Man Against Nature

by Charles Neider

From Pliny the Younger's eyewitness description of the eruption of Vesuvius to a brilliant scholar's death from radiation poisoning, this remarkable collection of 46 firsthand accounts encompasses man's struggle to survive and conquer the forces of earthquakes, bubonic plague, cataclysmic fires, blizzards, tidal waves, floods, deadly insects, and waterspouts. Within these pages, readers can experience living for 45 seconds in a tornado, standing triumphant at the North Pole, battling a whale, bailing out of a plane at supersonic speed, crossing 800 miles of Antarctic sea in an open boat, and other exploits. Contributors include Roald Amundsen, Ernest Hemingway, Sir Edmund Hillary, Jaques-Yves Cousteau, Herodotus, Thor Heyerdahl, Charles Lindbergh, Sir Ernest Shackleton, and Orville Wright.

512 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1954

About the author

Charles Neider was an American writer, known for editing the Autobiography of Mark Twain and authoring literary impressions of Antarctica.

Reviews

[Max K · Rating 5 out of 5]

Epic first hand accounts of some of the most brutal nature survival stories that one can imagine (from Sir Edmond Hillary summiting Everast for the first time, to a criminal being left to die on a small island).

[Jimmy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Probably an important book, meant to be kept on the shelf and read from time to time depending on which setting you're in the mood to visit, because these accounts are from just about everywhere....every corner of the world, sea and sky, hot and cold, some pretty terrifying. Lots of political incorrectness, too, I suppose. Many historical notables (Lindbergh, Cousteau, the Wright Brothers, Albert Schweitzer..) and a lot of lesser-knowns, but everybody will find something to impress his taste. It's a mixed bag, though, because some might have been capable in their own fields but weren't the best writers (Gen. Custer). I finally finished the abridged edition (about 20 stories) but do try to get the unabridged because it contains twice as much (about 40+ accounts).

[Huda Fel]

One of my mama's, I guess I'll check it later