Explore: Stories of Survival from Off the Map

by Jennifer Schwamm Willis (Editor), Clint Willis (Editor)

Explore: Stories of Survival from Off the Map offers first-hand accounts by the world's boldest explorers, who have encountered storms, starvation, canibals, predators, and disease in their pursuit of mystery and adventure. Nunez Cabeza de Vaca writes of his 16th century expedition to the region north of the Gulf of Mexico, an amazing tale of survival and hardship that begins with the loss of de Vaca's ships and the capture and enslavement of his party by Indians. Argentinian novelist Abel Posse gives us an unforgettable Christopher Columbus facing down mutiny and the threat of starvation Tim Flannery almost dies while searching for Fulmer's Fruit Bat, thought to have become extinct 12,000 years ago. Thor Heyderdahl recounts his earliest adventure in Polynesia. Premier mountaineering and adventure writer David Roberts searches for a legendary lost city high in the cliffs of New Mexico. Following an ancient trail, Roberts discovers a beautifully preserved Anasazi city — and a curse. Explore also includes writing by Lawrence Millman, Gene Savay, John Long, Redmond O'Hanlon, Fanny Bullock Workman and William Hunter Workman, Andrea Barrett, and W.H. Murray.

Genres: Travel, Adventure, Nonfiction, History, Survival, Audiobook, Essays

360 pages, Paperback

First published August 15, 2000

Reviews

[M · Rating 2 out of 5]

Audiobook. Not at all what I expected. The first two were funny but I didn’t realize they were true stories. That might’ve made them more interesting in a different way. I expected survival stories in the wilderness, that’s definitely not what this is. The last story is all about disease and death. It just wasn’t my favorite. Maybe would’ve been better to read as an actual book.

[Julian Walker · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting cross-section of tales from both geographical and spiritual explorers across the ages, covering all sorts of wondrous discovery, frustration, elation and despair.

I was immediately engrossed, but, in several cases, I would have liked to have more of the tales included. This is, I suppose, also a positive, as it has given me several new avenues for further reading pleasure.

[Andrea · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not my usual read. Was good but I prefer fantasy/fiction.

[James Beers · Rating 3 out of 5]

Could've done without the last story, i.e., Brodkey's drivel.

[Jordan Miller · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was gonna give this book one star but I upped it because of the last story alone

[Roberto Sabas · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good variety of real life adventure and expedition accounts, the final one being more a inner spiritual journey, which oddly fit in the collection because of its connection with pushing the bounds of experiential knowledge. It is good to take some of the stories with a grain of salt, that grain being the outside perspective gained from not being a product of the age which gave rise to the tale. This applies to more than one of the entries which reveal the social biases of their age. If you can place your own bias against these attitudes, then you may find this book engaging for the essential drama found in each work.

[Jim · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a collection of true-life exploration/adventure tales taken from books and magazine articles written by the contributing authors. The adventures take place in a variety of settings- South American jungles, Peruvian highlands, Arctic ice fields, Himalayan mountains, etc... The final story - written by Harold Brodsky, and one of my favorites - is actually more an essay/journal written near the end of his life as he battled with the Aids disease.
The writing styles (and quality) varies - some stories were written in a style that evoked stodgy, victorian-era British exploration, others were more "modern" and to me, accessable. Freelance writer Tim Cahill's piece about his trip to Peru searching for ancient ruins was one of the best.
Despite the un-eveness of the writing quality, this collection is worth reading.

[Leslie · Rating 3 out of 5]

The last piece is a moving existential reflection on a slow death from AIDS written by Harold Brodkey who died in 1996. To me it is the bravest writing in the collection, but it does not really fit the theme of the book unless the meaning of the word 'explore' is stretched as far as it can go. Why was it included? Perhaps because the editor was his stepdaughter. I hope it has been published elsewhere, as well, because it is profound and beautiful. In his company the rest of the pieces just seem like boys off playing in foreign lands, a genre I usually enjoy but that felt a little trifling next to the vision of reality shared by Mr Brodkey.

[Sarah Smithers · Rating 3 out of 5]

Maybe I just don't understand trekking off into the cold/hot/dark/underground/dangerous wilds.Especially when they seem so ill prepared. And trying to make it all seem so gay and exciting! too. The writers weren't anyone I'd ever want to spend a lot of time around, and the ones who just offed their dogs since they were no longer useful, I just wanted them to die.

[Emily · Rating 1 out of 5]

I skipped a lot of this. There wasn't much exploring done in the selections the editor chose. Instead it was a lot of offensive commentary about native people and a lot of bodily processes and walking (lots of walking). There wasn't really anything interesting about, or to be admired in, these explorers.

[Ellis · Rating 4 out of 5]

From this book I first learned about the Kandiru fish and the dreaded "body pile". I don't know which scares me more.

[Lowan Stewart]

looks awesome - mike can i borrow your copy when you finish?

[Timothy Riley · Rating 3 out of 5]

a few lame stories but more awesome ones of wacked out places that people traveled to. I liked the one about the explorers in south america, peru and bolivia.

[Midnight Blue · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very good collection of stories...some surprising....the editor fully explores the meaning of the word explore (get it).

[Simon Cleveland · Rating 3 out of 5]

Millman's account was perhaps the most entertaining of the collection. Overall, an interesting read.

[Mia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Short stories--YEAH!!

[Peter Harrington · Rating 1 out of 5]

The book is listed as non-fiction but after reading a couple of the short stories I soon realized they are fictional stories...I was not fooled...were you?!

[Crystal Scruggs · Rating 3 out of 5]

I loved the short stories but, the two longer ones were my favorites.