This book greatly improved my knowledge of North American glaciation and how glaciation affected the distribution of fishes. I especially enjoyed the way the chapters of the book are divided by drainages. This book is very informative and a must for those who are trying to explain the distribution of certain fishes in North America

Charles H. Whedbee really captures the spirit of good storytelling in this book. I really enjoy going to the Outer Banks, and his books create a romantic mood to the lore and legends of such a wonderful place. Any book by Mr. Whedbee is a book worth reading.

I found this selection of stories compiled and penned by Charles Harry Whedbee in this book entitled 'Blackbeard's Cup and Stories of the Outer Banks' to be remarkable. They are short, but well written mysteries, anecdotes and tales about a facinating region of the country called the Outer Banks. This book is more than just another collection of stories about a region of the country, the author actually conveys some personal experiences in living in the region that merit some attention. I found the entire collection to be quite enjoyable, but particularly the stories entitled: 'The Guns of Vandemere', 'Sir William Shakespeare's Wreck' and most of all 'Horace and the Coinjock Charade'. This last one about a mule named Horace literally had me laughing out loud, and was worth the entire book above all! You will enjoy this author's unique insight to the particular's about the region, as well as his attention to detail on the facts that really matter in telling a good story. I have read many collections of stories about North Carolina, particularly because I have a personal facination with the region, especially the Outer Banks, but this this collection is one of the better ones. This book also gives some intriguing history on the pirate Blackbeard. If you are looking to read a few good tales about this region, then this book would be a good one for you to start with as all of the stories are quite entertaining. This author has written five collections of North Carolina stories in all, so if you find you like this one, there are more to explore. Whedbee spins a great tale!

I have loved the Outer Banks of North Carolina for some time now.Charles Harry Whedbee gives a well written account of some of the mysteries and legends surrounding the area in this, and all, his books.Basically, this book is just a collection of stories he has recovered from local people.I wish he still lived so he could share more of his love of North Carolina with fans.

This is a very entertaining and informative book. It includes everything and more on what I need to know about the properties of various rocks.

As I am a big fan of communal stoning this book proves to be an invaluable resource. There is nothing more embarrassing than choosing the wrong type of rock at a stoning. I unwittingly chose a rock of very brittle consistency during a recent stoning I attended. You can imagine how foolish I looked when my stone merely disintegrated as it bounced off of my intended targets forehead. I still haven't lived that painful episode down, much to the amusement of my fellow stoners. My nickname is "Ole Softie" now.

Take a lesson from my faux pas; pick up this book before you are made to look the fool.

This book is a must have for any experienced rockhound. The field guide sorts mineral specimens by color and then further subdivides them by crystal habit. The color plates are nicely photographed and direct the reader to the corresponding pages which contain all the mineralogic characteristics of the specimens. All the information a rockhound could possibly desire, including North American collecting locales is contained within.

This would not be a suitable book for a beginner in the field as the retrieval of information would not be easily done by a novice. As a long time serious collector, despite the approximately 800 pages, many popular minerals have been omitted.

This fieldguide is probably one of the best fieldguides out there on rocks and minerals. Being a geology student at Ohio State, I found this book very helpful in the identification of minerals and rocks. It contains an identification key according to hardness and cleavage for minerals, and a key pertaining to rock fabric and hardness for rocks. These keys are integeral to quick identification. One thing I don't like about this book is that the pictures and the text are in two seperate sections. That and the rock section of the book is somewhat lacking. But the main types of rocks are touched upon. However, the book is filled with information, and is very helpful. If you aren't a geologist of sorts, it is somewhat technical, but offers a good glossary of terms, and explains cleavage and other mineral properties well. Overall, an excellent fieldguide for identifying rocks and minerals.

I agree with all the reviewers that the 200+ photographs in the book are first-class. The names of Art Wolfe, David Muench, John Shaw, and Willian Neil alone should guarantee that much. The only big complaint I have is that a lot of large-format photographs are splitted onto twoadjacent pages (about 3/4 on one page and 1/4 on the other page). This essentially ruins the composition of those beautifule photographs because it naturually draws your eyes to the split area, regardless of the photographers' intended focus. (In fact, in a number of photographs, the focus is in the split area). Instead of the book's 9 in x 12 in portrait format, they should have used the 12 in x 9in landscape format to avoid the two-page split. Mr. Middleton has a lot to learn about book design. As is, I don't think the book is worth its full [item price]. If you want to have it, buy it used at cheaper prices.

I keep this book on the coffee table and thumb through it often. Every time I do, I see something new and wonderful. Originally I bought the book because I know Bill Fortney and thought it would be neat to own his book and I'd have some nice pictures, too. WELL, did I learn a lesson! I have grown to love this book as a reminder of the awesome love and power of God who created all the beautiful places these gifted photographers have captured--from the simple to the majestic. Anyone can take a picture but this is art! ...

This is a most facinating book with the writings and photography excellent in every way. I am very impressed with all of it.

This is an excellent book for anyone interested in Cavaliers, from the pet owner to the breeder and show exhibitor. Full of specific information related to Cavaliers and personal anecdotes, all aspects of the breed are covered, including history, health, grooming, breed standard, breeding, and Cavaliers in art. Photos and/or drawings illustrate every page - show champions as well as informal photos show the charm of the breed. I have several books on Cavaliers, but this is the best, and the one that I always recommend to others.

Any dog lover--but especially Cavalier lovers--will love this beautiful book. It is by far the most comprehensive book ever written about this wonderful breed. What a find! I highly recommend it.

I Loved the cavalier art.
Good treatment of breed standard.
Superb pen & ink illustrations to show breed standard. What artist did these?

A children's story that may be read on several different level's, North Wind is a timeless work of literature. Eagerly anticipated and listened to by the children I read it to, the story also strikes deeply at our adult sense of spirituality. This is the kind of writing that brings back the rewarding closeness of reading aloud to others. Too bad we don't do more of this.

This children's book has had a profound impact on my faith and spirituality. It is a book I have read and re-read over the years, especially when I am struggling with my faith. The story, Diamond's relationship with the North Wind, satisfies one on an almost mystical level. Its simple, beautiful story leaves one knowing that no matter what happens in the world, God is God; and we can rest assured that He is in control. We can be at peace, in spite of the pain and evil in the world.

Don't look for answers. Simply read the story and let it wash over you. If you have the faith of a child, you will not be unaffected.

This enchanting classic is as lively and moving to read as the day it was written. There is no Victorian stodginess or moralizing here. I remember reading an essay where Simone Weil lamented over the difficulty of portraying goodness in literature--in fiction evil seemed to dominate. Well here in the character of the lad Diamond is one of the most convincing evocations of human goodness and saintliness in literature, childrens' or adult. One is reminded of St. Francis of Assisi when contemplating Diamond; his purity, innocense, and unselfconsciousness float right off the page. I especilly call your attention to the dialogue between Diamond and his mother on the beach as she tries hopelessly to explain to him that now they are poor. His sublimely worldly (and yet otherworldly )responses are both hilarious and deeply moving. One of MacDonald's core beliefs, so often and passionately stated throughout his writings, is here given flesh and blood: goodness is truth.

Although I lack military experience, I must say that this novel is perhaps one of the greatest military biographies I have read. Perhaps the reason this novel is so enjoyable, is because you have absolutely no idea what story will be told next. Furthermore, if you are like me, you possbily never even heard the name Carlos Hathcock before.

This biography was very enjoyable, because it kept me on the edge of my seat. The personal stories of Hathcock, and eyewitness accounts are amazing. I can't fathom an individual who can shoot a gun accurately at 2,000 yards. But this novel gets you in close and personal with a person who lived by the motto, "one shot, one kill" at a distance of over 1,000 yards.

Henderson, the author, does a great job of describing Hathcock, and his missions by using expert witnesses and documents. Merely page through the bibliography to see the amount of research that Henderson did for this novel, and you will realize that this book must be pretty close to the absolute truth.

Overall, this book is fantastic, due to the missions that are explained in here. Henderson makes you feel right at home with this legend, and creates a lively image on each mission. As a result, this novel is easy to read, because it is a page-turner. Henderson also does an excellent job as to explain the mentality of Hathcock towards the Marines and towards the art of sniping. I never realized that a person who is a sniper must have a unique mentality in order to do this job. And Henderson shows that sniping is not for everyone.

The novel also immortalizes Hathcock as a hero and a leader.....as it should. Hathcock was at the top of his field, and literally designed the manual for this new class in the military. But his ideas have found there way into SWAT teams, and police forces through the world. Hathcock was a hero, who ultimately paid the price for his bravery in the Vietnam war. This novel is a must read for all individuals, not just the military type person!

Do you know what its like to be a Marine sniper? Charles Henderson's Marine sniper give the reader the explosive adventure of Carlos Hathcock, one of the Marines best snipers. This biography was very enjoyable, because it kept me on the edge of my seat. The personal stories of Hathcock, and eyewitness accounts are amazing. I can't fathom an individual who can shoot a gun accurately at 2,000 yards. But this novel gets you in close and personal with a person who lived by the motto, "one shot, one kill" at a distance of over 1,000 yards.
Henderson uses a unique style of writing using his first chapter as his hook to capture the reader and make them read. Then he slows down and gives the reader important side information about characters and setting. The tone of the characters changes frequently throughout the book. Moods especially for instance Hnderson uses the romantic atmosphere when explaining simple life in the US during the war to soften the reader then, quickly, changes to an optimistic tone while Hathcock is on the hunt. In writing a book,characterization is an important element needed to give the reader some idea on how that character will act. Henderson describes Hathcock as the sniper, the big game hunter, poacher, marksman, calm steady and openminded. Hathcock and Land discuss these features one night in camp, "You'll go home next month with more than eighty kills and the Marine corps might just might want to do something about that". "Thats my point, like it or not you are the super sniper".
Henderson does a great job describing Hathcock and his mission by using authentic documents within this biography. Just about every page is cramed with research on Carlos. So you can see why its a true story. Immortaliy to being a great leader and hero are percieved throughout the novel since Hathcock was the best of the best. This book is great for all reader military or not and is a must read. Hathcock's ideas haven't only inspired the military in tactics but also police and swat teams around the globe.

While I myself didn't follow in my dad's footsteps as a Marine (he was Marine Air Group 61 in WWII--HURRAH!) but went in the Air Force instead (Security Forces--HOOAH!), the Corps still holds a special place in my heart, and reading this gripping story of Carlos Hathcock's exploits reminded me of why I will always love the Corps, even if I didn't wind up joining. Reading the book has made Gunny Hatchcock one of my all-time heroes, and it made me wish to hell the USAF had a sniper program! I lent this book to one of my SF buddies in exchange for Charles Sasser's "One Shot, One Kill" (another great read). America lost a true hero a couple of years back when Carlos passed away, and may God rest his soul. Kudos to Charles Henderson for at least keeping this outstanding troop's memory alive! Semper Fi!

Soldier Sahibs is an old-fashioned and unapologetically imperialist book. And writer Charles Allen makes sure you know what you are getting into by giving it the flagrantly politically incorrect subtitle: The Daring Adventurers Who Tamed India's Northwest Frontier. But imperialist does not necessarily mean inaccurate and Allen has taken a good deal of trouble to get his facts right. The book claims to tell "The astonishing story of a brotherhood of young men who together laid claim to the most notorious frontier in the world, India's North-West Frontier,
which today forms the volatile boundary between Pakistan and Afghanistan."
The men in question include John Nicholson, Harry Lumsden (founder of the Guides), Herbert Edwardes, William Hodson, James Abbot and Neville Chamberlain. Protégés of Sir Henry Lawrence, these men were responsible for laying the foundations of British rule in the Punjab and the Northwest Frontier. The author's intent is to tell the story of these young men and through their adventures, give the reader an idea of how the British conquered - or, as he would prefer, "pacified" - the 'wild' Northwest Frontier of India.
But while Soldier Sahibs gives a very readable account of the adventures of these (surprisingly) young men, it is not possible to piece together the broader history of those times from his book. Why the British were here in the first place and what were the factors that made a small island in Europe more powerful than any kingdom in India do not form any part of Allen's concerns. Nor does he waste much time explaining the situation in the Punjab or of the East India Company at that time. In fact, the author does not even provide a map of the vast area over which his protagonists established their rule. If you are totally at sea about those times, then you may have to read a few other books to fully appreciate the goings-on in this one. But if you are one of those enthusiasts who cannot get enough of the Raj, the mutiny and all that jazz, then you will definitely enjoy this book. Its written in authentic 'Flashman' style, with wit and verve and loads of 'local color'.
The English heroes may appear larger than life but by all accounts some of them indeed were larger than life. And being Englishmen, they left us a veritable storehouse of laconic and understated wisecracks. These include Nicholson walking into the mess to tell his fellow officers: "I am sorry gentlemen, to have kept you waiting for your dinner, but I have been hanging your cooks." (The cooks had apparently poisoned the food but were detected and hanged, and dinner was served half an hour late).
Though Nicholson gets the most lines in the book, the stories of Edwardes of Peshawar and Bannu and Abbot of Abbotabad are also told in some detail. William Hodson, the villain who executed Bahadur Shah Zafar's sons, also gets a sympathetic hearing. We are told surprisingly little about Sir Henry Lawrence, who is supposedly the godfather of this fraternity. And it is not always clear why certain officer's lives are described in detail and others get only cursory mention. Lack or availability of sources may be the explanation for that .
In these times, it is impossible to read such a book and not look for parallels with the current efforts at "pacifying" Afghanistan. But these British adventurers and their peculiar code of life are poles apart from the westerners who are now coming to bring us into the civilised world. Occasionally, Madison Avenue will try to create a suitable heroic image for some American colonel or diplomat but the substance of this new empire is very different from the last one and so are its agents.
Nicholson and company may have been bigoted, male chauvinist psychopaths, yet they also had undoubted personal courage and their own peculiar brand of love of justice. In the Pakhtuns and the Punjabis, they found not just enemies, but also friends and fellow adventurers. It is fashionable these days to describe their local supporters as 'traitors' who took the side of a 'foreign power'. But to the Sikhs, Punjabi Muslims and Pakhtuns who fought under Nicholson to reconquer Delhi, the capital was was as much a foreign power as the British. And these British officers had always respected their honour and treated them fairly. They provided an administration that was in many ways a big improvement over the 'locals' they had replaced. In fact, it would not be remiss to say that the Punjabis and Pakhtuns who fought for the British were men of higher character and personal courage than almost any of their current detractors. Many things have improved since Nicholson rode across the plains of the Punjab blowing mutineers from canons but it is hard to avoid the suspicion that some things have also deteriorated.

This book is a good description of Indian history from about 1830 to 1857 culminating in the Indian Mutiny.

It is about the men who commanded the NW Indian territories on behalf of the East India Company and principally about one hero called John Nicholson. Despite the subtitle, this book is a great deal more than short biographic narratives about the men. It is the seam of their environment that provides half the interest consisting of geographical descriptions, the attitudes of Indians and how the British and "Indians" conducted their business.

There are some gripping accounts of bloody battles on horseback, with bits being chopped off and we can see that films like Gladiator are the tip of the iceberg when it came to hand to hand horseback combat before the 20th century. The men and horses were brave and some of them knew what they wanted and how to get it. This is particularly true in how the violent Pakhtun tribes in Pakistan were bought to heel. As aliens, the British succeeded in creating order (as they were neutral) between parties like Sikhs, Muslims and Hindus who could easily foment religious rivalry between themselves. The British had an art to how they brought about law and order and we can see it was no small accomplishment.

There is a certain amount of bigotry and imperialism in operation which is quite clear, but these were the days before the British became complacent and divorced themselves from Indian culture at the beginnings of the 20th century, which eventually created the independence movement that lead to partition.

Sikhs today feel left out of a homeland that was owed to them by the British. This is a book that shows how loyal Sikhs were to the British and the background to their territorial claims.

Charles Allen is a fine author and this book deserves praise. The war in it and many quotations make the book quite gripping and one hopes some people today are made of the same stuff as certain aspects of the men described - though not all of those aspects.

In his prologue, Charles Allen lays out the approach he will take Soldier Sahibs. This is not to be read so much as a comprehensive history examining the social issues or complexities of the expansion of British rule out of India and into the North-West Frontier (now partially in Afghanistan and partially in Pakistan), but as a true-to-life "boy's adventure" story. The tale is of John Nicholson (one of Allen's forbearers) and the other Young Men who, under the guidance of Henry Lawrence, help spread the reach of the East India Company.

And what a tale it is: culture clashes, petty bureaucrats, noble savages. Allen draws heavily upon the letters, diaries and reports of the principle heroes of the tale, leading to a history that is drenched in Victorian stereotypes and ideals. With this caveat in mind, however, Allen does a great job of bringing the modern reader into the world walked by Nicholson and his compatriots. The writing draws in the reader with fantastic tale after fantastic tale, starting with a brief biography of Nicholson and of the East India Company and ending with the lifting of the siege of Delhi during the Sepoy Rebellion. There are lots of vignettes highlighting life in the service of "John Company" and the British Empire and the inevitable culture clashes that occurred across the subcontinent.

Oh, and for those keeping track at home, the subtitle "The Daring Adventurers Who Tamed India's Northwest Frontier" appears to be the work of a copywriter at the U.S. publisher, Carroll & Graf. The original U.K. subtitle is "The Men Who Made the North-West Frontier," which doesn't have as much flash, but doesn't seem as harsh as "tamed."

(Reviewed copy was the 2001 paperback version, printed in the U.K. by Abacus.)

Charles Pellegrino's earlier book about the Titanic, "Her Name, Titanic," remains one of the better books on the subject. Instead of rewriting that book, Pellegrino chose to write what he suspects will be the second book of a Titanic trilogy (with a third volume planned for 10 to 12 years hence). Pellegrino has the advantage of knowing almost everyone involved in the discovery of and expeditions to the Titanic, including Robert Ballard and George Tulloch, formerly of Titanic International, and he actually accompanied the 1996 expedition. He also is close to Walter Lord and has interviewed a number of Titanic survivors. This puts Pellegrino in a particularly useful position to portray the Titanic disaster in 3 dimensions while banging no particular drum. Pellegrino is also something of a polymath. He's interested in everything, as readers of his previous books can attest. He's probably the closest thing going to Isaac Asimov since the late Dr. A passed away. Given this, there are some real irritants here. I'd like to see all of Pellegrino's quotations and information cited. At the very least I'd like his assurance that none of the dialogue, particularly dialogue supposed to have taken place aboard the Titanic, is invented. It's also startling to see him consistently misspelling the name of Lord Mersey, the jurist in charge of the British inquiry, and of the Leyland Line, owners of the Californian, throughout the book. I find it a little difficult to believe that Pellegrino apparently buys into James Cameron's line that the ship would have been even more badly damaged had it hit the iceberg headon. Frankly, I can't think of a case in which the rammer came off worse than the rammee. Also, Pellegrino's interest in everything occasionally detracts as he flits from subject to subject without, sometimes, completing his original thought. But these are minor irritants, and I only mention them with the hope that Pellegrino will see them and make corrections in future editions. This book is extremely valuable and brings absolutely new information to the public attention. Especially useful is Pellegrino's careful forensic analysis of the Californian controversy, and his similar treatment of the iceberg sighting. According to this new information, the iceberg was sighted when so close to the Titanic that the ship actually collided with it almost as soon as the officers began to react, rendering unimportant earlier arguments about the size of the ship's rudder. Also very interesting are the results of studies into the rusticle formations that are speedily consuming the ship. It's fascinating to learn that new insights into biology are coming from these studies. There's a lot of really good new data here, and I recommend this book with only the minor reservations noted above. Needless to say, I'll be waiting eagerly, in ten or so years, for Pellegrino's next book on this seemingly inexhaustable topic.

Did the N.Y. Times give a scientist a raw deal? I think so. First off, Pellegrino really does his homework, and that is a fact, not a fantasy. In the Discovery Channel Expeditions he is listed, aboard the Research Vessels at the wreck site, as "Underwater Archaeologist" and "Scientist at large." Simply go to Robert D. Ballard's book, "Discovery of the Titanic," and you will see that Dr. Ballard himself credits Pellegrino with the archaeological analysis that produced the "downblast theory." This analysis (still on-going) was begun during the winter 1985 expedition to the hydrothermal vents on the Galapagos Rift (A famous Ballard expedition in its own right! See Pellegrino's "Her Name, Titanic.") As for the reality of survivor's quotes, just a random flip-through reveals: Page 220, "Excerpt from a letter to Walter Lord... March 29, 1956..." Page 196: "Leading fireman Charles Hendrickson testified...Oiler Fred Scott told... Examiner Hharbinson [at the British Inquiry]..." Throughout the book, the author specifically cites who said what to whom and when - (eg: Captain Smith's and Mr. Strauss' last words to Mrs Henry Harris, as recorded in Mrs. Harris' diary) - hardly worthy of an accusation of "circus barking and fantasy." See also for example, Pellegrino's careful, point-by-point analysis of the evidence supporting James Cameron's theory that the entire five story, solid oak structure of the Titanic's grand stairway developed many tons of positive buoyancy and broke free of its mountings as the bow went underwater (which the NY Times calls a "flimsy idea" - as if the notion that wood floats is a "wild assertion"). Anyone who assumes that the N.Y. Times actually put Mr. Parfit's "book review" through a legal review prior to publication needs to be enlightened: Book reviews are allowed, by the law, almost total freedom to get the facts wrong because strict deadlines are automatically assumed. Moreover, a reading of the N.Y. Times review will reveal from the very first paragraph that the author, Parfit, was writing at an almost hysterical, vengeful pitch. You cannot read this without finding the thrashing itself entertaining, and wondering, "What did Pelligrino do to get the Times so mad at him?" A reading of the recently published decision by the N.Y. State Supreme Court. Appellate Division (June 27, 2000, Index No. 100423/99) might - just might - shed some light on this. A writer for the N.Y. Times had, in 1998, accused Pellegrino, in his book "Unearthing Atlantis" of falsely associating himself with the family of the famous Greek archaeologist Spyridon Marinatos, and even stealing credit for Marinatos's "Thera theory." (Sound familiar?) All the way up through the appellate court, the accusation was ruled unanimously as "patently false and susceptible to defamatory meaning." People who win libel cases can often be heard to complain about the original lie, the original accusation, being literally shouted by the media while the vindication, coming years later, gets a barely whispered "only kidding" somewhere behind page 74 of the classifieds in the times. Pellegrino's deal seems a little more raw than that. In his case, only days or weeks after the matter was settled, the Times came out with a "book review" reiterating similar charges (we read that Pellegrino falsely associated himself with the famed oceanographer Robert Ballard, and now even tries to steal some credit for Ballard's discovery of the Titanic). Book reviews, as I have indicated above and as any lawyer can tell you, are virtually sue-proof. Translation? Legally, anyone who wants to couch character assassination in a book review can get away with it. Coincidence? Maybe. But does it not have the disturbing stench of pay-back?

