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Armchair Travel February 2021
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| The Moth and the Mountain: A True Story of Love, War, and Everest by Ed CaesarWhat it's about: Despite little experience with flying or climbing, troubled Great War veteran Maurice Wilson piloted a plane from England to India in 1933, walked across Tibet, and attempted to ascend Mt. Everest solo (which ultimately proved fatal).
Why you might like it: Using letters, diary entries, and more, this well-researched portrait of a little-known adventurer includes maps and illustrations and sympathetically examines Wilson's life and ill-fated trip.
Read this next: For another gripping book about mountaineers of the past, try Scott Ellsworth's The World Beneath Their Feet. |
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| The Greatest Beer Run Ever: A Memoir of Friendship, Loyalty, and War by John "Chick" Donohue and J.T. MolloyThe challenge: In a New York City neighborhood bar in 1967, U.S. Marine Corps veteran-turned-merchant mariner John "Chick" Donohue agreed to sneak into Vietnam, track down local friends at war, and share beers from home.
What happened: He did it! But witnessing shocking events like the Tet offensive changed him, and his thoughts about the war.
Reviewers say: "fascinating, vividly narrated" (Publishers Weekly); "an irreverent yet thoughtful macho adventure" (Kirkus Reviews). |
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Clanlands : whisky, warfare, and a Scottish adventure like no other
by Sam Heughan
"From their faithful camper van to boats, kayaks, bicycles, and motorbikes, join stars of Outlander Sam and Graham on a road trip with a difference, as two Scotsmen explore a land of raw beauty, poetry, feuding, music, history, and warfare. Unlikely friends Sam and Graham begin their journey in the heart of Scotland at Glencoe and travel from there all the way to Inverness and Culloden battlefield, where along the way they experience adventure and a cast of highland characters. In this story of friendship, finding themselves, and whisky, they discover the complexity, rich history and culture of their native country"
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| My Penguin Year: Life Among the Emperors by Lyndsay McCraeWhat happened: Along with the two other members of his team, award-winning photographer Lyndsay McCrae spent 337 days in Antarctica documenting a colony of emperor penguins, all while dealing with his own isolation and missing his pregnant wife back home.
Don't miss: the pages and pages of awe-inspiring color photos.
Did you know? McCrae's immersive time with the penguins came as part of his work with BBC's Dynasties nature series, which is narrated by Sir David Attenborough. |
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| A Year in Provence by Peter MayleWhat it is: a classic travelogue first published in 1989 by English writer Peter Mayle, who vividly describes his and his wife's experiences after they moved into a 200-year-old French farmhouse with a vineyard
What's inside: In chapters named after the months of the year, Mayle offers humorous and keen observations on expatriate life, locals, and the culture of Provence as well as mouthwatering descriptions of food.
Read this next: other books by Mayle; Duck Season by David McAninch; Dirt by Bill Buford; Carol Drinkwater's The Olive Farm; John Baxter's A Year in Paris; L'Appart by David Lebovitz. |
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Pravda ha ha : true travels to the end of Europe
by Rory MacLean
What it's about: In 1989 the Berlin Wall fell. In that euphoric year Rory MacLean travelled from Berlin to Moscow, exploring lands that were – for most Brits and Americans – part of the forgotten half of Europe. Thirty years on, MacLean traces his original journey backwards, across countries confronting old ghosts and new fears...
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Contact your librarian for more great books!
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