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On the Trail of the Last Human Cannonball: And Other Small Journeys in Search of Great Men
by Byron RogersFrom “a great journalist of the older school,” travel essays chronicling the author’s search for incredible stories about extraordinary people (The Guardian).Byron Rogers’ latest collection of travel pieces follows the winning formula of his previous book, An Audience with an Elephant, as he goes in search of a remarkable array of quirky, whimsical, and singular individuals. But in addition to meeting a pensioner on a holiday who decided to swim across the Amazon, this book sees Rogers meeting a number of undeniably famous people. But as one might expect, Rogers’ encounters with celebrity have their own unexpected outcomes. Burt Lancaster rants to him about transsexuality, Rita Hayworth is most worried about her neighbor’s TV aerial, and a retired star of the silent screen turns out to live in Henley-on-Thames.“It is with the delicacy and determination of an archaeologist—and the wit of a publican and far-sightedness of a dreamer—that Rogers excavates people and places.” —Daily Telegraph“A wonderful writer. Droll, poignant and dreamy.” —New Statesman
On the Trail: Woodcraft and Camping Skills for Girls and Young Women
by Ann Marie Brown Lina Beard Adelia BeardA classic hiking and camping manual for young women
On the Unhappiness of Being Greek
by Nikos DimouRequired reading for anyone wishing to understand how the Greek crisis came about and what it means to be Greek today written by a controversial patriot and native of Greece.
On the Wandering Paths (Univocal)
by Sylvain TessonA walking journey through France&’s vast interior becomes a meditation on both personal recovery and the role of history in the present—more than 425,000 copies sold in France After a free-climbing accident lands him in a coma and a hospital for four months, the French writer Sylvain Tesson makes a promise to himself: if he&’s ever able to walk again, he will traverse the entire country of France on foot. Part literary adventure, part philosophical reflection on our contemporary consumer culture, On the Wandering Paths takes us deep into the heart of what Tesson terms France&’s &“hyperrural&” zones. Tracing the obscure paths peasants once followed throughout the countryside, Tesson embarks on a three-month journey of solitude and personal contemplation as he walks along vast stretches of mountain ranges and rivers, encountering ancient Roman stone bridges and walkways, the French Foreign Legion, pagan prayer sites, Provençal villages, and the majestic Mont-Saint-Michel. Connecting deeply with the places he visits, his experiences inspire reflection on the essential need to disengage from the digital and immerse oneself in natural beauty.Rich with humor, historical insight, and literary power, On the Wandering Paths is both a meditation on the act of recovery and a potent recognition of the traces of our past in the present. Asking us to reassess our values and our relationship to the land, Tesson&’s exquisite chronicle through landscapes that continue to resist urbanization and technology is a thoughtful—and thought-provoking—glimpse into a poet&’s adventurous life. Les Chemins de Pierre, a film based on the book starring Jean Dujardin, is due to release in 2022.
On the Water: Discovering America in a Row Boat
by Nathaniel Stone“I take a stroke and lean back, gazing up into the jet skies, bejeweled by the moon and the galaxies of stars. The hull glides in silence and with such perfect balance as to report no motion. I sit up for another stroke, now looking down as the blades ignite swirling pairs of white constellations of phosphorescent plankton. Two opposing heavens. ‘Remember this,’ I think to myself. ” Few people have ever considered the eastern United States to be an island, but when Nat Stone began tracing waterways in his new atlas at the age of ten he discovered that if one had a boat it was possible to use a combination of waterways to travel up the Hudson River, west across the barge canals and the Great Lakes, down the Mississippi River to the Gulf of Mexico, and back up the eastern seaboard. Years later, still fascinated by the idea of the island, Stone read a biography of Howard Blackburn, a nineteenth-century Gloucester fisherman who had attempted to sail the same route a century before. Stone decided he would row rather than sail, and in April 1999 he launched a scull beneath the Brooklyn Bridge to see how far he could get. After ten months and some six thousand miles he arrived back at the Brooklyn Bridge, and continued rowing on to Eastport, Maine. Retracing Stone’s extraordinary voyage,On the Wateris a marvelous portrait of the vibrant cultures inhabiting American shores and the magic of a traveler’s chance encounters. From Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, where a rower at the local boathouse bequeaths him a pair of fabled oars, to Vanceburg, Kentucky, where he spends a day fishing with Ed Taylor -- a man whose efficient simplicity recallsThe Old Man and the Sea-- Stone makes his way, stroke by stroke, chatting with tugboat operators and sleeping in his boat under the stars. He listens to the live strains of Dwight Yoakum on the banks of the Ohio while the world’s largest Superman statue guards the nearby town square, and winds his way through the Louisiana bayous, where he befriends Scoober, an old man who reminds him that the happiest people are those who’ve “got nothin’. ” He briefly adopts a rowing companion -- a kitten -- along the west coast of Florida, and finds himself stuck in the tidal mudflats of Georgia. Along the way, he flavors his narrative with local history and lore and records the evolution of what started out as an adventure but became a lifestyle. An extraordinary literary debut in the lyrical, timeless style of William Least Heat-Moon and Henry David Thoreau,On the Wateris a mariner’s tribute to childhood dreams, solitary journeys, and the transformative powers of America’s rivers, lakes, and coastlines. From the Hardcover edition.
