5 comments about South: The Last Antarctic Expedition of Shackleton and the Endurance.

1. SOUTH: THE LAST ANTARCTIC EXPEDITION
   
   Here is a list of equipment that Sir Ernest Shackleton did NOT have for his memorable Endurance expedition: GPS location finders; radio ; RADAR, SONAR; computerized navigation; professional medical care; thermal clothes; MRE'S (Meals Ready To Eat), double steel hull; air and logistical support, public relations agents; marketing proposals; lawyers.
   Shacketon's crew navigated with a sextant; traversed the icecap with dog sleds instead of ski-doos, and ate canned herring, tinned meat, pemmican, biscuits and occasional seals.
   
   What he did have was an old ship, a strong crew, an incredible work ethic, classic British stoicism and unerring sense of the right thing to do.
   
   His book reads like a Robert Louis Stevenson or H.G. Welles story, but it is the unvarnished truth. His matter -of -fact account is brilliantly illustrated by Frank Hurley's dramatic black & white photos of The Endurance encapsulated in ice, its masts and spars dripping frozen water like the maritime apparition in Melville's "Benito Cereno."
   I seriously doubt whether a modern expedition equipped with all the bells and whistles and sponsored with corporate money could duplicate what Shackleton's Endurance accomplished under the most adverse circumstances imaginable.
   Because the Endurance expedition occurred in 1914-15 at the start of World World War I
   Shackleton's accomplishment was largely overshadowed, and the Antarctic was all but forgotten until the `fifties and `sixties when its scientific and strategic value was rediscovered.
   Now, as the Antarctic ice cap melts from global warming, one wonders at Shackleton's accomplishment.



2. After more than a year of seeing pretty much nothing but ice and snow, and living in, at times, sub-zero temperatures, Sir Ernest Shackleton writes about his camp's current conditions; "Drifts four feet deep covered everything, and we had to be continually digging up our scanty stock of meat to prevent its being lost altogether... On this day, and for the next two or three also, it was impossible to do anything but get right inside one's frozen sleeping bag to try and get warm. Too cold to read or sew, we had to keep our hands well inside, and pass the time in conversation with each other." He's so matter-of-fact... no fluff here. He just tells it like it is. I love that about this book. The conditions worsen by leaps and bounds as the story continues, but I'll leave that for you to explore on your own. Anyway, the first few chapters are very informative regarding how the expedition was planned, where they were headed, how they got there, etc... for me, it started a little slow, but I understand why the writer wanted to include this information. So, then you get into the "meaty" survival stuff... and is it ever so fascinating. And for me, it's especially fascinating because it doesn't seem to be sugar-coated, as so many writers are proned to do when telling their story. In fiction, I don't mind so much the way a writer gives you every detail, written ever so eloquently, but when it comes to true stories... especially survival stories, I personally just want to hear the straight talk. A GREAT SURVIVAL STORY AND PERFECTLY WRITTEN for this reader.



3. When the Antarctic explorer ship Endurance became trapped by ice in the opening days of World War I, Sir Ernest Shackleton and his companions found themselves stranded for the winter. Months later, when the ice floe that had been their "home" became unstable as spring breakup began, the party - with their ship long since broken apart - took to their three open boats, and made their way to Elephant Island. There they set up a precarious camp, where most of the group waited while Sir Ernest and a few carefully chosen companions struck out for South Georgia. That South Atlantic island, 800 miles away, was known to have year-round British inhabitants.
   
   Those are the bare facts of one of the great true adventures, a story told here by Sir Ernest himself. His dry writing style may take some slogging, at first, for contemporary (especially American) readers; but his wit is equally dry, and his descriptions vivid. I was especially interested to note the differences between the Shackleton party's attitudes and those of today. Not only is this a magnificent survival tale (NOT ONE of Shackleton's men died!); it's also a snapshot of how those quintessential English explorers of another era thought about the world they were discovering. For better or for worse, how times and attitudes have changed!



4. What an expedition! There is a lot to be learned about leadership and survival by the adventurers on this journey. If you like men against the elements, who survive by their wits and never ever give up, this is the tale for you. A great winter read.



