In the Heart of the Sea

Philbrick, Nathaniel. In the Heart of the Sea: The Tragedy of the Whaleship Essex. London: Penguin. 2000. Print.

First Sentences:

Like a giant bird of prey, the whaleship moved lazily up the western coast of South America, zigging and zagging across a living sea of oil. For that was the Pacific Ocean in 1821, a vast field of warm-blooded oil deposits known as sperm whales.

Description:

There's something about survival narratives that always captures my total attention. Whether its the event itself, the fortitude and breakdowns of the people facing a hopeless situation, or just the fantasy of wondering how you yourself would fare under those circumstances continually fascinates me.

Nathaniel Philbrick's In the Heart of the Sea: The Tragedy of the Whaleship Essex clicks all my buttons for survival stories. His narrative recounts the events leading up to the historic sinking of the whaleship Essex in the 1819. What is unusual about this particular ship's sinking is that the Essex was repeatedly, deliberately rammed by a huge whale, sending twenty men into lifeboats for a three-month epic voyage of 3,000 miles. This true story was an internationally known tale in those days in a world centered on whaling, and indeed was an inspiration for Herman Melville to write Moby Dick which featured (spoiler alert) the sinking of a whaleboat by the white whale.

Did a whale actually cause the sinking of the Essex? To find the answer, Philbrick carefully documents the world of whaling at that time, with Nantuck Island as the center of the world's industry. Selecting crews, captains, cargo, setting out in small boats to harpoon and then be pulled by immense whales (the "Nantucket sleigh ride"), and all other aspects of the voyage are vividly brought to life under Phibrick's able hand. 

What is the daily/hourly life like for ordinary seamen and officers? How do you actually go about finding, and killing a whale in the open sea? Philbrick weaves accounts of other whaling dangers, castaways, cannibals, and greedy owners. Soon you are immersed in this era, becoming completely at one with the crew of the Essex as they seek whales from New England around the tip of South America and all the way to the Hawaiian Islands.

But it is the episode with the giant whale and its encounter with the Essex that drives the story. Was it intentional or accidental? Eye-witness reports are absolutely riveting as the crew watches the whale approach the ship, while other crew members view the encounter from their whaleboats bobbing in the distance.

The harrowing wreckage is only the beginning of the survival story as the men take to poorly-equipped lifeboats and head toward what they think might be safe lands. They intentionally avoid some islands due to rumors of cannibals, so instead of a shorter route to closer islands like Hawaii they opt for a 2,000-mile voyage to perceived safety in friendlier lands. With little more than a sail and the will to survive, they leave the wreck of the Essex behind and slowly drift away.

... the cabin boy [later] asked, "How many warm hearts have ceased to beat in consequence of [this decision]?"

I cannot ably describe Philbtick's gripping accounts from departure of the Essex to its sinking by the whale and then the long, long voyage of survival. If you have any interest in true-life adventures of man vs. the elements, then In the Heart of the Sea will keep you pinned to your chair for hours as you follow these men as they face death by so many forces.

The Essex disaster is not a tale of adventure. It is a tragedy that happens to be one of the greatest true stories ever told.

Happy reading. 

Fred

www.firstsentencereader.blogspot.com

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If this book interests you, be sure to check out:

Melville, Herman. Moby Dick: or The Whale

Truly an epic tale of whaling in the 1800's and one man's obsession with revenge on the great white whale that took his leg. A classic read that should not be avoided any longer!

Philbrick, Nathaniel. Why Read Moby-Dick?

Companion piece that explains the importance and history behind Moby-Dick to make it more understandable to common readers and allow them to experience the grandeur and excitement of the tale and that era.

Severin, Timothy. In Search of Moby Dick: Quest for the White Whale

Modern day search by the author to the Pacific to follow leads to the possible existence of a white whale as depicted in Moby-Dick. Fascinating accounts of natives in the region of such whales as well as the giant manta rays (some white) that they hunt by jumping onto their backs and spearing them. Wonderful read.