On this Holy Island: A Modern Pilgrimage Across Britain
by Oliver SmithA lyrical and insightful narrative that presents a new approach to the idea of pilgrimage, traversing paths both ancient and modern.Retracing sacred travel made across time, from murmurs of ritual journeys in the depths of Ice Age to new pilgrimages of the 21st century, On This Holy Island is an an epic adventure across sacred British landscapes. We follow Oliver Smith as he climbs into remote sea caves, sleeps inside Neolithic tombs, scales forgotten holy mountains and once even marrons himself at sea. Following holy roads to churches, cathedrals and standing stones, this evocative and enlightening travelogue explores places prehistoric, pagan and Christian, Smith also reveals how football stadiums and music festivals have become contemporary places of pilgrimage. Though the routes walked are often ancient, the pilgrims he meets are always modern. But underpinning the remarkable book is a timeless truth: that making journeys has always been a way of making meaning. So often, Smith finds, "the unravelling of a path goes in tandem with the unravelling of the soul."
Once Upon a Full Moon
by Elizabeth QuanElizabeth Quan’s father had made a success in the New World, but he longed for his home in China. So in the early 1920’s, he and his family set out on an arduous trip to the far side of the world. By train, ship, ferry, cart, and on foot, Elizabeth, her parents, and her brothers and sisters set off from Toronto to a village in China to visit the grandmother they have never met.From the mountain of luggage to the whales breaching in the Pacific and geishas on wooden sandals on the cobbled streets of Yokohama, Elizabeth Quan describes sights that would captivate any child. But hers is also a journey of personal discovery. Did she fit in in Canada, where her straight dark hair and even the foods she ate set her apart? Would she fit in in China where she was just as different to the people she met? In the course of her family’s travels she learns that home is a state of mind and that the moon can find us, no matter where we are.The rhythms of travel and the longing for connection are conveyed in lyrical text and lovely watercolors in a truly memorable book.
Once Upon a Yugoslavia
by Surya GreenIt is 1968. Across America, citizens march for social reform and an end to the Vietnam War. Amid all this, Surya Green--a New York-born, self-absorbed, modern young woman--is a student at Stanford University, blithely pursuing a graduate degree in communication. Her view of life's purpose unexpectedly starts to expand when she says "Yes" when her Stanford film mentor selects her for a writing job at Zagreb Film in Yugoslavia. Family and friends marvel at her courage, or foolishness. The Zagreb studio may be the renowned producer of the first non-American animated film to win an Oscar, but it is in a country most Americans fear and reject as "communist." Green has no idea that her stay in Yugoslavia will ultimately take her beyond national borders to the outermost limits of her mind. Although penned in the first person against the backdrop of Tito's Yugoslavia in historic 1968, Once Upon a Yugoslavia is, paradoxically, most timely. The global economic crisis has compelled people to question excessive consumption and redefine success and the good life while embracing new lifestyle priorities--just as Yugoslavia required of Surya Green decades ago. Once Upon a Yugoslavia addresses this present-day longing while also offering a lively history lesson.History books have objectively described the former Yugoslavia, but Once Upon a Yugoslavia gives personalized look at the everyday lives of people in pre-1989 Eastern Europe that shows how the experience transformed one young woman's American Dream. Chronicling the sights, sounds, and ups and downs of the everyday Yugoslav existence, Green speaks to both the positive and negative aspects of the contemporary phenomenon known as "Yugo-nostalgia." The pros and cons of the American and Yugoslav societies fly to and fro during Surya's conversations with a host of colorful characters--some of whom she lodges with and travels the countryside with, others of whom she dates. In this strange Big Brotherish country of perplexing language, culture, and customs--which gives Surya an early experience of living a monitored life without privacy in a land where paranoia is contagious--more than once readers will hear her sobbing at night. Ultimately, the Yugoslav social experiment--its plus points, at least--were to give Surya Green a considerably altered view of the American values with which she was raised. And it is what led to that perspective--a personal transformation that started for her in explosive, memorable, life-changing 1968 in Tito's Yugoslavia, and continues to this day--which makes Once Upon a Yugoslavia such a unique and remarkable book.From the Trade Paperback edition.
