within his family for some time. At the age of seventeen, barely a man, Marco Polo began his first journey with his father Niccolo and uncle Maffeo bound for the court of Kublai Khan in 1271. While the focus of the book is on Polo's time spent with the Great Khan, Bergreen spends time details sights and experiences on the Polos' travels across the known world to China where Marco became a personal advisor to Kublai Khan in 1275. Marco then spent almost twenty years in service to the Khan, traveling the many surrounding countries and gathering intelligence and acting as a tax collector for the Yuan (Mongol) dynasty. It is here that we see through Marco's eyes and how he views this world that is greatly different to the one he was used to in Venice: from Asbestos manufacture, to crocodile hunting, to the sexual habits of the different peoples; the practice of offering up one's wife to passing travelers was one that greatly perplexed and put Marco ill at ease.
   
   While the book does cover Marco Polo's life, Bergreen seems almost hesitant to offer commentary of opinion on the Polo's habits, ideas, and reactions. Nevertheless, Marco Polo is a fascinating read into the life of the often misunderstood Venetian.
   
   [...]



5. 
   While this appears to be a biography of the history's most famous traveler, it is actually a guide to understanding Polo's adventures. While Bergreen gives us the portrait of the man, the exotic adventures and their time in history loom much larger.
   
   Several times I have begun reading the "Adventures" but never got into them, getting lost in the stilted prose. Here, Bergreen has sifted through the "Adventures" and delivered their essence while enriching the reader by descriptions of the life and character of Marco Polo.
   
   Bergreen advises on what is and might not be literal. He comments on Polo's youth and how his world view changes as he matures on this trip. He discusses the various renderings of the Polo story and discusses how cynically the travels were received at the time and how over many years, they (and Polo) grew in stature.
   
   Interestingly, Marco's father and uncle, having made the first voyage, have an even greater tale to tell. Since their story was not committed to writing, the hows and wheres of their first trip are lost to history and it is Marco who is the celebrated traveler.
   
   After reading this book, I realized I had read another Bergreen biography, Louis Armstrong: An Extravagant Life which is a very good book on a widely different personality in a wildy different era.

2 comments about Dead Lucky: Life After Death on Mount Everest.

1. I got this book a year ago thru a friend from Australia when it first came out over there. I read it in one sitting and could not put it down. For those who have read Beck Weathers Left For Dead, Lincoln Hall goes even further into the fight for living after the physical part is gone. I have all of Lincoln Hall's books he has wrote, and along with Blood On The Lotus this is his best writing.If you are into the physical and mental demands of what climbing Everest is about, Lincoln really blows you away with his own mind trip that night as he lay there in a fantasy world of his own.Excellent read..



2. Over two years ago, Lincoln experienced the best and the worst of Mt Everest. He was reaching the summit when he got a severe case of altitude sickness. His group attempted to revive him, but when that failed he was left for dead, very close to the summit. As fate would have it, a group of climbers making their way up, saw him in desperate need of help and ultimately saved his life. He writes about his horrible ordeal in this amazing book.
   His hands and feet were absolutely covered in frostbite. He has had some limbs and toes and fingers amputated, and various other surgeries as a result of his experience up there. He refers to May 26, 2006 as the day he died, and writes in here the pros and cons for climbing Everest. He puts his family on both lists; on the con - the fear of leaving his wife and kids without a husband or father and on the pro list, the idea to show them that he was willing to take a chance to live out his dream. He describes the bitter cold and all the thoughts running through his head. It's a book that takes you through different emotions - triumph, fear, relief and everything in between.
   Whether you like mountain climbing or not, this book is a great read. It is moving and interesting and it's good to see a happy ending. I really enjoyed this and hope you will too.

5 comments about Wind, Sand and Stars.

1. What genre is represented by "Wind, Sand and Stars"? A memoir, a novel, a moral tale, an essay, a travelogue? It is difficult to put a label on this book, because it has a bit of each genre. Antoine de Saint-Exupery, a pilot and a poet, best known for his beautiful tale "The Little Prince", which enchanted generations of children and adults, wrote about his experience as a pilot. This is the surface of "Wind, Sand and Stars". There is much more to it, though.
   
   The book was published in 1939. It is hard to believe that on the brink of a great war in Europe, when it was already obvious that the war is inevitable, and many writers created the premonitory visions of doom, Saint-Exupery wrote with great tenderness and faith about the power of humanity.
   
   The job and life of the airplane pilot are for the author an occasion for metaphores. The flights require attention and precision in addition to the observations of nature, the rocks, sand or sea underneath, the stars, moon and sun in the sky above. There is a lot of joy in seeing the Earth from above, but the loneliness adds to the philosophical quality of long flights. Because in the 1930's the airplane technology was not very sophisticated, there were many sudden, unexpected accidents. The constant danger and many lurking traps are described with examples: the accidents of the author's colleagues, Guillaumet and Mermoz, as well as his own in Sahara, and their struggle to survive in the snow, mountains, and desert, without water, food, and rest, show humanity in a most beautiful way. As Saint-Exupery says, in the words of his fellow pilot Guillaumet, who survived in the glacier: "What I did, no animal would ever do".
   
   Saint-Exupery believed in the power of human mind and emotion, in the connection between all human beings - which is obvious when he writes about his experience with Beduins, so different and strange for the French pilot, who could not understand their culture, yet living according to equally valid moral principles and helpful in need. He criticized materialism, and although admired technology and civilization, warned against it becoming a goal in itself.
   
   Banal? Simple? Maybe, but all of us need such positive, however trivial, life philosophy, once in a while, to escape from our daily life, to reconnect and rethink our purpose.