To the Linksland

Bamberger, Michael. To the Linkland: A Golfing Adventure. New York: Viking 1992. Print.

First Sentences:

I think the man liked my wife. He kept saying to her, "If you want to eat, eat now. No food till we get to Port Bou."


Description:

Linksland is the old Scottish word for the earth at the edge of the sea -- tumbling, duney, sandy, covered by beach grasses. When the light hits it, and the breeze sweeps over it, you get every shade of green and brown, and always, in the distance, is the water. The land was long considered worthless, except to the shepherds and their sheed and the rabbits, and to the early golfers.

For golf enthusiasts looking longingly at the fleeting summer, please check out Michael Bamberger's To the Linksland: A Golfing Adventure, It's a highly-satisfying peek into the inner workings of tournament golf, the players that strive weekly to make a cut, and the intangibles that make up a satisfactory golf swing. All this is played out on the grand and not so wonderful courses that compose the European Golf Tour.

In 1991, Michael Bamberger, a newspaper sportswriter, gave up his apartment, took a leave of absence from his job writing for Sports Illustrated, and, joined by his newlywed wife, set off to explore the wide world of golf as a caddy.

I wanted to lead the life of the professional amateur, the man who earns a living wage, and not more, for being around the thing that consumes him, the thing that fascinated him, the thing that he loves. 

Bamberger caddied in the national championships of Portugal, France, Spain, Italy, Belgium, Ireland, and, finally, Scotland, golf’s ancestral home. Once there, Bamberger fell under the spell of one of golf’s fabled  teachers and thinkers, John Stark, whose instruction was simply to "Hear the ball."

The book is divided into two sections modeled after a golf score card. In the first half, "Going Out," Bamberger documents his adventures caddying the European Tour for golfer Peter Teravainen, while in the second half, "Coming In," he describes his own play on famous and obscure golf courses in Scotland, always seeking to improve his game as well as explore the birthplaces of golf.

Scotland was the homeland: the place where the game took root centuries ago...the place where the game breathed free....Scotland was a place where the crunching sound of cleats against the brick floor of a clubhouse served as an invitation to play nine more, starting in the long, late dusk and holing final putts by the light of the moon.

Caddying for Teravainen, a journeyman golfer who survives tourney to tourney by making just enough money to keep going, Bamberger gives us a very personal look into Tour life through the eyes and actions of a man committed to golf. Despite being a very long ball striker, Teravainen had yet to win any tournament in his twelve years playing the European Tour. That did not phase him in the least

When you play as well as you can, and it's not enough, there's not much to be disappointed about. You've done all you can do. 

Peter chooses to ride the cheap, rickety caddy bus (the only player to do so) to each tour destination to save small amounts of money. His clothes are off-the-shelf, his game unpredictable, yet tantalizingly close to making him a top ten tour player. His outlook is almost always optimistic.

Story after story, beautifully written, follow as the pair experience the Tour and talk about players like Faldo, Ballesteros, Nicklaus, Player, Palmer, and Watson, along with fellow obscure competitors pursuing the same goals: play well, survive, go on to the next tournament.

In the second half of the book, Bamberger outlines, after foregoing caddying, his personal quest for improvement in his game.

It is the promise of improvement that makes golf captivating...In golf, in so many ways a bodiless game, the results are wholly tangible. How many whacks. Each player must decide for himself if he is improving....I wanted to search for the primal heart of golf.

Bamberger eventually meets John Stark, the legendary Scot golf pro who advises him to "hear the sound the shaft makes as it comes through the air, listen to how rhythmic and sweet that sound is." Stark encourages Bamberger to play on many of Scotland's courses, taking enough time "to discover some of our secrets." 

The author visits and plays courses with curiously named holes ("Bents," Whins," Blin' Dunt," Coffins," "Finnyfal," etc.) that make up St. Andrews, Cruden Bay, Gullane, and Mjachrihanish,. Everywhere, he tries to glean information about what is the most important advice his fellow players can offer.

