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Told for the very first time, this is the true story of the
adventure that shaped the world . . . 'A thrilling story of
courage, survival and science. It's an extraordinary, visceral and
vivid read' Geographical Magazine ________ Three hundred years ago
no one knew the true shape of the world. It wasn't a sphere - but
did it bulge at the equator or was it pointed at the poles? Until
we found out no map could ever be truly accurate. So a team of
scientists was sent to South America - to measure one full degree
of latitude. But South America was a land of erupting volcanoes,
sodden rainforests, earthquakes, deadly diseases, tropical storms
and violent unrest. And the misfit scientists had an unfortunate
tendency to squander funds, fight duels, stumble into mutinies or
die horribly. The tale of their ten-year odyssey of exploration,
discovery, flirtations with failure and ultimate triumph becomes in
Nicholas Crane's hands the greatest scientific adventure story ever
told. ________ 'Pace, rigour and attention to enticing detail . . .
Crane has a rare knack for showing people things without them
having to get out of their chair' Joe Smith, director of The Royal
Geographic society
In Alaskan Lonely Hearts Club one of the UK's best-known travel
writers shares his life on the road in 26 A-Z stories recording his
very particular engagement with some highly eccentric characters.
An eclectic range of destinations sees Paul Gogarty skiing in
Algeria, deep sea fishing in Kenya and attending a George Formby
ukulele convention in Blackpool. Often hilarious, these tales range
from an end-of-the-line bachelor auction in Alaska to attending the
Henley-on-Todd Regatta in the parched dustbowl of Alice Springs. A
passion for music is a thread running through several of the
stories. In 'Caister Soul Weekender' Gogarty checks into an East
Anglian static caravan site for three days of dance, Red Bull and
camaraderie. After hanging out with country wannabes in Nashville
and attending the Delta Blues Festival in Greenville his car breaks
down at the very crossroads where bluesman Robert Johnson reputedly
sold his soul to the devil in return for guitar mastery. Nor is
Gogarty afraid to sign up for the bizarre, whether visiting a
homemade Stonehenge, taking an Arctic plunge protected only by
swimming trunks, or learning the arcane art of healing and dowsing
for hereditary diseases in Basingstoke. This collection showcases
the diversity and possibilities of travel writing. More than
anything else these tales underline a fascination with people and
an openness to experience the world in all its diversity.
One word binds us all: geography. We are all geographers, human
beings who care about the places we think of as 'home' - our
habitat. And yet we have lost touch with the connection between our
actions and the state of the planet that we all share. We need a
new narrative that restores the connections between humanity and
the Earth. We are being confronted by a daily barrage of
geographical stories on climate change, geopolitics, population
growth, migration, dwindling resources, polluted oceans and natural
hazards. These are planetary concerns affecting all people and all
places. They are challenges which can be addressed through
geography. In this short but powerful book, Nicholas Crane makes
the compelling case that never has geography been so important. On
this finite orb, with its battered habitat, sustained in dark space
by a thin, life-giving atmosphere, we have reached a point in our
collective geographical journey where knowledge is the best
guarantor of the future. [NOTE: published in hardback as YOU ARE
HERE]
One word binds us all: geography. We are all geographers, human
beings who care about the places we think of as 'home' - our
habitat. And yet we have lost touch with the connection between our
actions and the state of the planet that we all share. We need a
new narrative that restores the connections between humanity and
the Earth. We are being confronted by a daily barrage of
geographical stories on climate change, geopolitics, population
growth, migration, dwindling resources, polluted oceans and natural
hazards. These are planetary concerns affecting all people and all
places. They are challenges which can be addressed through
geography. In this distillation of a lifetime's work, Nicholas
Crane makes the compelling case that never has geography been so
important. On this finite orb, with its battered habitat, sustained
in dark space by a thin, life-giving atmosphere, we have reached a
point in our collective geographical journey where knowledge is the
best guarantor of the future.
How much do we really know about the place we call 'home'? In this
sweeping, timely book, Nicholas Crane tells the story of Britain.
Over the course of 12,000 years of continuous human occupation, the
British landscape has been transformed form a European peninsula of
glacier and tundra to an island of glittering cities and exquisite
countryside. In this geographical journey through time, we discover
the ancient relationship between people and place and the
deep-rooted tensions between town and countryside. From tsunamis to
Roman debacles, from henge to high-rise and hamlet to metropolis,
this is a book about change and adaptation. As Britain lurches
towards a more sustainable future, it is the story of our age.
Intrepid presenter Nicholas Crane investigates eight epic journeys,
following in the footsteps of our greatest indigenous explorers.
Nick presents eight of the most interesting traveller-chroniclers
to have explored and reported on the state of the nation. From
Gerald of Wales who embarked on a seven week journey around the
wild perimeter of Wales in March 1188, to HV Morton, the journalist
and travel writer who crossed the length and breadth of England by
car in the 1920s. Others include Celia Fiennes who started her many
journeys around Britain on horseback in the late 1600s at the age
of 20, Tudor antiquarian John Leland, Daniel Defoe, William
Cobbett, Thomas Pennant, and William Gilpin, who travelled through
the north of England by boat in 1770.
Told for the very first time, this is the story of the adventure that
shaped the world.
By knowing the shape of our earth we can create maps, survive the
oceans, follow rivers, navigate the skies, and travel across the globe.
This is the story of our world, of how we discovered what no one
thought possible - the shape of the earth.
A thrilling and page-turning account of the first major expedition by
data gatherers and qualified observers to interior Peru, to discover
the shape and magnitude of the earth. Until humanity discovered this it
would be impossible to produce accurate maps and sea charts, without
which thousands of lives would be lost, and exact locations of cities,
roads and rivers would never be known. This fascinating and dramatic
story weaves scientific rigour, egos, funding crises and betrayal with
sea voyages, jungles and volcanoes.
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