5. Shackleton was an amazing man full of true grit and true leadership. Among the many things that stand out in his story of survival is the importance of keeping a journal. Even after many supplies and equipment were left on the ice, the men were instructed to continue to carry their journals. And what if they had not? Where would be the true story that outshines most fictional adventure stories in the minds and imaginations of many, including myself?

   If you want to read more about Antarctica, I suggest T.H. Baughman's "Before the Heroes Came."

5 comments about The Sinking of the Titanic & Great Sea Disasters: Thrilling Stories of Survivors with Photographs and Sketches.

1. I find the reviews and the editor of the corrent listed book "Sinking of the Titanic Thrilling Stories Told by Survivors" interesting. My own copy is Blue Cloth with the same type of picture on the cover only the ship is going in the direction of the spine.

   My copy is called: MEMORIAL EDITION SINKING OF THE TITANIC THRILLING STORIES TOLD BY SURVIVORS and story authored by Jay Henry Mowbray, Ph.D..,LL.D. and published by The Mintor Company, Harrisburg, Pa. Entered According to Act of Congress in the year 1912, by Geo. W. Burton, The Office of the Librarian of Congress, at Washington D.C., U.S.A.

   This is a very interesting likeness to my own copy and if it is as interesting to read, is excellent study of human nature.




2. My father, before retiring, was an insurance saleman. Sometime in the early '60's, (I am now 48), a customer gave him what was an original hard-copy edition of this book (published in 1912). Although the cover isn't in the greatest shape, it is still usable. It was this book and the early '50's movie, Titanic, with Barbara Stanwick and Clifton Webb, that started a 40 some year interest in the events surrounding the Titanic, before, during and after her sinking. My interest has at least remained the same or increased.

   I find that the book has many interesting black & white pictures and towards the end lists other sea disasters up until that time.

   It also has a some information on the investigation of the sinking in it.

   If for no other reason, the fact that it came out the same year as the sinking is worthy of interest.




3. I have recently come across an "Advance Copy" of Logan Marshall's original book "The Sinking Of The Titanic And Great Sea Disasters". This is before the original was completed. It also contains complete bulk order sheets in the back of the book. The book states that the material in the book may be corrected or revised in completed book. I would appreciate any info that anyone could send me on this book, I cannot seem to find out anything about it. If anyone has any info. Please email me at rickcrispen@hotmail.com Thank You!



4. I have the original printing in good shape.Would be interested in knowing its value. I couldn't put the book down when I read it. I especially liked the survivor stories.



5. I have the original"Sinking of The Titanic and other great sea disasters" written by Logan Marshall. Copywrite 1912. Can you please inform me of possibly the value or importance of my book. Im 15 years old and recieved this book as a christmas gift. I would greatly appreciate your help in return. Please let me know any information you may have at my E-mail adress: snowbunny687@icqmail.com. Thanking you in advance Truly, Tina

No comments about The Man Who Made the Monitor: A Biography of John Ericsson, Naval Engineer.

1 comments about Kidnapped in the Amazon Jungle.

1. I read this book over a decade ago. I just can't believe no one has reviewed it. I just remember that it was really good. I'll try my best review it. It takes place in the Peruvian Amazon region during the rubber boom. Manuel is a young teen living in a dull town and anxious to join his uncle in the rubber tapping business. He goes against his mother's wishes. When sailing down the Amazon they are attacked by hostile Indians who resent the encroachment. Manuel is captured and very slowly integrated into the tribe. He assimilates their customs, including using hallucinogenic drugs for visions. He is eventually bestowed the honor of becoming the apprentice to the shaman, healer.
   
   I also highly recommend The Serpent and the Rainbow by Wade Davis. It deals with a similar subject.

2 comments about Fever & Thirst: A Missionary Doctor Amid the Christian Tribes of Kurdistan.

1. Before I read this book I knew little about this part of the world and nothing about the 19th-century missionary movement. The author writes with grace and confidence and has a reasssuring command of his subject. The book makes accessible a particularly complicated political arena and the motivations -- so foreign to a 21st-century reader -- of a passionate individual determined, at all costs, to bring Protestantism (and medical help) to the Christians of Kurdistan. Highly recommended.



