Tag: survival
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Labyrinth of Ice by Buddy Levy
Brendan’s Alternate Tagline for Labyrinth of Ice: Just don’t go to the Arctic. It’s a bad idea. Quick synopsis: The story of the Greely Polar Expedition in 1881. It went badly. Fun Fact Non-History People Will Like: You don’t get a cold in the Arctic. The lack of people and germs means you just won’t…
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Last Man Off by Matt Lewis
Brendan’s Alternate Tagline for Last Man Off: This is why I didn’t join the navy. Quick synopsis: First person retelling of the sinking of the Sudur Havid, a fishing boat which sank near Antarctica. Fun Fact Non-History People Will Like: When the Sudur Havid went fishing they put about 15,000 hooks in the water at…
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A Dune Adrift by Marq De Villiers and Sheila Hirtle
Brendan’s Alternate Tagline for A Dune Adrift: The island is literally moving as we speak. Quick synopsis: The history of Sable Island off the coast of Canada. Yes, it is more interesting than it sounds! Fun Fact Non-History People Will Like: Sable Island is home to at least 350 shipwrecks. It’s also home to 500…
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Island of the Lost by Joan Druett
Brendan’s Alternate Tagline for Island of the Lost: Seriously, stories like this are why I didn’t go in the navy. Quick synopsis: The story of the shipwreck of the Grafton on the Auckland Islands in 1864. Oh, it’s also the story of the shipwreck of the Invercauld on those same islands just a few months…
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The Book Was Better: The Lost City of Z
Brendan’s Alternate Tagline for The Lost City of Z: Who would have thought the Amazon could be so dangerous? Quick synopsis: The story of famed explorer Percy Fawcett and his disappearance looking for the Lost City of Z. I compare the book by David Grann and the movie of the same name. Fun Fact Non-History…
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Musing: Staying Sane in Quarantine
Quarantine can be challenging. Locked into our homes with little ability to go out and enjoy the company of others can drive anyone batty. There are numerous templates from history for how to fight off insanity, but I’d like to look at two of the most successful under extreme circumstances. Say hello to the Greely…
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The Book Was Better: In The Heart of the Sea
Alternate Tagline for In the Heart of the Sea: Don’t piss off whales. Quick synopsis: The story of a whaling ship sunk by a whale in the Pacific Ocean and the fight to stay alive after. Fun Fact Non-History People Will Like: Moby Dick exists partially because of this story. Don’t hold that against the…
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Deadliest Sea by Kalee Thompson
Brendan’s Alternate Tagline for Deadliest Sea: This is why I hate fishing. Quick Synopsis: The story of the sinking of the Alaska Ranger and subsequent rescue by the Coast Guard in 2008. Fun Fact Non-History People Will Like: People have been revived from drowning an hour after they were thought dead. This may be dubious.…
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A Wretched and Precarious Situation – David Welky
Brendan’s Alternate Tagline for A Wretched and Precarious Situation: Wretched and precarious for them, fun for us. Quick synopsis: The story of the Crocker Land expedition where Artic explorers went in search of Crocker Land first glimpsed but unexplored by a previous expedition. Fun Fact Non-History People Will Like: Go to a map and find…