Once a Grand Duke
by Grand Duke Alexander of RussiaAlexander lived in Paris when he wrote his memoirs, Once a Grand Duke, which were first published in 1932. It is a rich source of dynastical and court life in Imperial Russia’s last half century, and Alexander also describes time spent as guest of the future Abyssinian Emperor Ras Tafari.“The history of the last fifty turbulent years of the Russian Empire provides only a background, but is not the subject of this book.“In compiling this record of a grand duke’s progress I relied on memory only, all my letters, diaries and other documents having been partly burned by me and partly confiscated by the revolutionaries during the years of 1917 and 1918 in the Crimea.”—Alexander, Grand Duke of Russia, Foreword
One Best Hike: Grand Canyon
by Elizabeth WenkOne of the world's most spectacular places, the Grand Canyon annually attracts over 4 million visitors who peer over the edge of the abyss. A smaller number of them trek from the rim to the banks of the Colorado River on one of the nation's best-known hikes. Many of these hikers are inadequately prepared for the rigors of what can be a deadly journey. This indispensable guide describes the most popular route into the canyon - the 16.2 mile round-trip route from the South Rim to the Colorado River. It addresses the many possible hazards (extreme heat, cold, elevation gain/loss of over 9,000 feet), gives advice on physical conditioning, and includes helpful charts, maps, and GPS waypoints for the best rest points. The hike itself is covered mile by mile, with expert coaching and hints along the way. Experienced and novice hikers alike will benefit from its encouraging, can-do approach.
One Best Hike: Mount Rainier's Wonderland Trail
by Doug LorainThis is the only comprehensive guide dedicated to this one classic trail. All alternate routes are also described (unlike the more general mentions in books that include other trails as well). <P><P>Hikers will learn about all the best hidden side trips, discover great planning tips, find out how best to snag one of the coveted permits, and have complete sample itineraries available to help with planning, making this guide indispensable to anyone planning to tackle the Wonderland Trail.
One Best Hike: Mt. Whitney
by Elizabeth WenkThe most popular route to Mt. Whitney's summit is the 22-mile round-trip Mt. Whitney Trail. Although the hike is non-technical, would-be hikers need to be prepared for the altitude, long distance, elevation gain, mountain weather, and other potential dangers. Author and seasoned Sierra hiker Elizabeth Wenk provides the authoritative, step-by-step guide to planning and completing this superb hike with safety advice, insider information, detail, and reassurance found nowhere else.