2. An extraordinary book. This slice of 19th Century history, remarkable in its own right, is background to much of the strife in today's geopolitical news. My benchmarks for such things being David Fromkin's wonderful A Peace to End All Peace, and Karl Meyer's Tournament of Shadows, plus the works of Peter Hopkirk, I can safely say Taylor surpasses them all in rendering complex events, timelines, and relationships with clarity and immediacy. Fever and Thirst fills out an extra perspective on the machinations at the fringes of the Great Game, and serves up a hugely erudite portrait of fractious Christian attempts at empire-building in the Middle East circa 1840, mischief which remains at the heart of so much woe in that region. Taylor is not afraid occasionally to render sophisticated judgments on everything from the missionary's apolitical disengagement to the quality of the local wine (which I'll remember to forego should the occasion arise). It's reassuring that the author has opinions on his topic, and cares to express them. Likewise, that he can find some wry humor in such a tale of Romantic - even obsessive - zeal, despite the horrendous human cost he has catalogued. Fascinating detail and broad learning underpin the superbly sustained narrative (including some finer points of Christian theology, not to mention the history of the Ottoman Empire, about which it's hard to imagine many Westerner knowing a useful amount these days), and a controlled dramatic tone pushes the character-driven story forward. Fever and Thirst is particularly good at portraying the endless political chaos in the soul of the regions then nominally under Turkish domination, characterized by ever-shifting alliances, greed and betrayal. Artfully written and thoroughly enjoyable, the book offers lessons we may be thankful for, especially those that resonate with our contemporary experience, in particular the hubris, ignorance and fantasy at the heart of our misbegotten role as Crusaders still. Highly recommended.

5 comments about Fallen Astronauts: Heroes Who Died Reaching for the Moon.

1. As a keen observer of the space program from Mercury through Apollo, I was very impressed by the scholarship and professionalism of this book. Although I have researched many of these incidents, this book provided details that I had never seen. Congratulations on an excellent tribute to these brave individuals.



2. I'm keeping it short and sweet - If you want to know about the "unsung heroes" of the early space programs in the USA and former USSR, pick this book up and read it - you will see who these men really were, and how any one of them (Americans) could have been first on the moon, instead of Neil Armstrong.



3. Another excellent book from Mr. Burgess. I especially enjoyed the great level of detail in this book. Mr. Burgess even provides the astronauts' mothers' and wives' maiden names, their childhood addresses and many obscure yet interesting facts about their early careers. It was also interesting to learn how many of the astronauts had interacted with each other in the years before they joined NASA. While you know the eventual outcome of each chapter, I still found myself hoping it would somehow turn out differently.
   
   I had just started working for McDonnell Aircraft on Gemini 9 a few months before the crash of See and Bassett into the Gemini manufacturing building in St. Louis. This book clarified several details of the accident that had become fuzzy over the years.
   
   The epilogue was of interest to learn how many of the relatives and colleagues have moved on.



4. I read this book about three years ago, and enjoyed learning more about Elliot See, Ted Freeman, C.C. Williams, Ed Givens, Charlie Bassett, and Roger Chaffee. I didn't know that Freeman graduated from Annapolis in the same class as Ross Perot (1953), and I didn't know that both See and Chaffee were both Eagle Scouts. See is often noted as a "civilian", but he was a Navy Reservist, and stayed that way throughout his time in the Astronaut Corps.
   
   It was nice to learn about the Russian Cosmonauts, since I was familar with the deaths of Vladmir Komarov and the Soyuz 11 crew only. However, I was disappointed that Robert Lawrence was omitted. Lawrence was a MOL astronaut who was killed in a plane crash in October 1967. MOL was cancelled around the end of 1968. There were two other former MOL astronauts who were killed in plane crashes, but not while they were part of the Manned Orbiting Laboratory (MOL) project.
   