But the highlight of the book is when Stark takes Bamberger to Auchnafree, "undiscovered, primal, pure," a six-hole course laid out by one man on his own property. Fairways are not mown or fertilized there, only kept "maintained" by sheep who also construct the bunkers as shelters from the cold. Stark plays the only two rounds there each year, And Bramberger is in awe during their round.

I had rekindled all the feelings of excitement for the game I had know as a school boy. All the clutter that impedes the game in the United States -- the golf carts, the expensiveness, the slowness, the social trappings -- vanished from mind and memory. Through Stark, I had discovered real golf, and I was a happy man.

A wondrously, uplifting, insightful, and deeply-felt book for golfers and those who just enjoy reading about people, places, and dreams.

Happy reading. 

 

Fred

     See More Recommendations 

          (and an Intro to The First Sentence Reader) 

________________________

If this book interests you, be sure to check out:

Bamberger, Michael. The Ball in the Air.   

Author Bamberger profiles three non-professional golfers he meets, including a girl from Nepal who grew up living in a golf course equipment shed and learned to play using a tree branch). They talk about their love for the game and the challenges they have and will face to get onto a course.  

81 Days Below Zero

Murphy, Brian. 81 Days Below Zero: The Incredible Survival Story of a World War II Pilot in Alaska's Frozen Wilderness. New York: De Capo. 2015. Print.

First Sentences:

On a morning just above zero, a pilot with bed-rumpled hair hurried through tunnels under the Alaskan snow.

Description:

I relish survival stories, especially those that pit one person alone against overwhelming forces seeking to destroy him at every turn. The drive of that person to keep going and overcome both the tiny and major problems faced always strike a chord with me. These tales make me wonder how well would I have done in a similar situation, and bring me to the conclusion I probably would have died in the first few days. That the story's major character survives restores my faith in the ingenuity of humans and maybe even improves my will to press on in daily life.

Brian Murphy in 81 Days Below Zero: The Incredible Survival Story of a World War II Pilot in Alaska's Frozen Wilderness, tells the true story of First Lieutenant Leon Crane
who parachuted out of his doomed plane over the frozen landscape of Alaska in 1943. He and his crew of "Cold Nose Boys" (military fliers) were performing a routine test of a B-24 bomber when the plane spun out of control and headed straight down. Crane was able to parachute out, but the fates of the other crewmen was unknown to him. The plane burst into flames upon impact as Crane watched from his own landing area several miles away. 

Realizing he had been off course and unable to radio their position, Crane begins walking, regretting that he had pulled off his gloves on board the aircraft. At temperatures ranging from -20 to -50 degrees, frostbite immediately became his first real problem.

Armed with the parachute for warmth and a few matches, Crane follows the frozen river, drinking the seeping water at the edges before it freezes, but unable to find any food. He is completely lost, but feels that following a river might bring him to people, even if they are by his estimate, over 100 miles away. How long can he survive without food, sub-zero temperatures, and no assistance?

What follows is the gripping and challenging story of Crane's plodding hike, his encounters with death, and his narrow escapes that make him wiser for the next obstacle faced. All this is set in an environment where the temperature rarely gets above -20 degrees. 

Besides Crane's struggles, Author Murphy describes the history of the Alaskan area of the crash, including the gold rush as well the true purpose of the armed forces stationed there (preparing in 1944 for a major invasion of Japan). Using records, letters, and news articles, Murphy ably describes the feelings of the Ladd Air Base as well as the strength of the families of the lost airmen in their dogged determination to locate these men.

Crane's will, his cleverness, and his determination give us ordinary people the hope that we too, like him, could at least try to calmly, rationally overcome the terrible hand he has been dealt.

Read it in front of a fire, covered with a blanket and a cup of hot tea in your hand. You will still be shivering, guaranteed.

Happy reading. 

Fred

www.firstsentencereader.blogspot.com

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If this book interests you, be sure to check out:

Paulsen, Gary. Hatchet

Teenage city boy crash lands in the wilds of Canada and must learn how to survive in the wilderness. See also the Hatchet sequels, especially Brian's Winter. 

Weir, Andy. The Martian

One astronaut, blown away and by a Martian storm, is left behind on Mars and presumed dead. But he isn't and must figure out how to survive, communicate with NASA and his crew, and ultimately escape. Not easy tasks, but he is resourceful in the face of overwhelming odds. Fantastic. (previously reviewed here) 

Philbrick, Natianiel. In the Heart of the Sea

True story of the Essex, the nineteenth century whaling boat that was rammed and sunk by a whale, sending its surviving crew into three longboats to attempt to sail 3,000 miles to the nearest port. (previously reviewed here) 

Special Post: My Forever Books

My Forever Books. October, 2025. Print

 

First Sentences:

To build up a library is to create a life. It's never just a random collection of books. --Carlos María Domínguez, The House of Paper 

A [book] collection is a reflection of who we are and what we love. It is a testament to our passions and the things that bring us joy. -- Unknown author and source 

Collect with your heart, not just your eyes. Choose items that speak to you on a deeper level. --Unknown author and source 

Introduction:

I am in the process of giving away or donating most of my current library. Why? It's certainly not due to a lack of space as there is plenty of room on the shelves the cosy reading room in our house. It's not that I have grown tired of scanning over the titles of loved books from my reading past. That is a sight I will always enjoy. I do, however, still love getting books as presents as well as recommendations from friends and family. Maybe they'll will become part of my "Forever Books" collection (see below).

 

So why donate them? 

• I don't plan to re-read most of these soon-to-be-eliminated books, although they do give me pleasure to see them lined up on my bookshelves, reminding me of their stories, the worlds they opened to me, their language, and even the circumstances I came to possess them (gifts, funky second-hand bookshops, online used books sites, library sales, and sometimes actually even purchased brand new;

• I can easily acquire from a library any of those books I might possibly re-read;

• I had once thought I would loan/give my books to friends and family when they wanted a recommendation and I would be able to steer them to something great from my collection. Never happened. I was very rarely asked by someone to borrow one of my books, so that dream eventually faded;

• I felt there may be other people, unknown to me, who might enjoy discovering a new, offbeat book that caught their eye and then picked up at a library book sale, Goodwill, or Little Library box (and, of course, read its first sentences).

So I am gradually, sometimes reluctantly, donating books to my local library book sale, dropping them off at the nearby Volunteers of America resale shop, and placing them in Little Library boxes I walk by in my neighborhood. Safe travels and enjoy your new homes.

However:

 

There are some what I call "Forever Books" that will remain with me until I die, never ever to be given away, and only begrudgingly loaned (with blood-signed promises to return them). These will be placed proudly in full view on my bookshelves. 

 

Why keep these particular books?

• The plot, characters, writing, and setting of these specific books' remain fascinating to me even after multiple readings. These elements may be familiar to me, but somehow always seem new, like meeting up with a lifetime friend who continues to entertain, surprise, and confide in you;

• I plan to re-read and immerse myself into the worlds of these books until my eyes won't focus anymore, and then will tell my long-suffering care-giver to read them aloud to me;

• Just seeing the spines of these favorites continue to give me great pleasure and memories. They make me tingle in anticipation of the next opportunity when I will be able to immerse myself into their worlds and characters. Whether through their plots (which never get old and always provide new elements, as well as teach me something about the world, people, and myself); their writing (unique, clear, humorous, clever, wise, or all the above); the characters (brave, silly, noble, skilled, thoughtful, open, honest, self-deprecating, or just likeable); or the setting (challenging, gorgeous, natural, imaginative, violent, or serene), these volumes have a special place in my mind and heart.

 

My Forever Book Titles and Description:  

 (* = Click on these titles to read my reviews)

 

[Note: There will probably be a few more that I simply cannot part with, but here is today's list.] 

* 5 Simple Steps to Perfect Golf  - Count Yogi

My father's short, ragged book with simple, clear, solid instruction by and demonstrative photos of the flamboyant character, Count Yogi, a wonderful golfer who set many golf records on the Los Angeles courses, but refused to join the PGA circuit as he didn't want to get up for early tee times.

* Asimov's Guide to Shakespeare - Isaac Asimov

My go-to reference book for understanding any Shakespeare play. Probably the book I use most often, allowing me to best understand the language, nuances, history, humor, and unique writing of The Bard, especially to bone up on the piece before watching any performance 

* Asimov's Guide to Science - Isaac Asimov

Finally I have a book I can search to understand anything in the world, from the universe to Earth, to biology, the body, evolution, atoms, and so much more, written in highly-readable, clear, sentences for a layman like me. 

The Complete Short Stories of W. Somerset Maugham - W. Somerset Maugham

Two hefty volumes of the most remarkable, unpredictable, beautifully-written short stories ever, full of fascinatingly human characters and unique tales in Maugham's lovely prose. I've donated away this collection for years, but keep repurchasing used copies because these stories are always fresh, unpredictable, and wonderfully written, stories that will reach me no matter my mood. Guess I can't quit them.

* Cowboys Are My Weakness - Pam Houston

Short stories powerfully and sincerely written, narrated by courageous, outrageous women and their relationships with questionable men in the gorgeous settings of remote towns in the back country of the Western mountains.

The First and Last Freedom - J Krishnamurti

Given to me by a close friend, this unique book of philosophical questions in dialogue form are continually grounding and deeply thoughtful, always forcing me to challenge any easy answer to life and relationship, and search for the truth amidst the reality of living. 

A Gift from the Sea - Anne Morrow Lindbergh 

Crystal clear, quiet thoughts and exquisitely delicate writing on various aspects of love and relationships using sea shells as her metaphors.

* The Golf Omnibus - P.G. Wodehouse 

My absolute favorite, book for cheering me up or just offering escapist fun through a world of goofy characters doing outrageous activities in the stiff-upper-lip language and manner on the golf course.  

The Hobbit - J.R.R. Tolkien

A book I have loved for years, re-reading it for my own pleasure and to our son from an early age, as well as to young tennis players in India while traveling on long-distant train rides. My copy was a special edition given to me by our son, so I will never part with it and will continue to read it alone and maybe even with a future grandchild.

* The Housekeeper and the Professor -  Yoko Ogawa

There is something about the story of an aging mathematics professor with a memory of only 80 minutes and his humble housekeeper and her son that compels me to re-visit their quiet, challenging world over and over to reclaim their individual struggles and peaceful co-existence.

* Housekeeping - Marilynne Robinson

A strange, compelling tale of a wandering transient aunt who is unwillingly given the responsibility to settle down and raise two young girls in a bitter cold environment. Always captivating, unexpected, challenging, and loving.

 The Importance of Living - Lin Yutang

Another book introduced to my by a close friend on the value of noticing small things, not taking everything seriously, enjoying the humor of everyday life, loafing, appreciating details of home, nature, travel, culture, and the art of thinking. Challenging, humorous, and thoughtful on every topic.

 * In a Sunburned Country - Bill Bryson

Who knew a travel account about Australia could be so outrageously funny? Always something new in this book to learn about this interesting country, always something funny to make me laugh out loud every time I read it.

Infinite Jest - David Foster Wallace

I will probably never read even a small portion of this book. But it was given to me by dear friends when I had Stage 4 cancer, along with the note that said they had confidence I would live long enough to read this tome. That meant a lot to me and I will never forget their confidence in me regaining my life and health, as symbolized by this book. 

* Kayaks Down the Nile - John Goddard

This author was a life-long adventurer who at age 15 compiled a list of 127 actions he wanted to accomplish before he died. One of these was paddling from source to mouth of the Nile. My sister gave me this book because Goddard used to come to our high school twice a year to show slides from his latest death-defying exploration. He therefore has a deeply-embedded place in my heart both for his fascinating narrations and for getting the entire school out of class for his semi-annual assemblies. 

