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The Permanent Book of Exploration: Classic Accounts of the Great Stories of Human Endeavour
Offers excerpts from first-hand accounts of expeditions to some of the world's remotest locations during the great age of exploration, including Burton's search for the source of the Nile and Robert Scott's tragic final expedition in Antarctica
- GenresTravel
Paperback
First published January 1, 1994
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About the author
John Keay
57 books250 followersJohn Stanley Melville Keay FRGS is an English journalist and author specialising in writing popular histories about India and the Far East, often with a particular focus on their colonisation and exploration by Europeans.
John Keay is the author of about 20 books, all factual, mostly historical, and largely to do with Asia, exploration or Scotland. His first book stayed in print for thirty years; many others have become classics. His combination of meticulous research, irreverent wit, powerful narrative and lively prose have invariably been complimented by both reviewers and readers.
UK-based and a full-time author since 1973, he also wrote and presented over 100 documentaries for BBC Radios 3 and 4 from 1975-95 and guest-lectured tour groups 1990-2000. He reviews on related subjects, occasionally speaks on them, and travels extensively.
John Keay is the author of about 20 books, all factual, mostly historical, and largely to do with Asia, exploration or Scotland. His first book stayed in print for thirty years; many others have become classics. His combination of meticulous research, irreverent wit, powerful narrative and lively prose have invariably been complimented by both reviewers and readers.
UK-based and a full-time author since 1973, he also wrote and presented over 100 documentaries for BBC Radios 3 and 4 from 1975-95 and guest-lectured tour groups 1990-2000. He reviews on related subjects, occasionally speaks on them, and travels extensively.
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
November 21, 2016
It will bother me to the end of my days that there is no cover picture for this one, and I was unable to to use one due to the stickers of my local library being plastered all over it.
That aside, this book is more of a collection of journal entries from different time periods and explorers. Each can be read independently of the others, should one wish, and while the format feels a bit clunky, some of the prologues to entries are fairly honest in disarming some of these celebrated men as cultural heroes. It is not the greatest collection I have seen, but it is worth a read if you care to take the time and so a bit of homework on each of the explorers contained it its pages.
That aside, this book is more of a collection of journal entries from different time periods and explorers. Each can be read independently of the others, should one wish, and while the format feels a bit clunky, some of the prologues to entries are fairly honest in disarming some of these celebrated men as cultural heroes. It is not the greatest collection I have seen, but it is worth a read if you care to take the time and so a bit of homework on each of the explorers contained it its pages.
March 14, 2012
Couldn't finish. Some of the journal excerpts were fascinating, but most were poorly written and confusing when taken out of context.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews