Women of the Four Winds: The Adventures of Four of America's first women explorers

by Elizabeth Fagg Olds

Annie Smith Peck attempted seven times to climb Peru's highest mountain; Delia Akeley hunted big game in Africa; Marguerite Harrison spied in Russia for America; Louise Arner Boyd led expeditions to perilous East Greenland. Precursors of the modern Jane Goodalls and Sally Rides, these women represent a fascinating but forgotten era in the literature of exploration.

Genres: Nonfiction, History, Biography, Travel, Adventure, Africa

336 pages, Paperback

First published September 1, 1985

Reviews

[Jean · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed learning about these four amazing women. I was unaware of their achievements prior to reading this book. They are: Annie Smith Peck, who was the first person to climb Mount Huascaran in Peru. Delia J. Akeley, the first woman to lead a museum expedition while traveling across Africa. Marguerite Harrison, a journalist, WWI spy and who filmed nomadic tribes of Persia. Louise Arner Boyd, lead seven scientific explorations of Greenland.

The book is well written and researched. It is well documented with lots of maps and photographs. Elizabeth Olds is a journalist; therefore, the book is written in that style. I found it fascinating that two of the women began the adventurous part later in life. Peck was 45 years old when she started the mountain climbing part of her life. I highly recommend this book.

I read it as a hardback book. It is 316 pages published in 1985 by Houghton Mifflin Company.

[Brooke · Rating 5 out of 5]

I discovered this gem of a book at my fave bookstore in Houston, Half Price Books. Elizabeth Fagg Olds has introduced me to four intrepid, unflaggingly adventurous American women explorers, none of whom I have heard of previously. I am particularly struck my Delia Akeley's adventures in Africa, crossing places like the Congo in the 1920s accompanied by an all African crew and using soft diplomacy to win local support, help. Marguerite Harrison's command of languages and her subsequent spy adventures in post-Bolshevik Russia, including my favorite island in RFE, Sakhalin, are the stuff that movies are made of. I also would have loved to join her journey through Persia and will now put Grass, her film that is said to have introduced the genre of documentary altogether, at the top of my list. Eat your heart out Dean Krogh! All of these ladies should have been featured in Explorers, Warriors, and Statesmen.

[Lila · Rating 3 out of 5]

Each chapter provides a biography of the women: Anne Smith Peck (mountain climbing in the Andes, 1850-1935); Delia J. Akeley (African elephant hunting (1875-1970); Marguerite Harrison (Siberian region, spy and journalist, 1879-1967); Louise Arner Boyd (Arctic mapping, 1887-1972).

There is no overarching theme other than they were all members of the Society of Woman Geographers with connections to journalism. The approach is maddeningly uncritical and tone deaf. The killing of elephants by Akeley is nearly unreadable, as is the treatment of her local employees. Most of the women were from well-to-do society backgrounds and they funded the explorations or were connected to museums.

A more enjoyable and humorous account is Mary Kingsley's Travels in West African (1897). For some reason, Olds calls her an "intellectual"in her only brief mention, but Kingsley was a scientist whose specimens were much smaller, mostly limited to fish and insects that she could pack out on her own.

[Rogue Fern · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hard for me to figure exactly how to rate this! Super interesting just because of the subject matter, four less known women who achieved incredible things (both with and without independent financial means) during times when that was just not normal. However the women themselves are a bit miscellaneous without a bigger unifying concept, and the writing is on the pedestrian side. I still recommend.

[Denise · Rating 3 out of 5]

I gave up about halfway through heroine #4. Too many details

[Rrshively · Rating 5 out of 5]

The true stories of these four women read like the most exciting of fictional adventure stories. Annie Smith Peck climbed the highest mountain in Peru when she was 58, Delia J. Akely who crossed Africa from East to West with only native helpers and whose writings on the Pygmies and various animals are very authoritative, Marguerite Harrison who spied at the WWI peace talks and was imprisoned in Russia twice for spying, and Louise Arner Boyd who planned and led seven scientific expeditions to the icebound coast of northeastern Greenland all come from varied backgrounds, but they all have that indomitable spirit that led them to these great adventures. Of course, I have left out many more of their adventures. For instance, Marguerite traveled with two men with a caravan in the Syria/Iranian border region while they made the first true documentary film. This was the perfect book for me to read in March, Women's History Month. Why have I never heard of any of these women before? There truly is a second history played out by women and minorities.

[Becky · Rating 2 out of 5]

I expected to find this book inspirational, perhaps I expected too much, but I was really disappointed. For the first part, with Annie Peck, it seemed to me like she needlessly risked other people's lives by embarking on these expeditions without proper equipment because of lack of funding. I felt that the author glossed over some details as well. Why did Annie continually pick random men who knew nothing about mountaineering and ask them to accompany her up a mountain? Why did she go TWICE with a man called El Loco? It seems really shortsighted, and I feel like there ought to be an explanation included. With Delia Akeley, same sort of thing, dragging untrained folks on poorly equipped expeditions. I didn't even read about the fourth woman because I was so turned off by this book. The dominant impression I got was that these were not the women to write a book about. Maybe it was my mood, I don't know, I really wanted to like this, but I just...didn't.

[Rebecca A. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Olds tells the stories of four women I'd never heard of, each a trail-blazer and ground-breaker of exploration.

Opening chronologically, with Miss Annie Smith Peck [1850-1935], who became a famed mountain climber in South America; then Delia Akeley 1875-1970], who traveled in Africa; Marguerite Harrison [1879-1967], who was born to be a socialite, and ended up becoming a spy; to the very wealthy Louise Arner Boyd [1887-1972], whose passion was Greenland, and whose careful and astute information and maps on northern climate, flora and fauna proved to be of value to the Allies in World War Two, I was astounded.

[Kenzie · Rating 4 out of 5]

The stories of four women explorers (a hiker, zoologist, political spy, and Arctic explorer) are inspiring and engaging, and I think what I enjoyed most about the stories was the background information--their need to collaborate with others, their family relationships and loves... The author managed to pick women with different personalities as well as different passions, and the variety of women represented made the book really enjoyable.

[Jessica · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a great book if you want to read about some women who influenced the world of travel, exploriation, and science. It's split up into 4 mini biographies about Annie Peck, Margarite (something), Delia Akely, and Louise Boyd.

I'd lend it out to any of my friends :)

[Christine Pearson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found all 4 of these story to be extremely inspiring. It is one of my all time favorite books of this variety. To think that women can overcome the obstacles they faced to do such amazing things makes the obstacles I feel I face seems very small.

[Janice · Rating 4 out of 5]

You'll be astounded at what these four American female adventurers accomplished in the early 1900's. Amazingly none of them are remembered today though they were famous in their day.

[McArthur Library · Rating 5 out of 5]

Four biographies of brave, adventuresome women who at the turn of the 19th century bucked convention and went off to kick down the doors of the Old Boys Clubs! YEE HAW!

[Barbara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Amazing, brave women; way ahead of their time in early to mid 1900's
I never would have had the courage to do what they did. Kudos to them!

[Gwen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Just read the first story about Annie Peck and really liked it- Prospector book that had to be retured

[Cara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reading it makes me want to go on an adventure!

[Mary · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fascinating tales of 4 American women and their life of adventures in the early 1900s.