Keeko - Charles Thorson

This children's book by the extremely talented illustrator of Bugs Bunny cartoons was the first book in my life I remember, with its lush pictures I drooled over long before I could read. A wonderful story of a young Indian boy trying to find an eagle feather.

Life of Pi - Yann Martel

I just love everything about this book's plot, writing, characters, and setting. Seems to offer me something new and changes my opinions with each re-reading, the marks of a great book

* The Lord of the Rings  - J.R.R. Tolkien

Simply the best epic story ever. These volumes were given to me by a close friend which we read aloud several times, and which later I read to our son. He later carried his own thick volume version to his elementary school class as he read it for himself. Unmatched in every aspect of a great novel.

* The Man Who Mistook His Wife For a Hat - Oliver Sacks

Can never get enough of this volume of very human, unique, fascinating accounts of people with unusual behaviors caused by previously undiagnosed brain disorders 

* Manners from Heaven - Quentin Crisp

Simply a wonderfully witty, barbed, sarcastic, and insightful view of the world, why humans should be well-mannered (not just following stiff rules of etiquette), and how to achieve this highly agreeable personality.

* The Martian - Andy Weir

I simply never get tired of the ingenious bravery of the main character and the setting of his lonely world. Wonderfully concise, precise, funny writing as well. Any books that opens with the first words "I'm pretty much f**ked" promises to be a wild ride ... and delivers on every page.

* The Martian Chronicles - Ray Bradbury

These timeless stories about the exploration of Mars, along with the nature of man's ingenuity, emotions, greed, love, and dreams in a unique setting show a mirror of the face of humanity and consequently never grow old for me. 

Moment in Peking - Lin Yu-Tang

Introduced to this book by a man I admired, this sprawling novel is a powerful, yet intimate introduction for me into the world of pre-Mao China, the lives of wealthy and poor people, and the culture of that era. 

 * Never Cry Wolf  - Farley Mowat

Another book that always makes me laugh at the misadventures of the narrator and the natural world he finds himself in, forever confused by his misconceptions about wolves and men. 

* The Piano Shop on the Left Bank - Thad Carhart

Just a delightful memoir about piano restoration in a hidden store, where the author learns about pianos, their history, their tones, and their personalities, as well as the men who bring them back to life. 

* Plainsong - Ivan Doig

My wife introduced me to this gentle, thoughtful book which I return to often when despairing of the lack of kindness of humans towards each other. This book never fails to restore my faith that there are gentle, quiet people out there doing good for the benefit of their fellow humans. 

A River Runs Through It - Norman MacLean

A beautifully-written memoir about a family fishing, and living life in the backwoods of Montana. It never fails to inspire a warm glow about nature, nor evokes such sadness at the foibles of human nature. 

Roughing It - Mark Twain

A book that continues to make me laugh while learning about the untamed West through the eyes of a young "secretary" (Twain) who has free rein to explore and describe whatever catches his fancy, whether odd people, unusual sights, or wild adventures.  

* Shakespeare Saved My Life - Laura Bates

Memoir of a teacher who entered a prison's solitary confinement cell block and, by pushing books, questions, and notes through the men's food slots, leads discussions of the Bard's writings among prisoners sentenced to years of solitary confinement. These men, through lively conversations, eventually re-wrote some of Shakespeare's plays to better express the criminal's point of view behind the action, and then had other prisoners perform these revised versions, performances the solitary prisoners could never attend. Inspiring.

* Tennis for Life - Peter Burwash

The absolute best, simplest tennis instruction book written by the former pro and president of the tennis management company I worked for which changed my life. This company sent me to teach these techniques from this book at tennis facilities on Oahu, Maui, Kauai, Chennai (India), and The Woodlands (Houston), Texas where I met my beautiful wife.

* To Serve Them All My Days - R.F. Delderfield

A shell-shocked WWI soldier is hired by a boys' school to teach for the first time and by this experience, hopefully achieve some recovery and encourage his re-entrance into the world. Warm, funny, insightful, and always full of characters I would love to meet. 

