What books got you started?

For all fellow Walter Mitty's I pose this question. What books, historical eras or subjects inspired you to do whatever it is we call adventure? For me; it was Antoine de Saint-Exupery writing about flying, Joseph Conrad the Sea and Robert W.Service the Gold Rush. It all came together during my tour in Alaska. I briefly gave up reading after I did a night swim off Tillamook Bay Oregon. Never read JAWS before starting a nightwatch <img src="images/graemlins/blush.gif" alt="" />.

Hmmm. Not that I'm a world class adventurer but I guess that I started with "treasure Island" and similar classics. My first outdoors type book was "Bushcraft". I've progressed from there to the books of Bradford Angier.

Chris

Jules Verne's books, especially The Lighthouse at the End of the World.

Burak

I too was a big Jules Verne fan. Twenty Thousand Leagues Under The Sea and Master of The World. These books had such a dramatic impact on me it's not going to be much longer before you're all going to be bowing before me in willful supplication. Oh, wait, that's Bush's line <img src="images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

LOL

Cub Scout Manual, Hardy Boys and TinTin Adventures. Pete

Without a doubt, "Tunnel in the Sky" by Robert Heinlein.

There were lots and lots of books after that, some very inspirational, but I read them all after this book had created the fascination with the subject.

When I was young, I was a huge fan of a series of books about "Dale of the Mounted" (the only title I can remember is "Dale of the Mounted in Newfoundland") about a Canadian Mountie (named Dale, of course). I don't remember anything about them, except I think he drove a dog sled in at least one of the books. <img src="images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

And another book I read and enjoyed was "Paddle to the Sea", a rather strange travelogue involving a carved toy Indian in a canoe that was left on a snowbank overlooking Lake Superior, to eventually travel through the Great Lakes and the St. Laurence River to the Atlantic Ocean. An ingeniously sneaky way of getting children to learn geography <img src="images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />

'Hatchet', by Gary Paulsen.

It was actually my older brother (rather naughty guy), his best friend (similar in many regards), their imagination, and the freedom of a banana and macadamia nut farm that got me into outdoor life.

Could I go back 1 step furthwe and say that it was my Grandfathers stories?

As well as the SAS survival guide, Robinson Crusoe and other survival books, Gary Paulsen's hatchet was another book that got me captivated.

WOFT, have you read his follow up books: Hatchet - winter, Hatchet - the return and Hatchet - The Call? I've also read: The Voyage of the Frog, Dogsong, Bluelight (rather obscure, but interesting), The Fourteenth Summer, Foxman, Mr Tucket and Tucket's Ride. Good books.

I've read quite a lot of his books (he was my idol!)

Hatchet, Hatchet: the return, Hatchet: winter, Hatchet: the call, Hatchet: the truth

Voyage of the frog, the fourteenth summer, harris and me, nightjohn, sarny, the car, canyons, tasting the thunder, ice race, dogsong, the schernoff discoveries, foxman, soldiers heart, blue light, my life in dog years, winter dance, mr tucket

Survival Books:

'The SAS survival manual' - John Wiseman
I've also got the 'Collins Gam' version
'the complete survival manual' Hugh McManners
'The outdoor survival manual' Garath Hattingh
'SAS: Essential Survival' Barry Davies

Very Good Read
'Life at the extremes' Frances Ashcroft

This is one of my (many) favourite books.

Hatchet: the truth? Never heard of that one. I see you haven't read Tucket's Ride.


I also have these books, as well as Ray Mears Outdoor Survival Guide and Bushcraft.

'Hatchet: the Truth' is more about the authers own experiences, and how he learn't all the stuff that he wrote in the other 'Hatchet' books. It was quite interesting.

I havn't been able to get Tucket's ride from my local library - they don't have it <img src="images/graemlins/frown.gif" alt="" />

Have you read 'My Side of the Mountain' by Jean Craighead George?

Oh, and 'Alive' by Piers Paul Read. thats the one where the plane crashed in the Andes mountains, and eventually the survivors resorted to canabilism of their dead friends (a true story).

No I haven't read either of those last two books you listed, although I have heard of the film "alive". A friend of mine's flight was delayed and the only film the were showing was "Alive". Not very good planning on the airport's part. Luckily she isn't fazed by stuff like that.

Believe it or not, the Bible, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's "Lost World", Stephen King's "the Stand". They are all books that have influenced me greatly. Also, not a book, but I saw a movie once about this guy who went into the wilderness with a very few tools and hardly anything, and he built a cabin and lived off the land for I think it was a year or two. I can't remember if he was just doing it to see if he could or what. It was very cool, I always fantasize about doing that.

I haven't heard of Hachet the Call or Truth. I'll have to read those because I love the other books. Have you read Father Water, Mother Woods by Paulsen? More about his childhood experiences.

No, I haven't. I'll see if they are in the library. I read another book that delt a bit about his childhood. Very interesting. In a strange why I sort of envy him.

Farnham's Freehold by Robert Heinlein <img src="images/graemlins/laugh.gif" alt="" />

>>Farnham's Freehold by Robert Heinlein<<

Then you might find these interesting:

http://www.robertcrais.com/worldheinlein.htm
http://www.sff.net/people/HF/pix/1963AuRAHFS.jpg

Though often (and here) referred to as a "bomb" shelter, it's clearly a fallout shelter.

I'm the one that nominated his "Tunnel in the Sky", which, though intended for "younger readers", I still regard as perhaps the best "survival" novel I've ever read.

This book didn't get me started, but I just bought a copy of Jack London's short story, "To Build a Fire" yesterday. I'd never read it before, although my father had described it to me long ago. I read it through cover to cover three times last night. It contains the most detailed description of building a fire I've seen. Considering they're classed as "fiction", I think Jack London's stories probably contain as much survival information as many non-fiction survival manuals.

Thanks for recommending "Hatchet". I received a gift certificate from Amazon.com last week and decided to buy it. I read it in one sitting last night. It sort of ended abruptly, but that's my only little nit-pick. I'm taking a road-trip this weekend that'll last about two weeks and 4000 miles, so I'm looking for some audio books in the Hatchet series now. Thanks again.

My first-gotcha-started-books were "How to Stay Alive in the Woods" by Mr. Angier (1958 printing, and I still have it) and "Stalking the Wild Asparagus" by Euell Gibbons (personally autographed by him). I worked for a naturalist back when I was around 11 or 12, and he was always picking plants and roots saying "try this, this is a ....".

They aren't the longest novels, I know. If you enjoyed the first book, you'll enjoy the rest of the 'Hatchet series':

Hatchet: the return
Hatchet: Winter
Hatchet: the Call
Hatchet: the truth

Happy reading, and enjoy your trip!