Spotlight on True Adventure: Discovery & Battle of Wits

Nonfiction or True Adventure stories deliver the adrenaline rush of exploration, survival, and discovery, without having to leave your comfiest chair. Though similar to Adventure Fiction (see Clive Cussler), part of the enjoyment to be found in True Adventure are the practical details. Whether it's the tools and procedures for mountain climbing, or descriptions of far off or extreme landscapes, readers will be immersed in a fantastic, but all too real, world.

This is our second post on True Adventure titles. You can read our first post, which focused on Survival Stories and Natural Disasters, by following this link: http://carnegiestout.blogspot.com/2012/01/spotlight-on-true-adventure-survival.html

Voyages of Discovery
The Lost City of Z: a tale of deadly obsession in the Amazon by David Grann (918.11 GRA) Author David Grann retraces the 1925 journey of Percy Fawcett, who disappeared in the Amazon while in search of a missing city filled with Incan gold.

Shadow Divers by Robert Kurson
(940.5451 KUR) The story of two scuba divers who discover an unknown U-boat off of the coast of New Jersey, and their dangerously obsessive 11-year quest to identify the wreck.


Blind Descent: the quest to discover the deepest place on earth by James M. Tabor
(796.525 TAB) Not a tale for the claustrophobic, Mr. Tabor provides a look at the competitive world of professional spelunking from Oaxaca, Mexico to the Republic of Georgia.

Too Far from Home: a story of life and death in space by Chris Jones
(629.45 JON) When the space shuttle Columbia was destroyed, two American astronauts and a Russian cosmonaut became stranded on the International Space Station. Journalist Christ Jones combines the details day-to-day life in space, with the dangerous rescue attempt à la Apollo 13.

The Lady and the Panda: the true adventures of the first American explorer to bring back China's most exotic animal by Vicki Croke
(LP 599.789 CRO) In 1936 socialite Ruth Harkness' husband was killed in an attempt to capture a Giant Panda for an American zoo, and Ms. Harkness decided to complete her husband's dangerous quest.

A Battle of Wits
Agent Zigzag: a true story of Nazi espionage, love, and betrayal by Ben Macintyre
(Biog Chapman) Conman Eddie Chapman trained as a spy for the Germans, but when given a mission to destroy a British airplane factory, he became a double agent for MI5 instead.

Sex On the Moon: the amazing story behind the most audacious heist in history by Ben Mezrich
(364.1628 MEZ) Thad Roberts worked hard to escape his life in Utah and become a NASA fellow, but then he decides to impress his girlfriend, a NASA intern, by involving her in a plot to steal moon rocks. Ben Mezrich is also the author of The Accidental Billionaires, the book behind The Social Network.

The Man in the Rockefeller Suit: the astonishing rise and spectacular fall of a serial impostor by Mark Seal
(364.1633 SEA) When Clark Rockefeller's marriage comes to a bad end, he kidnaps his young daughter, but the FBI investigation turns up more than expected. Rockefeller is not the man he claimed to be.

Flawless: inside the largest diamond heist in history by Scott Andrew Selby
(364.162 SEL) In 2003, upwards of a hundred million dollars of diamonds and other gems were stolen from the high security Antwerp Diamond Center. Though, unlike a Hollywood crime caper, the thieves do not get away, but most of the valuables were never recovered.

Readers may also be interested in our Ann Rule Read Alike post, which includes reading suggestions about crimes and criminals.

Please stop by the Recommendations Desk on the first floor, check out NoveList Plus on the library's website, or visit W. 11th & Bluff next week for more reading suggestions. Or submit a Personal Recommendations request, and we'll create a reading list just for you!

Spotlight on True Adventure: Survival & Natural Disasters

As most avid readers will tell you, a book can offer an escape from your everyday life. Nonfiction or True Adventure stories deliver the adrenaline rush of exploration, survival, and discovery, without having to leave your comfiest chair. Though similar to Adventure Fiction (see Clive Cussler), part of the enjoyment to be found in True Adventure are the practical details. Whether it's the tools and procedures for mountain climbing, or descriptions of far off or extreme landscapes, readers will be immersed in a fantastic, but all too real, world.

Whether you're already a fan or you're looking to try something new, we've put together a list of suggestions for True Adventure. You can read our second True Adventure post, which focuses on Voyages of Discovery and Spies & Conmen, by following this link: carnegiestout.blogspot.com/2012/02/spotlight-on-true-adventure-discovery.html
Stories of Survival
Lost in Shangri-la by Mitchell Zuckoff
(940.548 ZUC) Three Americans survive a WWII plane crash in remote New Guinea.

Not Without Hope by Nick Schuyler
(910.452 SCH) Mr. Schuyler survives a terrible boating accident that kills three of his friends, two of whom played in the NFL.

Miracle in the Andes: 72 days on the mountain and my long trek home by Nando Parrado
(982.6 PAR) Mr. Parrado's tragic tale of survival after a tragic plane crash high in the Andes is considered a classic of the True Adventure genre.

Between a Rock and a Hard Place by Aron Ralston
(Biog Ralston) While hiking in Utah, Mr. Ralston becomes trapped beneath and boulder and must make a difficult decision. His story is the basis for the film 127 Hours.

