Outside Magazine has posted a new article that lists their choices for the 10 Greatest Adventure Biographies of all time. The list is made up of a host of big name explorers and adventurers who left their mark in a variety of ways.
For anyone looking to fill out their bookshelf, there are some outstanding books on this list. For instance, Outside gives kudos to The Wildest Dream by Peter & Leni Gillman, the biography of George Mallory, who famously disappeared on Everest at the age of 37 back in 1924. But prior to being lost in the Himalaya (only to be found in 1999), Mallory built a reputation as one of the best high altitude climbers in the world, honing his skills in the Alps, before heading to Asia as part of British exploratory teams.
Shackleton by Roland Huntford also makes the list, detailing the life of polar explorer Ernest Shackleton, best known for his expeditions to the Antarctica aboard the famous ship the Endurance. Huntford gives a more complete picture of the man than just those epic tales of adventure however, showing a very flawed and complex character.
Other people whose biographies earned a spot in the top ten include African explorer Henry Morton Stanley, co-first summiteer of Everest Tenzing Norgay, and everyone's favorite outdoor schizophrenic Chris McCandless. There are obviously others as well, and I won't spoil all the fun in finding out who they are. But be prepared to have Amazon open in another browser window, you'll want to add these great books to your library as soon as possible.
So did they leave any great biographies off the list? With only ten to choose from, it must have been difficult to narrow it down. What's your favorite and why should it have been added?
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