|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Links and other stuff | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| This page is all about the stuff that keeps me sane and lets my mind fly free while I'm stuck in the real world. Most of it bears some kind of connection to what this website is all about, so should hopefully appeal to anyone who's bothered to read this far. Some stuff, however, especially the music, is maybe a bit more selective. I thought I'd include it anyway, because it all inspires me in one way or another. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Recommended further reading: | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| If you liked this site, you'll definitely like these books... | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Life on Air | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| David Attenborough (BBC 2002) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| If I was an orphan, then I would quite gladly say that David Attenborough is like the father I never had. As fate would have it I'm not an orphan. In fact my current dad is more than adequate, so the need for a surrogate one, albeit one I never had is somewhat redundant. Still, as far as inspirational guidance figures go, Attenborough scores about as high as you can get in my estimation. In fact I probably wouldn't have done any of the stuff I've written about on this website without his inspiration, never mind actually set up the website in the first place. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| This book has everything you'd expect from the great man's autobiography; exotic places, encounters with all sorts of wildlife and tribes, adventures and voyages all told in the same warm, calm tone that we know and love, but with the added bonus of his own unique sense of humour. This isn't just a "Making of..." countless groundbreaking moments in television history, though. This is the story of a life driven by belief and passion; one man's unstinting pursuit to fulfil all of his wildest dreams. To say that this book is inspiring for anyone who ever had the courage to dream would not even come close to doing it justice. This book serves as proof that anyone can achieve almost anything they want if they put their heart and soul into it. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| David Attenborough is one of the few people who can say without exaggerating that he's "been there, done that" (except that he's probably far too modest to do so), and this book is an invitation for all of us to do likewise. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Charles Darwin: Voyaging | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Janet Browne (Pimlico, 1995) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| This first volume of Janet Browne's biography of Darwin covers his life until the publishing of "The Origin of Species." It offers little insight into his life that previous attempts haven't already managed (Likes: barnacles, rocks, beetles, a quiet English country life, pigeons, his children. Dislikes: Fitzroy, life at sea, being ill, working). What it does manage, however, is to grasp and explain the circumstances which allowed Darwin to become one of the great iconic figures both of science and of Victorian England. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| The sections which deal with his time on board the Beagle serve as an invaluable companion to his own diaries of that voyage, drawing from Darwin's own correspondence, as well as other sources such as Fitzroy's letters and diaries to try and gain some insight into Darwin's experiences, research methods and his relationship with his shipmates, particularly the often tense affiliation with the Fitzroy himself. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| It is upon Darwin's return to England that this book really starts to shine, delving into the deepest heart of the British scientific community and the climate of social reform to explain how a keen naturalist and geologist, but lazy and academically unremarkable scholar become the foremost figure in the Victorian scientific revolution, author of a book which was to change the way we understood the world for ever. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| A fascinating book, both as a biography and a window into one of the golden ages of British history. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Voyage of the Beagle | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Charles Darwin (Henry Colburn, 1839; Penguin 1989) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| And here's the story from the horse?s mouth. This is a bit of a chewy read, as you'd expect from a Victorian gentleman's diary, but a pretty interesting one all the same. 5 years worth of voyaging round the world in a single book; this has got to be one of the greatest travelogues out there. As a historical document this is pretty unique. Not only do you have the observations which were eventually to lead to the theory of evolution, as well as other groundbreaking works on geological movements and island forming, but also detailed documents about numerous indigenous peoples, from the primitive inhabitants of the Patagonian fjords to the intricately tattooed Tahitian tribes. There are also accounts of life among colonial inhabitants whose hospitality Darwin enjoyed. Plantation owners in Brazil, gauchos and revolutionary armies in Argentina, wealthy European traders in Sydney and Valparaiso and Cornish miners in the Andes amongst others. Anyone who has visited the places featured in this book will no doubt find in Darwin's observations a fascinating historical precedent for their own experiences. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| The Cloud Garden | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Tom Hart Dyke and Paul Winder (Bantam Press 2003) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Ok, I'll be straight up here; I have a vested interest in this book. One of the authors, Tom Hart Dyke, is a very good friend of mine and has been for nearly ten years. There, I confessed. Still, regardless of personal bias, I can honestly say this is one of my favourite books from the last year by a long shot. I can't remember the last time anything I read took me to such distant extremes of emotion with such casual ease. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| In early 2000 Tom and Paul decided to scare the crap out of everyone who knows them by going into the Darien Gap, a lawless area of rainforest and swamp inhabited and controlled by left wing paramilitaries and drugs gangs on the border between Panama and Colombia. They weren't seen again for another 9 months. This is the story of what happened during that time. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| This book has the works: adventure, great characters, rib-splitting laughs and moments of genuine terror and desperation. I was really surprised to find that a friend of mine who can barely string a single sentence together coherently is actually a very talented writer (there were no helping hands involved in this book beyond the usual grammar and spelling editing). Paul's not a bad writer either and their styles compliment each other, merging into a seamless and easily readable narrative. Their captors are brought to life in all their shabby, chaotic glory; a cast of eccentric and bizarre characters brought together in what may well be the most disorganised army ever to exist. It's a wonder they haven't blown themselves up a long time ago. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| All of Tom and Paul's experiences; the inhospitable environment, the heat, exhaustion, humidity, parasites, fear and laughs as well as each of Tom's little gardening experiments are brought vividly to life in what really is one of the most unique and wonderful travel books ever written. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| My only complaint about this book (and a very pedantic one it is too) is that most of the Spanish dialogue is full of spelling and grammatical mistakes. Tom explained to me that the publisher?s pay some chappy in Oxford to edit all the Spanish stuff. If anyone at bantam reads this, I suggest that in future you get someone who can do the job properly, i.e. me, instead. I'll bet I'm a lot cheaper too. They may want to get someone to check their biological facts, too. Last time I looked, there was no such genus of butterfly as the Morpha. Anyone who's been to Amazonia will no doubt agree with me, though, that members of the Morpho genus are pretty spectacular. Smart arse! | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| The Motorcycle Diaries | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Ernesto "Che" Guevara (Giancommo Feltrinell Editore, 1993) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Wait, come back! This isn't political!!! This is pre-beret Che, a young medical student seeking to discover his homeland and the countries that surround it. In December 1951 he set off with his friend Alberto Granado on a 500cc Norton motorbike they called "La Poderosa" on what was to become a 6 month piss-up around Argentina, Chile, Peru and Venezuela. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| On his journey Che discovers - as so many other travellers have - the very unique sense of identity that bonds all South American countries and their inhabitants. He also discovers within himself a sense of social awareness, which will eventually lead to his development into the iconic revolutionary figure that is remembered today. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Like Darwin's diaries, this book acts as a mirror in which anyone who has ever travelled in South America will be able to reflect their own experiences, and compare the differences and changes that have occurred since then. A great read and a wonderful document about mid-20th century Latin America and the creation of one of its best-known historical figures. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Saddled with Darwin | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Toby Green (Weidenfield and Nicholson, 1999) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Boy, was I pissed off when this book came out. I'd always promised myself that when I became rich and famous (ha ha) I was going to set up a production company so that I could make a film retracing the journey of the Beagle in a replica of the ship, looking at how the things Darwin observed - the wildlife, geology, people and places - had changed. There would also be some discussion about how evolutionary thought has changed since Darwin first wrote his "Origin of Species." So I was none too pleased to find out that someone had beaten me to it, even if he did do the journey on a horse, and only the South American leg of it at that. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Still, credit where it's due, I really enjoyed this book a lot. Then again, maybe enjoy isn't the word. Y'see, Toby Green didn't exactly write this as a ripping travel yarn. In fact he is brutally honest about just how unpleasant and depressing the whole thing was. Travelling all the way from Uruguay down to Tierra del Fuego, then up the entire distance of Chile all on your own (horse notwithstanding), through some of the most barren, desolate places on Earth - the Argentine Chaco, Patagonia, the Atacama desert - is enough to test anyone?s sanity. And horses weren't exactly built for comfort, either. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Toby's grim writing style ensures that you feel every bump, every bruise, every blister, every blast of bitingly cold wind, every sunburned blister, every moment of thirst and hunger pain and through it all the heart-aching loneliness relentlessly chipping away at your mind. This is the dark side of travel writing. Not a pinch of glamour or romance here; no jolly adventures, swashbuckling capers or narrow escapes in this book. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Don't let that put you off, though. This is a book that taps deep into the heart of South America; of its people, its history and its pride. Like Guevara before him, Green understands the connection between the people he meets on his journey and the land they live in; managing to bring to life South America, both as a place and as an identity which lives as much in its residents as it does in its landscapes. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Green's other great achievement is to use the story of Darwin's voyage to tell the story of evolution, from the Lamarck's first attempts to understand the processes involved in species change, through Darwin, Wallace and their contemporaries to modern thinkers such as Dawkins and Gould. This is told in an interesting and digestible way and acts as a great introduction to evolutionary philosophy. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| This book manages, after Darwin and Guevara, to complete a trilogy that is invaluable to anybody with an interest in the history, culture and identity of South America. As for poor old Toby, well he can't have had that bad a time on his journey. I hear he writes for Lonely Planet now! | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| The Snakebite Survivor's Club | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Jeremy Seal (Picador 1999) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Ahhhh, at last a book which isn't about South America. This one's all about snakes instead. Jeremy Seal, it would seem, is none too keen on snakes. In fact he's terrified of them. So what does he do? He goes in search of the four most dangerous snakes in the world. Pretty dumb, huh? | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| His journey takes him to Africa, India, the U.S. and Australia, looking for (respectively) the black mamba, the Indian cobra, the eastern diamondback rattlesnake and - deadliest of them all - the taipan. Along the way he meets people who fear snakes, people who love snakes, people who keep snakes, people who catch snakes, people who've been bitten by snakes and probably quite a few people who couldn't give a toss about snakes too, but they don't get much of a look in. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| This isn't a book that glorifies snakes at all, neither does it try to sanitise them, though. What Seal tries to do is to understand how and why these animals have embedded themselves so deeply in the human psyche; why we have such an intense fascination - and often fear - of them. He looks at the way snakes have become part of our culture, from ancient Hindu carvings to fundamentalist Christian (and quite frankly deluded) rednecks and beyond. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Seal writes well and brings to life all of the places he visits and the characters he meets on his way. This isn't going to cure anyone?s phobia (the story of Clive Brady's taipan bite is particularly off-putting, even for reptile lovers like me), but it does give phobics a good idea as to why some of us love snakes, and helps snake fans understand the phobics point of view too. At the core of it all is a well-written and fascinating book, regardless of how you may feel about snakes. One of my favourite non-fiction books ever written. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Avoid this one like the Plague!!!! | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Between Extremes | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Brian Keenan and John McCarthy (Bantam Press, 2000) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| I really can't slag off this book enough, I'm sad to say. Is that fair? Those are the two guys who had a rough time in Beirut and all that aren't they? Well, yeah, but a bit of fame is no justification for knocking off any old vanity project, without thought for quality or originality. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| OK, lets start off with the good points: they can write well enough and their personalities and the relationship between them shines through, which endows this book with a certain amount of charisma and readability. And... well, that's it, really. Now for the slagging off bit. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| First up, this book has been done a million times before in a whole load of formats. Let me explain: Under the excuse that they had talked about opening a yak farm in Patagonia (what's wrong with sheep?) while they were captive in Beirut, the authors decide to go and have a poke around Chile and then write a book about it. What follows is the same itinerary that most package tours deliver: San Pedro de Atacama, a trip up the Andes on horseback, Santiago and one of Pablo Neruda's houses, then Patagonia. The blatant lack of anything vaguely resembling a story is astonishing. There is nothing, and I mean absolutely not a bloody thing that you haven't already seen on endless holiday programmes on telly or read about in countless travel supplements from your weekend papers or in holiday brochures. If a lesser-known author were to plonk this on a publisher's desk they would be laughed off the face of the planet. What you have here is an exercise in earning good money for doing something simply because you are famous enough to do so, regardless of whether or not the project has any kind of merit whatsoever. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Wait, I'm not done yet! There's more. The authors try to give their project some kind of justification by going about asking almost everyone they meet lots of tactless questions about the Pinochet years, then accuse them all of being brainwashed when they prove to be less than forthcoming on the subject. Which is the equivalent of declaring a German of being a nazi if they clam up when you go about asking all sorts of nosy questions about the holocaust. Considering that they, too are people who have suffered under a repressive regime, you'd think they would have a little more of an understanding as to how that affects the mentality of a nation, maybe even a bit of empathy. But it would appear their imprisonment taught them nothing. Their arrogance and inability to see beyond their own expectations is truly shocking. Maybe that's why they got locked up in the first place. Don't waste your money on this one. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| And if that wasn't enough, just like "The Cloud Garden" (also published by Bantam), almost every single bit of Spanish in the book is riddled with appalling spelling mistakes. Bah Humbug! | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Other authors I enjoy reading: | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Clive Barker | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| A natural successor to the brothers Grimm, Clive Barker is a spinner of fairy tales for our era. Playing on the neurosis, claustrophobia and fears of the late 20th century, his work systematically pulls apart all the things we rely on to keep us safe, leaving us clinging to the wreckage in a sea of our own paranoia. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| www.clivebarker.com | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Bill Bryson | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| The current undisputed king of the travel writing world. if he doesn't have you in stitches by the end of the first page, then I'd suggest that you might actually not be alive. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| www.billbrysonbooks.com | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Stephen Jay Gould | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Stuff Dawkins! Gould is the best popular science author and evolutionary biologist about. Or should I say was. He'll be very sadly missed. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| www.stephenjaygould.org (unofficial) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Robert Rankin | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Rankin comes from the same school of comedy as Douglass Adams and Terry Pratchett, only far, far more idiotic, which is something to rejoice in. He makes Discworld seem like Shakespeare. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| www.sproutlore.com | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Art Wolfe | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Strictly speaking, Art Wolfe is a photographer, not an author. In fact he's one of the best wildlife photographers around. He has produced some stunning books that are well worth a look at for anyone with an appreciation for the beauty of nature. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| www.artwolfe.com | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Music: | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| BitterSweet Embrace | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| One of the best resources on the web for underground rock music, both in the UK and elsewhere. This is a music site by music fans for music fans. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| www.bittersweetembrace.co.uk | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Ben Harper | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| The bastard offspring of Wonder, Hendrix and Marley. Harper is one of the most talented songwriters around, combining soul and spirituality with some truly awesome slide guitar playing. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| www.benharper.net | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| New Model Army | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "11000 feet, we're out of breath and still climbing up, | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| High above the snowline in the glittering ice | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| And beneath us, like an ocean, the white clouds slowly drifting, | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Breaking up on the mountain." | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Need I explain further why I happen to think this is the best band in the whole damn world? Over 20 years since emerging from the ashes of punk, this lot are still one of the most uncompromising and influential bands on the British underground scene. It's almost enough to forgive them for being partly responsible for the Levellers. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| www.newmodelarmy.org | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| The Waterboys | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Another post-punk veteran, Mike Scott has steered the Waterboys through various line-ups and diverse musical styles ranging from stadium rock and pop through to folk, gospel, blues and country in constant pursuit of his artistic and spiritual vision. This is the band that U2 might have been if they hadn't taken a permanent vacation up their own arses. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| www.mikescottwaterboys.com | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| The Wildhearts | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| What do you get if you combine every single one of the greatest moments in the history of rock n roll, from Elvis, through the Beatles, the Stones, Zep, Sabbath, Bowie, the Ramones, the Pistols, the Clash, the Cult, Metallica, Guns n Roses and Nirvana? This bunch of lunatic Geordies, of course! Their classic breakthrough album, "Earth Vs. the Wildhearts" was the greatest British rock album of the 90'?s bar none and now, after a 6 year wait since their last studio album, they're finally back with the brilliant "The Wildhearts Must be Destroyed." | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| www.thewildhearts.com | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Other Links: | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Adela's jungly web page | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| OK, most of the stuff on here is primarily of interest for those with some kind of grounding in ecology, conservation biology or Dipteryx fans, but she's a mate and its got some lovely pics of Peruvian Amazonia, so I'll plug this one in case anyone's interested. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| www.geocities.com/adela_jungle | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Lonely Planet | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Not the be all and end all by a long shot, but definitely one of the best places to start planning your next adventure | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| www.lonelyplanet.com | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Got a good website? Let me know and I'll have a look. I'm mainly interested in travel stories, of course. I'll link to yours if you'll link to mine! | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| home | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||