As things outside take a chillier turn, explore new horizons from the comfort of home

For the artistic eye
Explorers’ Sketchbooks – The Art of Discovery & Adventure by Huw Lewis-Jones and Kari Herbert
‘Our neighbourly intimacy with the seas was not fully realized by Torstein till he woke one morning and found a sardine on his pillow’ – from Thor Heyerdahl’s Kon-Tiki expedition food log. You may not dream of becoming quite so intimate with the sea, but this intriguing
collection of explorers’ drawings and jottings allows you to experience new worlds through their eyes. Stories scribbled on old newspaper, iceberg-specked oceans, natural history – the authors have lovingly researched and photographed their sources, giving background detail on each explorer to illuminate the imagery. Beautifully laid out in landscape, you really feel like you’re leafing through a long-lost sketchbook.
Published by Thames & Hudson
ISBN 9780500252192
Price (hardback): £29.95

For the young explorer Survivors – Extraordinary Tales from the Wild and Beyond
by David Long and Kerry Hyndman

Winner of the Blue Peter Book Award for Best Book with Facts 2017 The greatest danger in buying this book is the argument over who gets to read it first. From the woman who sailed into a hurricane to the student who was sucked under by quicksand, each chapter is a beautifully illustrated insight into human resilience and determination. Best read with a reassuring adult close at hand, the scary parts are more than overcome by one overriding message: humans are capable of incredible strength when facedwith disaster.
 Published by Faber & Faber
ISBN 9780571316014
Price (hardback): £14.99

For the persister
Dare to Do – Taking on the planet by bike and boat
by Sarah Outen
Sarah Outen’s globe-circling adventure makes Phileas Fogg look like a Sunday stroller. When she had to abandon her boat Happy Socks during the Atlantic crossing due to a looming hurricane, she never thought she would see the craft again – only to be reunited thanks to Castletownbere’s lifeboat crew some 3 months later! Sarah’s is a powerful journey of self-discovery and adaptability, shaped by the grit of countless physical and mental setbacks. She completed her expedition in 2015, with several new records to her name.
Published by Nicholas Brealey
Publishing
ISBN 9781473655287
Price: £9.99

For the restorer
Mistress and Commander – High jinks, high seas and Highlanders
by Amelia Dalton
When Amelia Dalton decided to convert solid oak Danish trawler Monaco into a chic expedition ship for touring the Hebrides, she little expected the characters that would come her way – from reluctant shipyard workers to queasy paying guests. This memoir tangles love, loss and healthy doses of fish hold scrubbing, peppered with some salty language and humour. The crew of Monaco even play their hilarious part in an exercise with the Coastguard and local lifeboats.
Published by Sandstone Press
ISBN 9781910985175
Price: £8.99

For the voyager
Rowing the Pacific – 7,000 Miles from Japan to San Francisco
by Mick Dawson
After rowing across the Atlantic Ocean in 2001, former Royal Marine Mick Dawson needed a new challenge. He turned his attention to the North Pacific Ocean, determined to make the 7,000-mile crossing. It took three attempts, but with the help of his rowing partner Chris Martin, he made the epic crossing in 189 days, 10 hours and 55 minutes. Mick’s account of their gruelling journey is compelling. You’ll feel that you’re there with them, through the near-death experiences and the equipment failures, battling extreme fatigue, frightening storms and an ocean the consistency of liquid cement.
Published by Robinson
ISBN 9781472140418
Price: £13.99

For the historian
Sir John Franklin’s Erebus and Terror Expedition – Lost and Found
by Gillian Hutchinson
In 1845, Sir John Franklin led an expedition to explore the Northwest Passage – a sea route connecting the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. Their mission was expected to end in triumph. Instead, the HMS Erebus and HMS Terror – and the 129 men aboard – were lost in the Arctic. The fate of the two ships and their crews has long been shrouded in mystery, but recent discoveries have shed some light on the voyage. Gillian Hutchinson’s insight into the expedition, filled with photos, maps, paintings and objects from the National Maritime Museum’s collection, is a must-read for any history buff. You’re sure to be gripped by the tale of endurance, heroism and tragedy.
Published by Bloomsbury
ISBN 9781472948694
Price: £18.99 (paperback) £16.99
(eBook)

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