   The gravesites of Freeman, Williams, Chaffee, See, and Bassett can be found at Arlington National Cemetery. A few years ago, I found them and put flags on their graves. There's also a section of the Electrical Engineering Building at Texas Tech University named for Charlie Bassett. The library in Clear Lake is named for Ted Freeman. Colleagues of Freeman and Bassett have said that these men would most likely have had moon missions if they had not succumbed to early deaths. Buzz Aldrin dedicated his first book Return to Earth to Charlie Bassett, saying "to Charlie..whose place I took."



5. If you grew up in the 1960s and could name every astronaut and recount the details of each Mercury, Gemini, and Apollo mission (or, if you didn't), this outstanding work is a very important milestone and accurate record that enables us to remember the sacrifices made to reach the Moon. In great detail from the impressive research conducted by the authors, this book provides very rare insights into the lives of Astronauts Freeman, See, Bassett, Grissom, White, Chaffee, Givens, Williams, and the cosmonauts from the former Soviet Union. The book also dispels some rumors with respect to the accidents that took the lives of these skilled pilots and astronauts, as many of those rumors have been reported, merely repeated, and accepted in other accounts unfortunately as facts.
   
   Thank you for reminding us of a time when America tackled a monumental challenge, and allowing us to be more fully grateful for the lives lived and lost so that we could meet that national challenge and extend the spirit of exploration to the heavens.

5 comments about Left for Dead: My Journey Home from Everest.

1. I expected a dramatic book about mountaineering (in the beginning), survival, and determination but got mainly a memoir about family problems, bouts with depression, childhood and earlier climbs. I really tried to like Beck and I do admire his ability to come back from death and recover; but does one need all this drama and trauma to make a man realize that his family and loved ones come first and are the main things in life, and you don't have to climb a giant mountain to understand? In my observations, I always find obsessions a bit weird and off-center in life. In fairness to Beck, the 1996 story has been professionally and strategically told by others, so maybe he and his ghost writer had to fluff up the pages to make a book. There was definitely enough for a great magazine story but a stretch to find over 300 pages to keep the reader interested. Enough said...Beck, hope you're back on the job and helping others like so many helped you. Mabuhay!



2. For a real life story it does not get much more real than this, a passion becomes an obsession that takes away the hero status that he was aiming for in the first place? . I found it easy to read. A bit of soft filling in the middle and couldn't really relate to the relationship with his wife.



3. As one of the other reviewers had written, I too have becme nearly obsessed with the events surrounding the tragic events of May 1996. I have read every book I can find on the subject.
   
   Dr. Weathers book is very well written. It gives perspective from his wife and friends view as they waited his return and the sadness and then apprehension when they find he is still alive but in dire trouble.
   
   I'd highly recommend this book. it is inspirational - his courage - his acceptance of what happened.



4. If you like to read about real mountaineering, try a book by Joe Simpson or Jon Krakauer. If you want to read a book about a guy who blows off his family to climb, and all the damage he does because of it, then this book is ideal for you.
   
   I was hoping to read a survival story, instead I got family dynamics.



5. This book has a great title, as it sums up Beck Weathers' Mt. Everest experience.Unfortunately, this is the only great thing about this book. It is, at best, a mildly interesting book. The only truly interesting part is his recollection of the Everest trip and its immediate aftermath. His survival, which is truly amazing, is almost glossed over and turned into a sad soap opera about a marriage gone stale with time.
   
   It does seem that Beck's patient wife, Peach, had been ill treated in the sense that he would go off to do some amateur mountain climbing (with the emphasis on amateur), leaving her with the kids for weeks at a time and remaining incommunicado. Since her voice is interspersed throughout this book, you can see why he might want to get away. A more insipid voice, I can't imagine. She is what is bad about this book. Yet, at the same time it was her efforts, along with those of her friends, which were the catalyst for the herculean helicopter rescue by Colonel Madan K.C. who brought Beck down from the mountain. Still, she is an utter bore.
   
