TOPIC · 10 BOOKS
Travel and exploration
Books I have read about travel and exploration, brought together across genres, periods and countries.
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👍🏼👍🏼⭐️ExcellentEndurance: Shackleton's Incredible Voyage
Alfred LansingProbably the best book I've read in years. The true story of Shackleton and his team's attempt to cross Antarctica, everything they went through, is incredible. And told by many of their survivors.
👍🏼👍🏼Very goodMagellan's Voyage Around the World
Antonio PigafettaI read it while documenting my book and was very surprised by everything I learned about the first round of Magellan and Elcano's world. Pigafetta participated in the expedition and tells from within the journey, the places they found, the difficulties and everything that happened until completing one of the greatest adventures in history. Very interesting.
👍🏼👍🏼Very goodHotel Years
Joseph RothA large collection of articles to understand what Europe was like between the wars (years 20 and 30).All the stories are part of Joseph Roth's travels across the continent at that time, which still mixes tradition with modernity, poverty, wealth and the expansion of communism and National Socialism.
👍🏼👍🏼⭐️ExcellentMexicana
Manuel Arroyo-StephensExperiences in Mexico by a Spaniard who lived for many years between the two countries. Anecdotes that faithfully reflect the reality of Mexico, told in a very entertaining and funny way. It is surely a book that Spaniards who know Mexico well enjoy much more. I would have liked to meet the author and talk with him for hours.
👍🏼👍🏼Very goodAn Unsung Hero
Michael SmithThe incredible story of Tom Crean, an Irish explorer who participated in three of the great expeditions to Antarctica and worked with both Scott and Shackleton. He was one of the last men to see Scott alive, walked tens of miles to save a comrade and took part in the boat trip and the South Georgia crossing during the Endurance expedition. He survived everything, returned to Ireland and barely talked about his exploits.
👎🏼BadOaxaca Journal
Oliver SacksA botanical journal from a trip through Oaxaca. A bit boring at first, it ends up being more interesting talking about history. I was annoyed by his criticism of the Spanish during the conquest (you have to have eggs being English).
👍🏼👍🏼Very goodNorth to Paradise
Ousman UmarThe autobiographical story of a Ghanaian boy who crosses Africa to Spain. It's impressive that everything he suffers, what happens, the situations, everything is much harder than we imagine.
👍🏼👍🏼⭐️ExcellentThe shadow of the sun
Ryszard KapuścińskiKapuściński worked for years as a correspondent in Africa and this book brings together stories of the countries, people and conflicts he met. It's a great portrait of the continent and its history, written from their real experiences and far from the simplified vision we usually get from outside. One of those books you can re-read every now and then and find something different. I've read it several times.
👍🏼GoodRusia secreta
Víctor FernándezVíctor, also known as Red Walker, is one of my favourite travel YouTubers, and I love watching his journeys through Russia and the former Soviet republics. This very interesting book uses exactly the same tone as his videos and recounts several trips in great detail, together with the history of each place. Recommended if that part of the world interests you.
👍🏼👍🏼Very good