* Total Immersion - Terry MacLaughlin

My reference book on how to swim efficiently. I return to it often to improve my stroke and understand the body's relationship to the water to swim more "fish-like" and efficiently. 

* We Took to the Woods - Louise Rich 

A wonderful memoir of life in the isolated woods of Maine by a woman who, in each chapter, answers the most common questions she received about living alone in the woods. Inspiring, funny, clear-sighted, and beautifully written. Always a book for me to bring calm to a frantic world.

* The Whistling Season - Ivan Doig

Small Western town novel about a widower and his sons who hire a housekeeper (who can't cook) to organize their home and life. She and her brother who joins her are whirlwinds of new ideas, strong personalities, and challenges to the widower, his family, and the community. Always new, unexpected, and delightful. A book I recommend to more people than all the other books I have ever read. 

* Why We Swim  - Bonnie Tsui

Inspiring essays on the history and wonders of swimming that continue to remind me of why people are fascinated by and thus lured to enjoy the water. 

So there you have my list. I might have a change of heart over some other books of mine before I donate them, but for now these are the books that continue to inspire and entertain me. Each book makes me wish I were a better, funnier, braver, more thoughtful, or admirable person, or at least a better writer. And I wish I were reading each one for the first time again.

Hope you find something here to interest you. Please me know your own "Forever Books." Just reply to this email. I'd be very interested to read about your choices and your reasons behind each selection

 

Happy reading.

Fred

Click here to browse over 480 more book recommendations by subject or title (and read the introduction to The First Sentence Reader).

Running the Amazon

Kane, Joe. Running the Amazon. New York: Knopf. 1989. Print.

First Sentences:

Southern Peru, late August 1985.

Beneath a rust-colored winter sky an old GMC flatbed bounced slowly through the high Andean badlands known as The Puna. It is a lunar landscape, flat, treeless, ringed with bald dun hills and sharp gray peaks, bone-dry nine months of the year, beaten by frigid, dust-coated winds. 

Description:

I'm a sucker for any adventure book with humans pitted against nature, whether by their own choice or by accident, Exploring and surviving the arctic, space, jungles, mountains, wild rivers, and deserts all provide fascinating adventures and force me to wonder "Would I have survived this experience?" Probably not, but that only increases the admiration I have for these brave people and compels me to read more and more about such death-defying adventures.

In Running the Amazon, author Joe Kane recounts the only expedition to travel the entire length of the Amazon River, all 4,200 miles of it, from its source in the Andes mountains to mouth in the Atlantic Ocean. Kane was one of four members of this 1984 expedition to complete the entire length of the Amazon over the six-month trip by kayak, raft, and foot.. 

The Amazon Source to Sea Expedition consisted of nine men and women from Poland, Britain, Costa Rica, and South Africa. Members joined the expedion out of a sense of adventure, for the sake of science, and simply to be part of accomplishing a unique goal. One man was an experienced kayaker, one a doctor, one a photographer, and one a national park director from Costa Rica. Kane was along to document the journey for future articles and a book.

From the beginning, it proved to be a difficult endeavor. Simply finding the source of the Amazon at the 15,000 foot level of the Andes in Peru was the first challenge. From those freezing slopes to kayaking down to the humid jungles of the Amazon valleys, Kane documents their times of starvation, freezing, exhaustion, internal dissent, and small triumphs. He also includes fascinating local history of the region, the Incan dynasty, the Spanish invasion, and the indigenous people the expedition met along the river. 

Here's just one of Kane's many tidbits. While traveling down the wild, mysterious Apurimac river ("parts of it remain among the least-known areas on the South American continent"), Kane describes the hammered grass bridges of that region. They were once "two hundred feet long [with grass cables] as thick as a man's body...capable of supporting entire armies of animals and men." Imagine. Huge bridge cables made only of grass strong enough to support travel over vast chasms! The Incans eventually burned almost all of these bridges to slow the pursuit of Spanish conquistadors. Kane provides a photo of the last remaining Incan grass bridge, with expedition members crossing it with their kayaks floating in the river far below.

