Thread 24814242

Other narrative nonfiction like pic related? Looking for a page turner adventure-esque story; pic related was great. Doesn't necessarily have to be about sailing

Endurance (best)
Undaunted Courage (also S-tier)
Lost In Shangri-La (same vein but B-tier)

>>24814245
Endurance was excellent but haven't read the others, appreciate it anon

>>24814242 (OP)
In the heart of the sea, best non fiction wreckage

>>24814242 (OP)
I'd recommend his other stuff, "Lost City of Z" is also very good
Also "The Tiger" by John Vaillant

>>24814242 (OP)
in cold blood is capote's rendition of a murder and the arrest and execution of the killers.
>>24814338
also good, and i can reccomend the three books on george washington by the same author.
>>24814267
in that case check out scott kelly's endurence, in which he recounts his time onboard the ISS.

Endurance is indeed the best

In the Heart of the Sea
With The Old Breed
Empire of the Summer Moon
Indianapolis (skip the legal part)
Adrift: Seventy-Six Days Lost At Sea (skip the autistic descriptions)
River of Darkness
Desperadoes (by Ron Hansen)
Kon-Tiki Expedition

>>24815240
With the Old Breed is great, I've never read a war memoir that actually reads like a war movie. It's wild what those folks went through

Pierre Berton

>>24814242 (OP)
Another banger, River of Doubt. Crazy story of Teddy Roosevelt exploring the uncharted Amazon and nearly dying

Washington's Spies

>>24814242 (OP)
Enemy at the Gates

>>24816079
Heard a lot of good things about this one. I believe she also did Destiny of the Republic as well

>>24817003
BASED

1066: The Year of the Conquest by David Howarth

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17160413-1066

>>24814245
>Endurance (best)
is this worth reading even if the google search for the author spoiled me on the fate of the voyage?

>>24818544
imo it absolutely is. Even if you know they survive you'll still be astounded as to how they managed without dying or killing each other

>>24814242 (OP)
The Raft of the Medusa (French: Le Radeau de la Méduse [lə ʁado d(ə) la medyz]) – originally titled Scène de Naufrage (Shipwreck Scene) – is an oil painting of 1818–1819 by the French Romantic painter and lithographer Théodore Géricault (1791–1824).[1] Completed when the artist was 27, the work has become an icon of French Romanticism. At 491 by 716 cm (16 ft 1 in by 23 ft 6 in),[2] it is an over-life-size painting that depicts a moment from the aftermath of the wreck of the French naval frigate Méduse, which ran aground off the coast of today's Mauritania on 2 July 1816. On 5 July 1816, at least 150 people were set adrift on a hurriedly constructed raft; all but 15 died in the 13 days before their rescue, and those who survived endured starvation and dehydration and practiced cannibalism (one custom of the sea). The event became an international scandal, in part because its cause was widely attributed to the incompetence of the French captain. Géricault chose this large-scale uncommissioned work to launch his career, using a subject that had already generated widespread public interest.[3] The event fascinated him.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Raft_of_the_Medusa

In the annals of classical literature, few works resonate as powerfully as Xenophon’s *Anabasis*. This remarkable narrative not only chronicles the arduous journey of Greek mercenaries through the vast and often treacherous terrain of the Persian Empire but also serves as a profound exploration of human resilience and leadership. Written in the 4th century BCE, *Anabasis* offers readers a unique glimpse into the complexities of ancient warfare, the intricacies of cultural identity, and the moral dilemmas faced by its protagonists as they navigate their perilous path home.

Set against the backdrop of a tumultuous period in both Greek and Persian history, Xenophon’s account is more than just a military expedition; it is a rich tapestry woven with themes of courage, fate, and the quest for self-identity. Through the eyes of the author, who was not only a soldier but also a philosopher, the narrative unfolds with vivid descriptions and insightful reflections that challenge the reader to consider the nature of leadership and the impact of circumstance on personal destiny

>>24814242 (OP)
I recently picked up “over the edge of the world”, about Magellan, and although I’ve yet to read it it seems to be in a similar vein

>>24818740
One of my ancestor was on that boat and survived. He posed for Géricault on the famous painting

>>24818544
Yes. Forgive the cliché but it’s about the journey and not the destination.
Pic unrelated but if you enjoy this style of book, this is another great narrative of a struggle for survival

>>24819510
I've always been interested in reading more about Alexander but most books seem extremely dry. Will give this a look though

>>24814242 (OP)
Batavia's Graveyard

>>24818863
>One of my ancestor was on that boat and survived

Damn Anon, did that affect the idea of yourself and your relationship to the sea at all?

>>24818928
thx. I started reading endurance as I already read, and really enjoyed, into thin air and it seems quite good so far

>>24814242 (OP)
Thanks for this

>>24814899
I thought I’d like more True Crime and read the other one that got the genre kicked off about Gary Gilmore and it was like I was reading some smut for women in some areas, Capote really sympathizes with the scrawny Indian killer

I read Panzram a while ago, he rapes men in the ass and is suspicious of women

>>24823108
The weirdest thing I remember about Panzram is that he got up to some hijinks in some African country during the colonial era around or just before WW1

>>24823108
Just to make it clear I’m saying In Cold Blood is much more interesting than The Executioner’s Song, both are flawed and have elements in them that the genre is stereotyped for (female schlick slop, not actually 100% true stories)

>>24823114
>In my lifetime I have murdered 21 human beings, I have committed thousands of burglaries, robberies, larcenies, arsons and, last but not least, I have committed sodomy on more than 1,000 male human beings. For all these things I am not in the least bit sorry. I have no conscience so that does not worry me. I don’t believe in Man, God nor devil. I hate the whole damed human race including myself....I have no desire whatever to reform myself. My only desire is to reform other people who try to reform me, and I believe that the only way to reform people is to kill em. My motto is, Rob em all, Rape em all and Kill em all. I am very truly yours signed Cooper John II Carl Panzram.

My Confession: Recollections of a Rogue - Samuel E. Chamberlain

very neat thread anons

>>24814242 (OP)
You need to check out pic rel

>>24824409
never heard of it but will give it a look. I'm glad there's a good mix in this thread as most recs I get are just about sailing/the sea

>>24824475
If you need a quick fix on survivors on the savage sea check

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Shipwreck_survivors

Pitch it to us.

>>24814242 (OP)
I remember a book about the French expedition ship Astrolabe. But I can't find the title of the book I read.

>>24825113
The Wager?
After shipwrecking due to bad storms, the crew divide in two camps, each with their own idea of how to survive. Both make it back and have to face the British courts about what they did and why.
Not the ending you expect but still good. Also goes super in depth into how awful life at sea was back in the day

>>24826150
Sorry. I meant that for >>24824409

>>24814242 (OP)
I thought this was interesting, being from the south coast myself.

>>24814242 (OP)
The Terror is technically fantasy because it involves a supernatural monster but it was based on a real expedition.
I only watched the TV series which was very good.

>>24826957
Oh sorry, I just realised that OP asked for non-fiction.
I suggest The True History of the Conquest of New Spain by Bernal Diaz. It's a first hand account of a Spanish soldier

>>24826957
Been meaning to read Dan Simmons, though Carrion Comfort always interested me a little more. Appreciate both recs regardless

>>24814242 (OP)
Melville's Benito Cereno. It's based on real events

Empires of the Sea is great.

The Storm of War

>>24814242 (OP)
Anything by Bob Drury and Tom Clavin.