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Books > Fiction > True stories > Endurance & survival
In 1967, twelve young men attempted to climb Alaska's Mount
McKinley - known to locals as Denali, 'The High One' - one of the
most popular and deadly mountaineering destinations in the world.
Only five survived. Journalist Andy Hall grew up in the mountain's
shadow, the son of the ranger on duty at the time of the tragedy,
and has spent years tracking down survivors, lost documents and
recordings of radio communications to piece together the chain of
events. In Denali's Howl, Hall reveals the full story of an
expedition facing conditions conclusively established here for the
first time: At an elevation of nearly 20,000 feet, these young men
endured an "arctic super blizzard," with howling winds of up to 300
miles an hour and wind chill that freezes flesh solid in minutes.
All this without the high-tech gear and equipment climbers use
today. As well as the story of the men caught inside the storm,
Denali's Howl is the story of those caught outside it trying to
save them - Hall's father among them. The book gives readers a
detailed look at the culture of climbing then and now and raises
uncomfortable questions about each player in this tragedy. Was
enough done to rescue the climbers, or were their fates sealed when
they ascended into the path of this unprecedented storm?
In his new book, Tigers Burning Bright, Alan Ogden brings to life
the extraordinary story of SOE in the Far East as an organization
battling against vested interests and competing Allied agencies and
how over time it became a significant provider of strategic and
tactical intelligence as well as carrying out countless dangerous
missions behind enemy lines, some of which inflicted massive losses
on the enemy. Behind this history lie the stories of some
exceptional men who defied all odds in successfully prosecuting the
war against a ruthless and efficient enemy in one of nature's
toughest and most dangerous environments, the jungle. Ogden draws
on both published and unpublished sources to tell their remarkable
stories, always ensuring that the political context of their
missions is fully explained.
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Someone to Watch Over Me
(Paperback)
Patricia Taylor; Edited by Mills Ros; Contributions by Davies Michael
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R457
R433
Discovery Miles 4 330
Save R24 (5%)
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Only one person has ever sailed vertically around the world -
Adrian Flanagan. Sailing horizontally is difficult enough, crossing
thousands of miles of ocean only to get near land at the Capes and
battle treacherous currents. However, hundreds of sailors have
still managed it. Adrian became obsessed with the idea of sailing
vertically around the world as a boy, before he even knew whether
it was possible. Thirty years later he managed it. This is his own
account of his remarkable adventure. It was an epic challenge,
sailing through the perilous waters around Cape Horn and across the
remote, hostile stretch of the Russian Arctic. He survived being
washed overboard, capsizing, a close encounter with pirates, and
also managed to treat not one but two dislocated wrists - all of
this alone, a thousand miles or more from anyone who could help him
complete his quest. It wasn't all high drama, however. Adrian
experienced moments of awe-inspiring beauty - being accompanied by
a pod of whales, and swimming with dolphins. This is a timeless and
unique story, pacily written with a sense of humour, but which
captures the zeal and determination required to accomplish
something nobody else has ever done before.
In February 2018, Kiko Matthews set out to row solo and
unsupported, 3000 miles across the Atlantic. She not only added her
name to the handful of women who had successfully made the crossing
solo, but did so in a world record time of 49 days, 10 hours and 13
minutes - more than five days less than the previous record. She
had never rowed before deciding on this challenge. But following
brain surgery after being diagnosed with a rare life-threatening
condition, she set herself goals that pushed her mental and
physical boundaries to the limit. In her book she vividly describes
her epic voyage and what drove her to attempt it.
A stunning set of postcards celebrating fifty extraordinary women
who have changed the world -- from the team behind the phenomenally
successful Good Night Stories for Rebel Girls 'Every single rebel
girl I know (and some rebel women, too) will be getting this
gorgeous box of postcards, with inspiring quotes from extraordinary
women, for Christmas' - Sam Baker, The Pool From Malala and
Michelle Obama to Ada Lovelace and Zaha Hadid, this set of
beautifully designed postcards celebrates some of the most
remarkable women featured in Good Night Stories for Rebel Girls.