The group had to deal with local politics and cocaine traffickers, as well as the more severe problems of shelter, food, wild animals, biting insects, and drowning in the rapids they faced daily. You can probably imagine the other dangers presented on every page of this heart-stopping story.

I was completely transported into the rain forests along with these incredibly brave and stubborn explorers. Their dedication and perseverance inspired and drove them onward, overcoming every obstacle the environment could throw at them. A strong, inspiring book.

Happy reading. 

Fred

Other book recommendations
About The First Sentence Reader blog
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If this book interests you, be sure to check out:

Goddard, John. Kayaks Down the Nile

Author Goddard used to come to my high school in California twice a year to give student assemblies recounting his adventures. I remember one of his best was his trip to be the first to explore the Nile River from origin to mouth. Hippos, rapids, and every other obstacle was met and overcome with a casual grace so evident in his talks and this book. Hard to find, but a must read for those with an explorer's soul. 

The Light Between Oceans

Stedman, M.L. The Light Between Oceans: A Novel. New York: Schribner, 2012. Print.

First Sentences:

On the day of the miracle, Isabel was kneeling at the cliff's edge, tending the small, newly-made driftwood cross.

A single fat cloud snailed across the late-April sky which stretched above the island in a mirror of the ocean below. Isabel sprinkled more water and patted down the soil around the rosemary bush she had just planted. 

"... and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil" she whispered. For just a moment, her mind tricked her into hearing an infant's cry.

 

Description: 

Not such an unusual, albeit sad start to a novel. But this instant of a woman standing over a new grave and hearing a baby cry is the pivotal point in the lives of Isabel and Tom, the young husband and wife lighthouse keepers, alone on an isolated island near Australia. The decisions they soon face drive the emotional story of The Light Between Oceans, the first novel by M.L. Stedman. 

What the sea has washed up onto their small, rocky island is a lifeboat with a dead man aboard along with a very much alive, crying infant. Isabel, who has no children, desperately wants to keep the child for themselves to raise, this "gift that's been sent," to create a family they both have prayed for. 

She reasonably points out that the father is obviously dead and the mother probably drowned as well. They are isolated in the middle of the ocean, alone with the lighthouse, so what else could possibly be done? And who would know or care about this baby who probably has already been considered lost at sea. 

Tom, her more by-the-rules husband, argues that the child should be reported and taken back to the mainland as soon as the yearly supply ship arrives. What happens to the baby after that, in his opinion, will be taken care of by the law and child services, an abhorrent thought to Isabel. 

Isabel is too convincing for Tom and the baby stays. Her presence is explained to the supply boat crew as being Isabel's own baby, delivered by herself on the island. 

All is well ... until complications arise and the couple gradually learns the history of the child and how she came to their island. And the history of the girl's mother as well.

I loved this book because the characters are so strong and the decisions they face so thought-provoking. Tom, the surviving World War I veteran, has seen the brutality and death of war and is trying to recover his life by isolating himself and Isabel at the lighthouse. He is an honest, straightforward man who loves his wife so completely he will compromise what he feels is right to please her. Isabel, the devoted young wife, grief-stricken by her inability to create a family for them, is so full of passion and love for Tom and the child that we can easily sympathize with her decisions and her desire to give love to an orphaned child. 

The combination of hope, love, and heart-breaking decisions made by Tom and Isabel envelope us as readers so totally that we wonder what we would have done in their place. The Light Between Oceans follows twisting pathways of a mother's devotion, the law, and human relations right up to its final pages. A wonderful read.

Happy reading.

Fred
www.firstsentencereader.blogspot.com

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If this book interests you, be sure to check out:

Schwartz, Christina. The Edge of the Earth: A Novel.  

In the late 1890s, a woman moves with her new husband to a remote, desolate lighthouse near Big Sur, California, unprepared for the challenges and her growing fascination she faces for the island and its inhabitants, both animal and human.