One Best Hike: Yosemite's Half Dome
by Rick DeutschThis is the only guide for hiking to the top of Half Dome - the signature landmark of Yosemite National Park, CA. It provides a history of the original Indian inhabitants of the area. The unique geological formations are explained. <P><P>The focus of the book is to provide information on safe hiking practices to complete this extremely strenuous hike of 16-miles round trip that is climaxed by a harrowing 400 foot vertical ascent to the top of the 8,842 foot high granite monolith with the aid of a pair or steel cable banisters set at 45 degrees incline. Included is an extensive trail description with photos and narration of 16 points of interest. The author has completed this hike over 30 times and is a recognized expert source of information about the hike. This is not a topographic map intensive guide; rather it tells historical vignettes to interpret the hike so readers identify with events of the mid 1800's. He relates the story of the interaction of the Miwok and Mono Paiute Indians with the hordes of white invaders during California's Gold Rush. The reader is aware of how Yosemite developed after the white man's "discovery." The explanation of how odd geologic formations arose from ancient magma flows provides the reader with an understanding of what happened to the "missing part" of Half Dome. The full day hike up to the top of Half Dome is one of the most popular in the country. It is not easy. The book prepares the reader for the adventure with an extensive discussion of the equipment required, the training needed and a detailed "walk through" of the entire trail. Photographs and descriptions of salient features take the apprehension out of doing the hike. Sections with descriptions of 16-Points of Interest - waterfalls, historical areas, flora and fauna, drinking water sources and the actual cables provide readers with the "real deal" information to safely prepare for and complete this "bucket list" Adventure. Readers are given specific information on the gear needed. This includes a boots/foot care, use of hiking poles and a summary of water filter usage clothing selection and food suggestions.
One Clear Ice-cold January Morning at the Beginning of the 21st Century (MacLehose Press Editions #11)
by Roland Schimmelpfennig"A highly original and often hypnotic work . . . exactly the type of book that readers in search of striking European voices should embrace" John Boyne, author of THE BOY IN THE STRIPED PYJAMASA contemporary Berlin fairy tale that bristles with urban truths - the first novel of Germany's best-known contemporary playwright One clear, ice-cold January morning shortly after dawn, a wolf crosses the border between Poland and Germany. His trail leads all the way to Berlin, connecting the lives of disparate individuals whose paths intersect and diverge. On an icy motorway eighty kilometres outside the city, a fuel tanker jack-knifes and explodes. The lone wolf is glimpsed on the hard shoulder and photographed by Tomasz, a Polish construction worker who cannot survive in Germany without his girlfriend. Elisabeth and Micha run away through the snow from their home village, crossing the wolf's tracks on their way to the city. A woman burns her mother's diaries on a Berlin balcony. And Elisabeth's father, a famous sculptor, observes the vast skeleton of a whale in his studio and asks: What am I doing here? And why? Experiences and encounters flicker past with a raw, visual power, like frames in a black and white film. Those who catch sight of the wolf see their own lives reflected, and find themselves searching for a different path in a cold time. This first novel of Germany's most celebrated contemporary playwright is written in prose of tremendous power and precision. Translated from the German by Jamie Bulloch
One Cornish Summer: The feel-good summer romance to read on holiday this year
by Liz Fenwick'One Cornish Summer captured my heart and didn't let it go until long after I'd finished it. A heart rending story about secrets, lies and the power of love' Cathy BramleyAgainst the beauty of Cornwall, a story of two women struggling with their past: one cannot remember hers, the other cannot forget...When Hebe receives a life-changing diagnosis at only 53, she struggles to make sense of what it will mean for her, her job and the man she loves. With memories slipping away by the day, she flees to the one place she has always felt safe and peaceful - Cornwall, and the house her family spent so many summers in. Lucy is having her own crisis, and seizes the chance to follow her aunt to Cornwall. Curious about what has driven Hebe there after so many years, she also has to battle with the secret she has kept since her family's last summer there more than ten years ago. Both women will learn that memories live in our hearts and that sharing secrets can set you free... But can they find their way back to the things that are truly important to them? The perfect escapist read for fans of Rachel Hore, Lucinda Riley and Karen Swan.'Full of warmth, wisdom and compassion...Liz Fenwick's writing is vivid, satisfying and descriptive' Daily Express'A moving and heart-felt story' The Lady'Fenwick brings us her best novel yet in One Cornish Summer as she casts her humane and discerning eye over family bonds, relationships, the nature of love, and the power of the landscape to inspire, console and renew... Immaculately researched and emotionally astute, this is a fabulous holiday read with heart, drama, history and humour' Lancashire Post***** Readers are enchanted by One Cornish Summer: 'A joy to read''Once more Liz has transported me to my favourite place in Cornwall to walk side by side with her characters...A perfect read in any season!''Wonderful characters, secrets and romance...hard to put down''Simply outstanding...a story that will carry you away''Liz Fenwick has done it again...A must read''Characters who become part of your life in a beautiful, evocative setting''Love, relationships, and secrets...a sublime read which is cleverly crafted, intricately researched and beautifully written''This book will always be a very special one for me''Absolutely perfect Cornish read''What a heartwarming but heartbreaking story'
