Pedro Menendez de Aviles (1519-1574) founded St. Augustine in 1565. His expedition was documented by his brother-in-law, Gonzalo Solis de Meras, who left a detailed and passionate account of the events leading to the establishment of America's oldest city. Until recently, the only extant version of Solis de Meras's record was one single manuscript that Eugenio Ruidiaz y Caravia transcribed in 1893, and subsequent editions and translations have always followed Ruidiaz's text. In 2012, David Arbesu discovered a more complete record: a manuscript including folios lost for centuries and, more important, excluding portions of the 1893 publication based on retellings rather than the original document. In the resulting volume, Pedro Menendez de Aviles and the Conquest of Florida, Arbesu sheds light on principal events missing from the story of St. Augustine's founding. By consulting the original chronicle, Arbesu provides readers with the definitive bilingual edition of this seminal text.

This book was originally marketed with this words: "A rare tale of travel and Adventure. Thrilling experiences in distant lands, among strange people. A book for boys, old and young."The description of the book is no exaggeration. Paul Boyton (1848-1924) was clearly a remarkable and fearless man and indeed had adventures that can only be described as thrilling. He discovered and started working with a rubber suit, similar to modern drysuits . It allowed the wearer to float on his or her back, using a double-sided paddle to propel themself, feet-forward. Eventually, he was to found the first "amusement park" featuring performing sea lions and water chutes.

A detailed description of Hovell and Hume's early 19th Century explorations in Victoria, Australia (now the location of Melbourne).

Young Julianna was different from the other kids. She suffered from a strange form of arthritis that sometimes left her hurting and bedridden for days a time. But she never let it stop her from living life to the fullest - thanks largely to the secret weapon she had in her Uncle Bob.

When she was little, Uncle Bob filled Julianna's head with positive thoughts - while filling her room with wild souvenirs from his exotic world travels. There was the painted wolf skull from Siberia; a jagged, blood-stained rock from Mount Everest; and a faceless voodoo doll from Africa. He whetted her appetite for adventure and convinced her that nothing was beyond her reach. Then, when she was sixteen, he invited her along on his far-flung adventures. To the teenager, Uncle Bob was Superman and James Bond combined. But even as she grew up to realize that he wasn't really magic, there was something magical about her favorite uncle.

Bob Harris lived life by his own rules, and it took him on great adventures and to the heights of success. Parts of that life were also shrouded in mystery. Now nearing eighty, he reveals his true identity to his beloved Julianna - imparting wisdom, inspiration, strength, and some real surprises, too. Bob's story is a testament to the power of the American dream - and to his personal passion to live life boldly.

American Brad Washburn's impact on his proteges and imitators was as profound as that of any other adventurer in the twentieth century. Unquestionably regarded as the greatest mountaineer in Alaskan history and as one of the finest mountain photographers of all time, Washburn transformed American attitudes toward wilderness and revolutionized the art of mountaineering and exploration in the great ranges. In The Last of His Kind, National Geographic Adventure contributing editor David Roberts goes beyond conventional biography to reveal the essence of this man through the prism of his extraordinary exploits from New England to Chamonix, and from the Himalayas to the Yukon. An exciting narrative of mountain climbing in the twentieth century, The Last of His Kind brings into focus Washburn's deeds in the context of the history of mountaineering, and provides a fascinating look at an amazing culture and the influential icon who shaped it.

Elisha Kent Kane (1820 57) was a medical officer in the United States Navy, best known for the so-called 'Grinnell voyages' to the Arctic in search of Sir John Franklin's expedition. Originally published in 1856, this two-volume work documents his second expedition, between 1853 and 1855, during which his ship became ice-bound, and he and his men survived by adopting Inuit survival skills, such as hunting, sledge-driving and hut-building. In Volume 1, Kane recounts the dangers posed by icebergs, glaciers and fluctuating tides, which led to his ship's entrapment, and records his impressions of the Inuit whom he later relied on for survival. Along with extensive illustrations of the animals, terrain and people encountered on his mission, and a useful glossary of Arctic terms, Kane's writings reveal his own controversial personality as well as his relationship with the Inuit and his admiration for their skills.

Shipwrecks of Madagascar recounts the stories of about a hundred notable shipwrecks off the coast of Madagascar from ancient to modern times and the fate and adventures of survivors. It covers ships of the mighty Portuguese, Dutch, British, and French East India Companies, of numerous pirates who visited or settled there, of the British and French Navies, of the sailing vessels and steamers of the 19th century, and of more recent times. Shipwrecks are unknown relics for most people. This captivating book provides an interesting history into the many that occurred and helped shape Madagascar into the country it is today. ABOUT THE AUTHOR- Pierre van den Boogaerde was born and raised in Ghent, a provincial town in Belgium. He studied law and economics both in Belgium and the U.S. He spent most of his career working for an international financial organization based in Washington, D.C. but was posted in Madagascar about three years ago. Pierre has also been an avid wreck diver for about 30 years.