   What is good about the book is Beck's sense of humor and his indomitable spirit, which is undoubtedly what kept him alive in unbelievably harsh conditions on Everest. Though it is those like him who, financially able to go on these expeditions but lacking the technical skill to effectively navigate the harsh terrain, put themselves and others at risk. While it is clear that he was delighted to be rubbing shoulders with the mountaineering elite on Everest, it did not seem to dawn on him that he was just another foolhardy dilettante who, though having had some climbing experience, simply did not belong on Everest. It is this hubris which brought him to this pass. Quite frankly, given his description of his mountaineering efforts on some of the world's other tall peaks, it is a miracle he was not left for dead long before Everest.

5 comments about The Most Offending Soul Alive: Tom Harrisson and His Remarkable Life.

1. This is a fascinating biography of a man who can truly be considered a "hero in history" because he so personally designed his own life and lived by his own rules and yet had a huge impact. In this sense this is an inspiring biography of a man who in his individualism personified what Western culture is all about. But, the book is also a major contribution to history and social science in that it describes little known events about the war against Japan, the birth of survey data collection, etc. etc. A first rate job of writing and a hard to put down read. Herbert Weiss, Emeritus Professor, City University of New York



2. What a life! Tom Harrisson is hardly a household name in the US but he was one of those rather well-connected and well-educated British misfits who turned their lack of enthusiasm for the British Isles into a grand adventure. He served the waning empire both as a military man and as a civil servant. The high point of his military doings is the guerrilla war against the Japanese that he organized and fought in Borneo with the local population. That part of his life alone deserves a movie.

   After the war he went back to his long standing interests in botany, zoology and ethnography, keeping at some point turtles in his bathroom as part of a study of their migratory habits. All through his life there was much womanizing,boozing and boasting. The latter two mainly got him the reputation that the title of the book refers to. But there was also much serious scholarly work and real concern for the local population he worked closely with. The work produced several publications and a couple of documentary movies.

   As Judith Heimann, who knew Harrisson personally and researched his life for about 10 years, tells the story, his contributions to ethnography have been underrated because of his unorthodox methods and his knack for making enemies. Of course, without that approach he would be a much less interesting character and a less engaging writer: after having read this book, one is actually curious about reading Harrisson's own books.

   However, don't skip this biography. It is a great read: carefully researched, well-written and not over-interpreted as so may biographies tend to be these days.




3. Tom Harrisson did more different things in his life than any human being should be allowed to, and did them all outstandingly. And Judith Heimann does a remarkable job of following across continents and professions as he goes from one amazing adventure to the next. He was a war hero, an anthropologist, a naturalist, a pollster and much else. He was also a very difficult person who alienated many people, left a trail of broken hearts, and sorely neglected his children. But he was one of the most colorful and memorable men of his generation, and Heimann's terrific research and fine writing takes you along for an astounding ride. Once you've met Tom, you won't forget him.



4. If the purpose of a book is to inform, entertain and delight - Ms. Heimann's book rates A+. Tom Harrisson must have been one of the most gifted persons of the 20th Century. His contributions in many fields of science were incredible. In his early 20's he became a veteran of scientific expeditions to the Arctic and Borneo with oustanding treatises on ornithology to his credit. His scientific pursuits only began there. He provided basic work, inter alia, in sociology, anthropology, ethnology as well as market research and documentary filmmaking! He was too brilliant for formal training and avoided it all his life to the chagrin and jealousy of many with degrees.

   An outstanding leader in WWII, he formed a small army of headhunters with deadly blowguns to drive the Japanese from the jungles of Borneo. This he did with a handful of losses while inflicting casualties in the thousands on the Japanese. Harrisson was no diplomat and often seemed to enjoy rubbing people the wrong way. Although his enemies were legion, he had a way with women. The book's title provides the kernel of his story. From Henry V, the full quotation is:

   But if it be a sin to covet honor, I am the most offending soul alive.

   This book demands reading.




5. It seems impossible to imagine capturing the full and complex life of this man in book form but Heimann has done so - carrying out Harrrison's own plan for his autobiography. He had intended to be to be "self-pitiless", and this accountspares us no `warts'- but what fascinating warts! I am convinced that he would have been profoundly grateful to the author for this recording of his life. Only when fairly measured against the flaws of character and errors of judgment can we fully appreciate his amazingly varied contributions to human knowledge (on human behavior as well as that of birds,orangutans, turtles...) He said of himself that his greatest task was to keep up with himself but he gave it a gallant try, writing as much as 8000 words a day on a wide variety of subjects. One of his better known exploits was the creation of a team which discreetly observed the British public during WW II, getting a feel for the people's frame of mind, in ways that make today's polls look slapdash and superficial.

