Bøger af David Hirzel

A true story, told in the words of one who survived shipwreck on the forbidding shores of Siberia in 1880. Patrick Cahill was one of the explorers sent in the "U.S.S. Rodgers" in 1880 to seek out the fate of the lost "Jeannette." That ship was doomed to be wrecked by the ice, while the "Rodgers" was likewise doomed to never return when she burned to the waterline in St. Lawrence Bay. Cahill's log provides a witty view of the life of the seamen among their unwilling but still generous hosts--a culture shock to both sides of the arrangement.

Sea Sonnets: Twenty of these 14-line gems, all looking deeply into the mysterious influences of the sea, of the unseen forces that guide and control us all.

There are more famous names than Tom Crean's from the "heroic age" of Antarctic exploration, but there are few stories as compelling as his. The Antarctic is a harsh place of bitter cold and darkness, where only the strong and resourceful can hope to survive. Crean was such a man. Time and again he was one of three--at times the only one--whose courage in the face of insurmountable odds saved the lives of his companions. Had he weakened and failed the lives of all might well have been lost, and their stories remained untold. He left no diary or book; his few letters speak modestly of his exploits, if at all. Tom Crean: Sailor on Ice tells the story of a common man in uncommon circumstances, who met every challenge as it came with steadfast purpose. If he knew fear, he never showed it. Sailor on Ice goes with him from England to the Antarctic plateau, and back. We share his trials as they happen-the thrill of discovery, the danger of the sea-ice, the terror of extreme isolation, the tragedy of the deaths of his closest friends. Tom Crean was not most renowned of the explorers during those early years of Antarctic discovery. For that, the palms go to Shackleton, Amundsen, and Scott, with the names of other leaders not far behind. Other men, better educated and connected, would publish the stories of hardship and adventure that astonished the world. Crean's name is occasionally mentioned in these works, as it should be; his was a distinguished career of service, not as a leader, but as a seaman. His story is not one of trial and privation leading to a tragic end, because without one man's endurance and unflinching resolve in the face of hopeless adversity, there would be no survivors. The familiar names belong to those who claimed to lead, but those who lead are nothing without those who come a few steps behind, hauling the gear, pitching the camp, walking the long walk, steadfast, enduring. Without them, there would be no leaders. There would be no survivors, and no story to be told.

"Gripping, exhilarating and inspiring." Sir Ranulph Fiennes, world's greatest living explorer.Why did some people in history achieve at an epic level and others did not? What were they doing that was different from their contemporaries? And how can we bring these insights into our modern lives to help us achieve our own successes?Starring an international cast of real-life people:Roald Amundsen -- the great Norwegian explorerIsambard Kingdom Brunel -- the greatest engineer the world has ever seenTheodore Roosevelt -- the cowboy turned statesmanAudacious Goals, Remarkable Results reveals the bold ambitions that set each of these maverick leader's larger-than-life projects into motion.Written by the award-winning author duo: decision scientist Brad Borkan and historian David Hirzel (co-authors of When Your Life Depends on It), their new book reveals in thrilling ways, the outsized risks and setbacks Amundsen, Brunel and Roosevelt endured. It also shows their remarkable legacy for our planet.Audacious Goals, Remarkable Results dives deeply into their famous projects such as:The harrowing building of the first tunnel under a river in the 1820s - an achievement with lasting impact on all cities today,How today's time zones were precipitated by the Great Western Railway (then the longest and fastest in the world),The epic construction of the Panama Canal, andOne man's quest for the South Pole.It takes you up close and personal to the hardships and triumphs that turned these flawed individuals into legendary champions. Their endeavors are inspiring and gripping examples of the nature of the human spirit - showing our need to achieve and the desire to dream big to accomplish something magnificent and lasting.If you enjoy books about real-life action, adventure, success and failure, such as Jon Krakauer's Into Thin Air, or Walter Isaacson's biography of Steve Jobs, you will love Audacious Goals, Remarkable Results.Buy Audacious Goals, Remarkable Results today and be prepared to be awed by the Explorer, the Engineer and the Statesman. You may never look at the world in the same way again.And get ready to become inspired to undertake your own epic adventures.