The Great Explorers

What inspires explorers to push back the boundaries of the known world ? Why do they risk their lives in hostile conditions far from home ? How do they survive at the limits of human endurance ? Who are the great pioneers of land, sea and space ? Where next ? This book charts the great expeditions of forty of the world's most intrepid explorers, from da Gama to Gagarin. Gertrude Bell plotted the desert sands, politics and poetry of Arabia ; Francis Garner was driven almost insane on the banks of the Mekong ; Edward Wilson twice tried to reach the South Pole with Scott, and Amundsen beat them both ; Nain Singh mapped the vast spaces of Tibet, counting every step.
Written by a host of distinguished travel writers, broadcasters and historians, here are journeys to savour from every corner of the earth - and beyond.