Into Thin Air: a personal account of the Mount Everest disaster by Jon Krakauer
(796.522095496 KRA) Journalist Jon Krakauer's deadly 1996 Mt. Everest expedition is another classic in True Adventure writing.

The Ledge: an adventure story of friendship and survival on Mount Rainier by Jim Davidson
(796.522092 DAV) This more recent account of mountain climbing tells of a 1992 disaster on Mount Rainier, and its inspirational impact on survivor Jim Davidson.

Natural Disasters
The Children's Blizzard by David Laskin
(977.031 LAS) The story of a tragic blizzard in 1888 that caused the death of many recent and unprepared immigrants, especially school children.

F5: Devastation, survival, and the most violent tornado outbreak of the twentieth century by Mark Levine
(551.553 LEV) In April of 1974 more than one hundred tornadoes struck the central U.S. Mr. Levine focuses on the impact of these deadly storms on a community in rural Alabama.

The Perfect Storm: a true story of men against the sea by Sebastian Junger
(974.45 JUN) This account of the deadly storm which struck the New England coast in October of 1991 is another True Adventure classic and served as the basis for the 2000 movie.

Zeitoun by Dave Eggers
(976.335 EGG) Mr. Eggers tells the story of Abdulrahman Zeitoun who disappeared in the wake of Hurricane Katrina.

When the Mississippi Ran Backwards: empire, intrigue, murder, and the new Madrid earthquakes by Jay Feldman
(551.22 FEL) The story of the New Madrid earthquakes of 1811 and '12 and how they affected the people and politics of the day.

Please stop by the Recommendations Desk on the first floor, check out NoveList Plus on the library's website, or visit W. 11th & Bluff next week for more reading suggestions. Or submit a Personal Recommendations request, and we'll create a reading list just for you!

Read Alike: Clive Cussler

Clive Cussler is both the author of adventure fiction, and a bit of an adventurer himself. Mr. Cussler made his name with his Dirk Pitt series. Dirk is a globe-trotting military veteran and marine engineer with the National Underwater and Marine Agency. In the novels, NUMA is a governmental agency devoted to oceanographic research and exploration, but in the real world NUMA is a private non-profit organization founded by Mr. Cussler, which has located a number of sunken vessels from the American Civil War. You can read more about Mr. Cussler at his web page.

Mr. Cussler is a rather prolific author who has written dozens of books, both fiction and non-fiction. His action-packed, fast-paced series keep readers on their toes as the heroes race to save the day and discover the answer to a mystery, often with an historical basis. His non-fiction titles focus on the real world adventures of NUMA and its underwater archaeologists and explorers. Most recently, he has published The Jungle with Jack Du Brul, the latest in the Oregon Files series, about Juan Cabrillo's adventures in global counter-terrorism. June will see the publication of the third book in the Fargo Adventures series, The Kingdom with Grant Blackwood, which feature Sam and Remi Fargo, professional treasure hunters.

If you like Clive Cussler, you might also like these authors:

Jack Du Brul, frequent co-author of Clive Cussler, writes his own action-packed series featuring geologist Philip Mercer. Havoc, the most recent of the series, has Philip Mercer following the trail of a secret from the Hindenburg to a remote African village.

Ian Fleming is the man behind James Bond, the resourceful British spy, and the literary ancestor of Dirk Pitt. The first book in the series, Casino Royale, was the source for Daniel Craig's first turn as Bond.

Will Adams' archaeologist adventurer, Daniel Knox, who finds more than antiquities in modern-day Egypt. In The Alexander Cipher, rival teams of experts engage in a suspenseful race to discover the lost tomb of Alexander the Great.

Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child have been writing together since 1995. Their thrilling novels are always fast-paced and exciting and feature everything from paleontology to hard science, but can be a little darker than Mr. Cussler's works. Their popular Pendergast series starts with Relic, a suspenseful murder mystery set in a Natural History Museum. Individually, they have written several books as well. In Mr. Preston's The Codex, a treasure hunter goes missing and his sons set off in search of their father and his fortunes.

Ted Bell's Alexander Hawke series has action, humor, exotic locations, and a swashbuckling spy. Hawke, the first book of the series, sends the title character on a hunt for a stealth submarine.

Matthew Reilly is an Australian author of the fast-paced action/adventure genre, which means that his Australian protagonists will come up against deadly American villains. 7 Deadly Wonders is the first in a series featuring hero Jack West Jr. and his elite team in their quest to save the world from modern enemies and an ancient danger.

James Rollins writes thrilling, suspenseful adventure novels set in dangerous far-flung corners of the globe. The first book of his Sigma Force series, Sandstorm, has his independent heroes tracking the location of a lost city and the scientific wonder it contains.

Other authors of adventure fiction you may enjoy, Peter Benchley, Tom Clancy, John J. Nance, Dale Brown, W.E.B. Griffin, Stephen Coonts, Bernard Cornwell, Clive Egleston, Jack Higgins, and Eric van Lustbader.

Please stop by the Recommendations Desk on the first floor, check out NoveList Plus on the library's website, or visit W. 11th & Bluff next week for more reading suggestions. Or submit a Personal Recommendations request, and we'll create a reading list just for you!