One Cornish Summer: The feel-good summer romance to read on holiday this year
by Liz FenwickA moving story of two women struggling with their past: one cannot remember hers, the other cannot forget...When Hebe receives a life-changing diagnosis at only 40, she struggles to make sense of what it will mean for her, her job and the man she loves. With memories slipping away by the day, she flees to the one place she has always felt safe and peaceful - Cornwall, and the house her family spent so many summers in. Lucy is having her own crisis, and seizes the chance to follow her aunt to Cornwall. Curious about what has driven Hebe there after so many years, she also has to battle with the secret she has kept since her family's last summer there more than ten years ago. Both women will learn that memories live in our hearts and sharing secrets sets you free... so can they find their way back to the things that are truly important to them? The perfect escapist read for fans of Rachel Hore, Lucinda Riley and Rosanna Ley. (p) Isis Publishing 2018
One Day at Disney (Disney Editions Deluxe)
by Bruce C. SteeleOne Day at Disney is an ambitious and bold global event that will showcase unique stories capturing a typical day of magic makers around the world. The project will feature authentic, unplanned moments and cast members that bring just as much joy and “magic” to our guests as our content and experiences do.
One Door Away from Heaven: A superb thriller of redemption, fear and wonder
by Dean KoontzOne young woman risks everything to save a child... Dean Koontz writes an unforgettable tale in One Door Away From Heaven - the thrilling story of a deadly threat, and the young woman who will do anything to stop it. Perfect for fans of Richard Laymon and Harlan Coben.'A wonderful contemporary fable, firmly rooted in the gritty reality of turn of the millennium America... Koontz constantly surprises as his story unfolds and reaches its stunning conclusion. Brilliant and compulsive' - Good Book GuideLeilani Maddoc's tenth birthday is nine months away. Micky Bellsong is convinced that in nine months and one day, the girl will be dead. And no one seems to care but Micky herself.Micky has a history of making wrong choices and living only for her own desires, but her decision to save the child's life - and pit herself against an adversary as fearsome as he is cunning - takes her on a journey of incredible peril and stunning discoveries, a journey filled with tragedy and joy, with humour, terror and hope, a journey that will change her for ever. What readers are saying about One Door Away From Heaven: 'This book is gripping from the very start, with great characters throughout; the slow build up... is absolutely perfect''This book is quite a remarkable read... The plot sizzles along and the characterisation is awesome''A fluid page turner that will make you late for work'
One Golden Summer: The Telegraph at the London Games (Ebook)
by Telegraph Media GroupExclusive to this ebook-only edition, relive the incredible summer of the 2012 London Olympic and Paralympic Games with this inspirational series of articles from the Telegraph, available as a collection for the first time.
One Hand Does Not Catch a Buffalo: 50 Years of Amazing Peace Corps Stories
by Aaron BarlowAfrica is a complicated place, and the Peace Corps Volunteers who have worked in 43 African nations have seen it all: from public executions to public celebrations to life in a time of AIDS. This heartfelt collection is the first of its kind to chronicle 50 years of Peace Corps service. Stories range from poignant to hilarious, involve political intrigue and cultural missteps, illuminating the joys and agony of volunteering abroad and representing the United States in the process.Sixty stories provide a broad overview and give readers a glimpse into the life and times of these brave volunteers, who each learned at least one new language and went to work in the villages and cities from Morocco to South Africa. They worked hard, too. But in these stories you will see that they also danced, faced death by elephant, and witnessed unbearably grim events. One is admired for her "big butt," another reminded that he had taught proper police procedure in a time of civil unrest. Saying "I was there" is sometimes a bittersweet declaration.
One Hit Wonderland
by Tony HawksIt's 1988 and radios across the land blast out the Top Ten hit 'Stutter Rap' by Morris Minor and the Majors. The man behind the fake moustache is Tony Hawks. Fast forward to the 21st century and those heady days of pop stardom are a distant memory. That is, until it is suggested that Tony is just another One Hit Wonder. Really? We'll have to see about that ...For two years Tony struggles to have a hit somewhere, anywhere, in the world, changing acts and styles with a bewildering lack of integrity. From Nashville to Amsterdam, from Eastern Europe to Africa, he travels the globe in search of that elusive hit.But it's only after a chance encounter with Norman Wisdom that things get really strange. Is it really possible that together they could storm the Albanian charts?In One Hit Wonderland anything can happen ...