   Heimann makes it clear why Harrisson was more comfortable during his many years in Borneo (among other difficult travels) than he was back `home' in England, happier in the long houses with the various tribes he came to know and love, getting drunk with them and carousing with their women. His beloved tribesmen later gathered to help rid the Island of the Japanese near the end of the war (some using their blow pipes).

   The knowledge he acquired was never fully accepted by the academic community, due to his lack of formal training, but as Heiman points out, he contributed more to our knowledge of both anthropology and archaeology of Sarawak, where he was a museum curator among other things, than was garnered by specialists in either field in other areas of Southeast Asia. Throw in ornithology - his first love as a student - always a strong interest....and protection of orangutans, and green sea turtles.

   Harrisson had incredible energy, and an amazing lack of requirements for personal comfort, suffering every imaginable discomfort and disease, walking miles through jungle, climbing mountains at a brisk pace, and expecting the same from his behind-the-lines soldiers in the interior of Borneo during the war. He would eat anything, without complaint - had good survival skills! But in what is referred to as polite sociey he often behaved outrageously, being rude, picking fights and in fact being "the most offending soul alive." He had a dreadful talent for offending people who were later able to get back at him and cause a great deal of harm.

   This review could go on and on - buy the book! I am simply amazed at the amount of research that Ms. Heimann has done; there is no stone unturned, yet all this is laid out for us with no unwelcome suppositions on her part - he left plenty of traces without having to invent them - rather one feels led along by someone with a wise and balanced understanding of her subject. Some books about extraordinary people leave disappointing, pale images - the reader longs for a quick glimpse of the real McCoy. Heimann has been able to bring us Tom Harrisson alive and kicking, even while including the immense amount of details that needed to be sorted through and pulled together to describe his life. Bravo!

3 comments about Pioneer in Tibet: The Life and Perils of Dr. Albert Shelton.

1. The author says it best. "Shelton was a complex creature, a man who craved both adventure and social esteem, a doctor who practice medicine intermittently, a missionary who seldom preached, a devout family man who endangered himself and his family in a perilous post" (page 214)
   
   Wissing has written a fine biography of Albert Shelton, a frontiersman from Kansas and the founder of the first missionary station in Batang, Tibet in 1908. The borderlands between Tibet and China in those days were a battleground and Shelton entered into the fray as a missionary, hunter, collector and seller of Tibetan antiquities, interpreter, and advisor to Tibetan rebels. He became famous in America, especially after being held captive by Chinese bandits for more than a month.
   
   The author covers the complex politics of both the Tibetan marches and the missionary establishment. Shelton is not altogether an admirable character; he seems more interested in constant exploration and collecting art treasures than he does in spreading the Gospel, and he obviously basks in his fame. His dream was to be the first Protestant missionary in Lhasa and he was on the road to achieving that when he met his dramatic end in 1922, an end that befitted the character of the man.
   
   If you're interested in Tibet, missionaries, and China this is an excellent book to read. Shelton could be a prototype for a somewhat more pious version of Indiana Jones.
   
   Smallchief



2. Wissing accomplished the task of flattening the Himalayas with his two dimensional portrayal of the Sheltons, the Chinese, the Tibetans, and the continent of Asia. He glossed over the Unequal Treaties, Opium War, or any other conflicts with the West that would cast doubt on the altruistic motives of the missionaries and ruin his "feel good" story. The book lacked any perspective to place the Sheltons in, and thereby deprived a lot of their work of meaning. I was left with no clue that they rode out a two revolutions, that Dr. Shelton was a great diplomat, or even how high up Tibet is, other than an occasional sideways reference. There was a lot of potential for a very good and interesting book about Dr. Shelton, but either by accident or intent it was left with the substance of a "Chicken Soup" book.