2. This is a beautifully written book exuding a sense of mystery and adventure perhaps no longer possible to experience. Antoine de Saint-Exupery was an aristocrat and pilot who chose to fly lonely postal routes -- a romantic adventurer with incredible sensitivities who was filled with wonder and musings about what he encountered. No one should pass this by. It could be read to a child though it is not a children's story. A popular children's story also written by Saint-Exupery, The Little Prince, was published five years later.



3. The book is very interesting, but it's not easy to read,
   because the translation from French to English is done poorly.



4. This book makes you very sad to think what happened to Europe during the first half of the twentieth century, that men like this died. Doesn't bear thinking about. This is an excellent translation. A fabulous book; part poetry, philosophy and memoir. One of my very favourites, along with his 'Flight to Arras'. One of the two has a very memorable description of why some people become terrorists (boredom basically).



5. Some authors will serve a decent story and nourish a reader's sensibilities adequately enough that the reader feels satisfied to have read it. But Saint-Exupery, in "Wind, Sand and Stars," lovingly prepares and serves a sumptuous banquet in his story that not only leaves us readers feeling very well nourished, but also immerses us in the sensual pleasure of tasting and savoring the dishes he sets before us.
   
   If your literary taste runs to the gourmet, read this book.

5 comments about Over the Edge of the World: Magellan's Terrifying Circumnavigation of the Globe (P.S.).

1. Rare five star rating.
   Unbelievable story about Magellan's cruise around the world. Of course, Magellan doesn't survive the three year adventure, but along the way the things he and his crew witness and discover are nothing short of amazing.
   This book is highly recommended.



2. This is the third Bergreen book I've read. While all are good and recommended, neither this book on Magellan nor his recent book Marco Polo: From Venice to Xanadu meet the very high standards of his earlier Louis Armstrong: An Extravagant Life.
   
   The lay out of chapters divided every page or so, makes this a faster read than its 400 pages imply. While it's easily readable, it is not totally satisfying. I can't fully identify the problem in separating why this good book (4 star) shouldn't be a very good (5 star) book.
   
   The prose seems to be weaker than that of the Armstrong biography... and having given my copy of Armstrong away, I can't fully or verify this. Like the Polo biography, this kind of travel book should have MAPS. The NASA maps seem to be filler, as though the publisher could not or would not find and label maps that fit the text.
   
   The portrait of Magellan is not consistent. While his navigational skills are unparalleled on this mission, his Christianity is warped. He is burning huts of people who can't even understand his language because they won't bow to his god. This is not insignificant for Magellan, the voyage or the afthermath. Bergreen seems to want to avoid a discussion of Magellan's hubris.



3. First things first: this history teacher strongly recommends reading this book. Magellan and the early European explorers have long been overlooked - I can only assume due to Politically Correct attitudes among "professional" historians at the university level. Too bad. One does not have to admire everything that Magellan, Columbus and the other explorers did to admire bravery, audacity and the urge to explore that these men displayed.
   
   Positives:
   
   -Bergreen's text is very approachable. He tells the story in a well-paced manner and sets up the political background quite well. His portrayal of Charles I and all of the crises he faced intrigues me so much that I am going to look for a big about him.
   
   -Bergeen uses research resources that have not been used before in a popular work - more information and perspectives is always better.
   
   Negatives:
   
   -Maps. This book has almost none, and the ones included are mostly examples of 16th century map work - they are not in conjunction with the text. Bergreen includes a NASA photo of the Straits of Magellan that I find as indecipherable as an ultrasound. A conventional map would have been so much more welcome.
   
   -Endnotes. Bergreen did a lot of research for this book, but he does not use a single note in the text (I would not let my high school students get away with this oversight). His endnotes are organized by chapter, but this style makes it very hard to tie specific facts with specific endnotes. Also, if you are going to make commentary in your endnotes, be a decent fellow and make them footnotes so the reader does not have to flip back and forth to the end to see your comments.
   
   -Opinion inserted into the text. It is impossible to eliminate bias from a work of history. The simple process of choosing what to include and what to leave out demonstrates that bias. However, several times Bergreen includes gratuitous comments about the commanders of Magellan's fleet after Magellan died. When critical of their choices, he would say things like "it was just the sort of mishap that Magellan would likely have prevented..." (363) and "Not even Magellan would risk taking one, and only one, ship all the way from the Spice Islands back to Spain." (363-4) One cannot know what Magellan would do and it is best to avoid (or at the very least, seriously limit) speculation.
   
   All of that being said, I still strongly recommend this book.



4. I am admirer of those great explorers of the past and this account of the first voyage of the Armada of Molucca is just impressive. All the courage that these sailors had navigating the unknown, all the miseries and sufferings that they had to endured, their descriptions of the new lands - the strait of All Saints and the spice Islands - make this story a fascinating reading. The author has written a great book about the first voyage round the world, with a precious bibliography.
   
   I had the oppotunity to know the Magellan Strait, even to be in the entrance of the strait, Punta Dungenes, and I recommend it to everyone. The southest parts of Chile are of immense beauty, solitude and great landscapes that makes you remember those explorer and navigators who had crossed the strait in the past. Althought this book does not have a map depicting the magellan strait, I managed to find one in Mateo Martinic's book "Historia del Estrecho de Magallanes", which is included in the bibliography. There you can see the trajectory of this voyage through the strait. Enjoy this book and visit the strait.
   
   Note: this book has also a spanish version, difficult to find.



5. This book illustrates skillfully Magellan's truly terrifying circumnavigation...
   
   The writing is intelligent, and I enjoyed both the historical adventure vividly depicted and the dreamlike departures from the narration to explanations and historical remarks. It is done with such skill that it does not break the flow of the story itself, but instead gives it more depth.