One Hundred Hill Walks in the Lake District
by Jim GrindleThis volume is a superb guide to the best walks in the Lake District, one of Britain's most popular areas for walking and climbing. Jim Grindle has brought together not only the most outstanding walks in Lakeland but also routes in tranquil places where you can escape from the crowds. Each of the one hundred walks features a specially drawn map, notes on features of historical and geographical interest, a detailed route description, full directions from the Lake District, hints on how to shorten walks and information on distances and OS grid references for starting points.
One Hundred Miles from Manhattan
by Guillermo FesserA unique tour of the US: &“Who better than a kind-hearted foreigner to help you marvel at our own land and learn something about your fellow Americans?&” —Bloomberg Businessweek In 2002 Guillermo Fesser quit his morning radio talk show in Madrid, and moved with his family to Rhinebeck, NY, for a sabbatical year. Finding himself in a rural community 6,000 miles from home and 100 miles from New York City, Fesser began to discover an America he had never imagined existed. One Hundred Miles from Manhattan is a fresh, funny, positive and affectionate portrait of life in small-town America—and beyond. This book is filled with the stories of the people Fesser met, the places he visited and the things he learned during his year in Rhinebeck, from the German neighbors who welcome in the New Year by jumping back and forth from the couch to the coffee table to a Texan rancher who follows Native American traditions in the raising of bison; from a guide who leads fishing expeditions into Alaska&’s Kuskokwim Mountains to the engineer responsible for the steam conduction system in Manhattan&’s underbelly; and from a former follower of Reverend Moon turned track coach to the man who created Big Bird.
One Italian Summer: Across the world and back in search of the good life
by Pip WilliamsPip and Shannon dreamed of living the good life. They wanted to slow down, grow their own food and spend more time with the people they love. But jobs and responsibilities got in the way: their chooks died, their fruit rotted, and Pip ended up depressed and in therapy. So they did the only reasonable thing - they quit their jobs, pulled the children out of school and went searching for la dolce vita in Italy. One Italian Summer is a warm, funny and poignant story of a family's search for a better way of living, in the homes and on the farms of strangers. Pip sleeps in a tool shed, feasts under a Tuscan sun, works like a tractor in Calabria and, eventually, finds the good life she's always dreamed of - though not at all where she expected.
One Life at a Time: An American Doctor's Memoir of AIDS in Botswana
by Daniel BaxterWhen Dr. Daniel Baxter arrived in Botswana in 2002, he was confident of the purity of his mission to help people with AIDS, armed with what he thought were immutable truths about life—and himself—that had been forged on his AIDS ward in New York City ten years earlier. But Baxter’s good intentions were quickly overwhelmed by the reality of AIDS in Africa, his misguided altruism engulfed by the sea of need around him. Lifted up by Botswana’s remarkable and forgiving people, Baxter soldiered on, his memorable encounters with those living with AIDS, and their unfathomable woes assuaged by their oft-repeated “But God is good,” profoundly changing the way he thought about his role as a doctor. Now, after caring for innumerable AIDS patients for eight years in Botswana, Baxter has written an urgent, quietly philosophical account of his journey into the early twenty-first century’s new heart of darkness: AIDS in Africa, where legions desperately struggled to be among the spared and not the doomed. Part memoir, part travelogue, part chronicle of the zaniness of Botswana (one of the questions on his driver’s license application was “Are you or have you ever been an imbecile?”), and part witness to suffering unknown to most Americans, his testimony is an unforgettable tribute to the many people he cared for. Join Baxter on his life-changing journey in Botswana, as he recounts the stories of people like Ralph, a deteriorating AIDS and cancer patient who nonetheless always wore a smile, or Precious, a woman found sick and abandoned in the capital’s slum, or “No Fear,” a rude man in Baxter’s gym whose descent he halted. After many years on the front lines of the African pandemic, Baxter realized that “one life at a time” was the only way to fight AIDS.