Safe Return Doubtful

by Lazarus Royal, Kristian Krohg-Sørensen (Illustrator)

As an homage to the explorers, discoverers and pioneers that on countless occasions have inspired Royal Explorer Club members to venture out into the wild, the club has created the book Safe Return Doubtful. It is a carefully curated collection of anecdotes that will inspire boldness and bravado in the reader. Chapters include the tale of Hugh Glass who after wrestling a bear had to crawl back to civilisation, pirate Benjamin Hornigold who once attacked a ship just to steal their hats and of course the legendary story of Mad Jack Churchill, famous for always bringing his bagpipes to battle and for carrying out the last recorded kill by longbow and arrow in WWII. Other chapters include awe-inspiring stories of war heroes as well as everyday heroes, tails from the endeavours of famous explorers, the adventures of a female balloonist, an account of the deific madness of Xerxes and the unfortunate tale of the sinking of a German U-boat due to the malfunction of its toilet. Safe Return Doubtful is an unparalleled compilation devoted to the spirit of those with contempt for conventional wisdom, an attraction to the grandiose and an obvious disregard for danger.

102 pages, Paperback

First published May 6, 2015

Reviews

[Robert Steers · Rating 3 out of 5]

Light and easy to read but too shallow

This book is a fun intro to explorers but doesn't add anything to the characters beyond a Wikipedia entry. It seems more of a promotion for the explorers club.

[Jennefer Lee · Rating 3 out of 5]

A catalogue of daring deeds from history. Written in a Victorian way and feels somewhat tongue in cheek.

[Craig Helliwell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting collection of tales of adventures and warriors