With a short bio on each card and inspiring quotes, this is the
perfect gift for all the rebels in your life. Featuring: Creators:
Frida Kahlo, The Bronte Sisters, Julia Child, Nina Simone, Zaha
Hadid, Xian Zhang, Ada Lovelace, Maud Stevens Wagner, Maria Callas,
and Millo Castro Zaldarriaga Leaders: Queen Elizabeth I, Fadumo
Dayib, Yaa Asantewaa, Jingu, Hatshepsut, Nanny of the Maroons,
Lakshmi Bai, Hillary Rodham Clinton, Michelle Obama, and Eufrosina
Cruz Pioneers: Sylvia Earle, Ann Makosinski, Jane Goodall, Alek
Wek, Maria Sibylla Merian, Balkissa Chaibou, Wang Zhenyi, Mae C.
Jemison, Cholita Climbers, and Maria Reiche Champions: Yursa
Mardini, Maya Gabeira, Wilma Rudolph, Serena and Venus Williams,
Mary Kom, Alfonsina Strada, Amna Al Haddad, Misty Copeland, Simone
Biles, and Ashley Fiolek Warriors: Sonita Alizadeh, Claudia
Ruggerini, Malala Yousafzai, Manal Al-Sharif, Maya Angelou, Rosa
Parks, Anna Politkovskaya, Harriet Tubman, Miriam Makeba, and Irena
Sendlerowa
At 12.35 a.m. on the 29th April 2015, Andrew Chan and Myuran
Sukumaran were led out in front of firing squad. Strapped to wooden
crosses, they prayed and sang, staring straight ahead at their
killers. On that day, the Indonesian government did not execute two
drug smugglers, they executed a pastor and a painter. But who were
Andrew and Myuran? In 2005, the selfish recklessness of youth and
lure of drugs, money, fast cars and a better life led them and
seven other Australians into a smuggling plot to import eight
kilograms of heroin from Indonesia to Australia. Unbeknownst to
them all, the Australian Federal Police knew their plan and tipped
off the Indonesian police. Charged with drug trafficking, Myuran
and Andrew were found guilty and sentenced to death. Andrew was 22
years old. Myuran was 24. Cindy Wockner was the Indonesian
correspondent for News Limited when the Bali Nine were caught. For
a decade she covered their story and she got to know Myuran, Andrew
and their families very well. She watched them transform from
angry, defiant young men into fully rehabilitated good people. This
is the intimate, and untold, story of Andrew and Myuran; of their
childhoods and what turned them to drugs, what happened in their
ten years in Kerokoban Prison, the numerous legal appeals, the
political fallout and the growing worldwide pleas for mercy that
saw vigils held around Australia. It will show their rehabilitation
and their focus on helping others - of Andrew's growing commitment
to his faith and Myu's burgeoning artistic talent. It will show the
boys they were and the men they became in a potent cautionary tale
and a poignant reminder of what we all lose when we ignore the
power of mercy.
'IT TOOK ME LONGER TO FORGIVE MY DAD FOR NOT HELPING ME WHEN I WAS
TORTURED, THAN TO FORGIVE THOSE SOLDIERS WHO TORTURED ME' Mirsad
Solakovic survived a war in which some 300,000 people died, but was
left with psychological damage. Mirsad lived through the ethnic
cleansing of Bosnian civilians, until his family escaped to the UK.
Following his experiences, he became difficult and untractable, and
refused to speak English - until dedicated and sympathetic teachers
at his school in Birmingham brought him back into contact with
those around him. This thought-provoking account of the Bosnian and
Herzegovinian tragedy paints a uniquely intimate portrait of
survival, revealing pain that has never faded, yet has not crushed
the human spirit. It is also an uplifting account of just how
effective good teachers can be when faced with deeply troubled
pupils.
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