"Ghosts of the Titanic" is the second book in what Charles Pellegrino promises will be a trilogy about the sinking of the RMS Titanic in 1912. It is primarily a much-needed thorough forensic analysis of the ship's sinking, based on data from recent expeditions to the site, never before published or analyzed journals, letters and interviews with witnesses, and information from the original investigations of the disaster. What physically happened to the ship at every moment from just before its impact with the iceberg until it hit the ocean floor is spelled out in detail. Some helpful diagrams are included as well. I was amazed and fascinated by how much of the activities on board the Titanic during its final hours could be reconstructed when all eyewitness accounts are considered. Among other things, new information may exonerate Captain Smith of much of the blame for the tragedy, while thrusting Bruce Ismay of the White Star Line and Captain Lord of the Californian into even harsher light than previously imagined. As is typical of Charles Pellegrino's books, "Ghosts of the Titanic" is written in the order in which the information came to light instead of being organized by topic. This creates a sense of anticipation and allows the reader to understand the Titanic in ever-increasing depth, little by little, just as Dr. Pellegrino and his colleagues did. But the lack of conventional organization may frustrate some readers, and it means you don't find out about some crucial details until the end of the book. All in all, a fascinating account of what people did to sink a ship in 1912 and what goes on at the bottom of the ocean today as a result.

This is an excellent account of the first state-sponsored American attempt to reach the North Pole. Headed by the single-minded Captain Charles Hall, this expedition was beset by problems from the start. There were serious conflicts of interest between those who were aiming for the Artic goal (Hall) and the scientific group, not to mention disastrous insubordination from crew-members who did not feel that Hall was qualified to commandeer the ship.

What makes this book unique from many other polar exploration works is that it also revolves around a more than century-old murder mystery on board the ship; that of Captain Hall himself. These two aspects provide a chilling account of what happens when there is lack of discipline and unwavering leadership on board any seabound vessel.

A terrific true account that reads like a novel. Great addition to any polar exploration library.

I am a sucker for survival tales and this is one of the best I have read. Written by newspaperman Bruce Henderson, it is well researched and presented in a clear, concise manner with just the right amount of detail and suspense enough for several books. This was America's first attempt to reach the North Pole and unfortunately the government had to stick its hand in. It was during one of America's worst administrations -- that of U.S. Grant, and he and his cohorts bungled this venture, too. They spent the money to do it right, but put the wrong people in charge and put together contracts that spelled doom from the start. The hero of the tale is George Tyson, and what a hero he is...fighting almost unsurmountable odds as he struggles for months on an ice flow with 19 deserted shipmates in the Artic. There are enough villians -- a drunken sea captian, a murderous physician, a crew that refuses to take any orders. I highly recommend this one without fear of contradiction from anyone who appreciates a good adventure.

Even if the subject matter doesn't seem exciting to you, this book is well worth reading. This book is in the "can't put down' category.