3. Well, people didn't like my review, so I guess I'll just have to rewrite it. :P Here goes:
   
   In response to the other reviewer's comments, this is a book about a man's life in a place and a time. It's not a book about the political climate of a land during a certain span of years (though I thought the author did include enough information to paint a sense of context). Take this excerpt for example:
   
   "countless goods made their way via this route, but by far the most important was tea. Tea was China's most valuable export to the Tibetan, Turkic, and Mongolian peoples who formed an arc at the periphery of the Celestial Kingdom. The brick tea trade was integral to Chinese-Tibetan commerce, politics, military history, and social intercourse. The trade dated back to the late Tang Dynasty (618-907), when the first loads of tea..."
   
   You make the call. I know a good amount about Tibet, it's height, and its history already. Like I said before, if you want to know more about Younghusband's violent push into Tibet's interior, well sorry, that's not the focus of this book--It's about Albert Shelton. But if you don't know anything about Tibet, maybe you'll feel as the other reviewer did--fair warning (though I do disagree with him). I myself would have liked to seen more detailed maps of the cities and routes that Shelton traveled along (though there are maps, they're just not thorough enough).
   
   I thought that Wissing's account did a good job of displaying what a certain missionary's life was like in Tibet during the early 1900's. Far from painting the picture of an altruistic superchristian, at times Wissings account left me lamenting Albert's poor choices. In the beginning he seems to be an adventure hungry, inexperienced person. It take him and his family years to even like the Tibetan culture and not to look down ethnocentric noses at it. Thankfully it isn't as prevalent today in missionary circles, but back then people were often ignorant of other cultures and at times horribly nationalistic. It is really sad to hear accounts of those who never really got the Apostle Paul when he said "I become all things to all people, that I might win some to Christ". I personally found it intriguing to see this change in Shelton.
   
   The book also has many interesting accounts of exchanges between Shelton and the Tibetans. The meeting of two cultures, and two faiths, had amazing results at times. With Tibet's relcutance to change in general, I wouldn't be surprised if these were things one could still experience if they went to the right places. There is also an interesting look through Albert's journal into a Christian man's dealing with imminent death and intense pain while he was being hauled around by bandits who kidnapped him. That is a personal account that you won't find the likes of most places and the worth of the book could be found alone in that.
   
   I refuse to go into a detailed account of Shelton's general life because I believe the "book description" above does a well enough job, and you can read that.
   
   Lastly, Wissing is a journalist. He writes well, and the book is pleasing to read (as far as biographies go--if you not a biography person, why are you even bothering?). Like any biography it has its share of facts and the recalling of accounts, but I think Wissing did a good job of balancing everything out in a way that rarely overwhelms the reader.

2 comments about Smithy: The Life of Sir Charles Kingsford Smith.

1. I was reading this book on a visit to NZ, flying from Los Angeles to Auckland. This put Smithy's epic adventures in a new light...as a commercial pilot myself, I could start (just start)to appreciate the problems they encountered, let alone the fear they must have felt... An excellent book, well researched, and as the review states, "not a dull page in the book". Well done Ian.



2. While i confess to not having read any other books on Sir Charles, I have an appreciation of sorts through the many Smithy stories i had grown up with. My father had worked at Brisbane airport where the Southern Cross stands today and as a boy i recall him telling me Smithy stories as we walked around the old plane. Naturally, 70 odd years after the epic flight, traffic streams past and no one gives it a second glance (although oddly this amazing historical icon is almost hidden from view). I wonder how many young Australians today know who this man is and what he contributed to world aviation.

   This book offered a smorgasboard of adventure and excitement and really does put into perspective the amazing feats this man accomplished. It also shows to us a character that was flawed in many ways. Smithy is portrayed as being reckless, selfish and irresponsible and yet also often displayed amazing courage, determination and humour. The book seems factually thorough while continues to flow nicely and is really an entertaining read.

   This book would provide an ideal starting point for a film, that could further document and publicise, not only Smithy but all those other early aviation pioneers. Just so many amazing flights amidst so much danger and often so much fun.

   A great story of a legend from a time when you really had to do something to earn that epithet.