Madcap Journeys: around the world

Alexander, Brian, Green cathedrals: a wayward traveler in the rain forest. Lyons & Burford, 1995. 910.4 ALE

Brian Alexander's quest for rain-forest truths leads him to some disenchanting discoveries. After traveling through six rain forests of the world he discovers that they do not have heroic natives fighting capitalist oppressors or idealistic eco-scholars seeking miracle cures from exotic flora. In fact he finds that some rain forests are not even hot.

Allen, Madelene Ferguson, Wake of the Invercauld, Exisle, 1997. 910.45

Whilst researching her family history Madelene Allen discovered her great grandfather who was one of three survivors of a shipwreck on the Auckland Islands in 1864. In this readable tale of adventure, she has brought an obscure piece of maritime history alive, inter-weaving it with her own as she follows the young sailor's trail from England.

Anderson, Clive, Our man in … . BBC Books, 1995. 910.4 AND

Travelling to six places which are supposed to be heaven on earth Clive discovers that there is trouble in Paradise. Accompanying a six part television series it captures the anguish, anxiety and humour to be found in some of the most attractive parts of the world.

Baker, Glenn A, Perpetual motion : travels with Glenn A. Baker. Allen & Unwin, 1993 910.4 BAK

This entertaining and irreverent romp around the planet brings together wry commentary, perceptive social observation and revealing profiles of the curious characters Glenn Baker has encountered as one of Australia's most celebrated wanderers.

Beattie, John, The breath of angels. Mainstream, 1995. 910.9163 BEA

The spine-tingling riveting tale of one man's battle against the elements as he attempts to fulfil his dream to circumnavigate the globe in his yacht Warrior Queen.

Biddlecombe, Peter, Travels with my briefcase : around the world - on expenses. Little Brown, 1994. 910.4 BID

An hilarious account of business trips from Auckland to Zurich, which proves that you don't have to be a student, an athlete or professional travel writer to experience the thrill and excitement of exploring the world.

Cahill, Tim, Pass the butterworms : remote journeys oddly remembered, Villard, 1997. 910.4 CAH

A collection of previously published stories of adventure ranging from a trip to Mongolia, to a `cruise' to the North Pole in an icebreaker. Interesting and well written in an offbeat way by an editor of Rolling Stone and Outside.

Campbell, Ffyona, The whole story : a walk around the world, Orion, 1996. 910.41 CAM

The first woman to walk around the world and a controversial figure, Campbell sets out here to tell the story of her life and of its many journeys. Something of an attempt to answer her critics, it paints a revealing picture of her extraordinarily restless existence from childhood to the aftermath of her round the world walk.

Coffey, Maria, A boat in our baggage : around the world with a kayak. Little Brown, 1994. 910.41 COF

Over the course of a year, Maria and husband Doug transported their folding kayak by everything from Jumbo jet to buffalo cart and paddled it thousands of miles into remote corners of the world.

Craig, David, Landmarks: an exploration of great rocks. Jonathan Cape, 1995. 910.4 CRA

A wonderful account of David Craig's climbs, to discover the significance of great cliffs and outcrops. To see first hand how people have lived in their shadow or on their faces and summits.

Golding, Mike, No law, no god: the fastest solo circumnavigation against winds and currents. Hodder & Stoughton, 1994. 910.41 GOL

Mike's account of his remarkable solo voyage is retold from his daily log with freshness and vigour. It conveys the hour by hour seamanship and is a testimony to man's enduring spirit of adventure under sail.

Greenwald, Jeff, The size of the world. Globe Pequot Press, 1995. 910.41 GRE

The author sets himself a unique 40th birthday challenge to travel from Oakland California to Oakland California - a global odyssey around the world without leaving the ground. As he makes his way around the planet - accompanied by various eccentric companions and his faithful laptop computer, Greenwald encounters a spectrum of extraordinary characters.

Hancock, Peter, Sailing out of silence: 30,000 miles in a small boat. Waterline, 1995. 910.45 HAN

More than the story of the many exciting voyages that Peter Hancock has made in his 26 foot sailboat Kylie - it is a vivid description, sometimes humorous and sometimes sad, of the places he has visited and the characters he has met.

Iyer, Pico, Falling off the map : some lonely places of the world. Knopf, 1993. 910.4 IYE

This is a book about " lonely places" as Pico calls them, the places that don't fit in, places that in their psychic, geographical or political isolation become even stranger and more remote as time goes by.

Lawson, Mark, The battle for room services : journeys to all the safe places. Picador, 1993. 910.4 LAW

Beginning in Timaru, reputedly the most activity challenged place in New Zealand (itself allegedly the most differently interesting place in the world), Lawson travels through Australia, Canada, USA and Europe in search of the quiet world.

Lycett Green, Imogen, Grandmothers footsteps: a journey in search of Penelope Betjeman. Macmillan, 1994. 954 LYC

A granddaughter's journey retracing the steps of an unforgettable earlier trip with her grandmother Penelope Betjeman. Finalist for Thomas Cook/Daily Telegraph Travel Books Award, 1995.

Moorcraft, Paul, What the hell am I doing here: travels with an occasional war correspondent. Brassey's, 1995. 070.433 MOO

Crossing four continents Paul Moorcraft has covered most wars of the last twenty years so this is a travel story with a difference. It combines travel and danger with the sharp observation of a journalist. The author's curiosity and sense of fun shine through the fog of battle and just as often though a bar-room fog.

Quigley, Ted, A spirit of adventure: the memoirs of Ted Quigley. Book Guild, 1994. 910.92 QUI

Here is the remarkable story of an unusual man whose resilience, zest for life, spirit of adventure, and love of travel have made his retired life anything but ordinary.

Shah, Tahir, Beyond the devil's teeth: journeys in Gondwanaland. Octagon, 1995. 910.4 SHA

The story of the author's experiences as he travelled, roughing it most of the way, through sweltering India and Pakistan, Uganda and Rwanda, Kenya and Liberia, Brazil and Argentina's Patagonian glaciers.

Ridgway, John, Then we sailed away : a family adventure, Little Brown, 1996. 910.45 RID

A seasoned adventurer and author Ridgway has rowed the Atlantic, sailed single handed from Ireland to Brazil, skippered the English Rose IV in the Whitbread and circumnavigated the world non stop. Not content with this, he and his equally adventurous family set out on a voyage across the Atlantic and Pacific Ocean and back home again to Scotland via the Antarctic.

Ritchie, Harry, The last pink bits: travels through the remnants of the British Empire, Hodder & Stoughton, 1997. 910.9171 RIT

Yes there is still a British Empire, a thousand bits of it in fact, mostly small and uninhabited. Harry Ritchie takes a hilarious trip around these vestiges of British power - belatedly attempting to answer the question an anxious George V whispered on his deathbed in 1936 - "How is the empire?"

Taylor, Colin, Train catcher: adventures of a train traveller. IPL Books, 1995. 910.4 TAY

Life-long rail "addict Colin Taylor here recounts his most memorable experiences of travelling on trains in various countries from Britain to Australia, and examines the often idiosyncratic practices on the part of the managements who are responsible for running them.

Todd, John, Race for the world. Hodder & Stoughton, 1994. 910.41 TOD

John Todd is the first person to set foot in every country, territory and island group in the world. That's official. On a wing and a prayer he has made it into the Guinness Book of Records.