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24/05/2024
Woman's Way Through Unknown Labrador cover

Woman’s Way Through Unknown Labrador

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Mina Benson Hubbard set out in 1905 on a 576 mile canoe journey across the interior of Labrador with the assistance of four guides. Her husband Leonidas Hubbard had perished in an attempt to make the same trip in 1903 while working as a writer for an outdoor magazine. Mrs Hubbard was the first person to accurately map the river routes her expedition followed. The story of her journey is followed at the end of the book by her husband’s diary of his ill-fated trip and an account by George Elson of his efforts to save himself and his companions, and ultimately to recover Mr Hubbard’s body. A map of Labrador made by Mrs. Hubbard during her travels can be found on this page – Summary by Zach Hoyt     [chương_files]  

24/05/2024
Seeking a Human Spaceflight Program Worthy of a Great Nation cover

Seeking a Human Spaceflight Program Worthy of a Great Nation

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“The [Review of U.S. Human Space Flight Plans Committee] shall conduct an independent review of ongoing U.S. human space flight plans and programs, as well as alternatives, to ensure the nation is pursuing the best trajectory for the future of human space flight – one that is safe, innovative, affordable, and sustainable. The Committee should aim to identify and characterize a range of options that spans the reasonable possibilities for continuation of U.S. human space flight activities beyond retirement of the Space Shuttle. The identification and characterization of these options should address the following objectives: a) expediting a new U.S. capability to support utilization of the International Space Station (ISS); b) supporting missions to the Moon and other destinations beyond low Earth orbit (LEO); c) stimulating commercial space flight capability; and d) fitting within the current budget profile for NASA exploration activities.” This is their final report. – Summary by from the Committee Charter     [chương_files]  

24/05/2024
Syria: the Desert and the Sown cover

Syria: the Desert and the Sown

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Gertrude Bell’s Syria: The Desert and the Sown describes her travels in the Levant (also called Greater Syria) during the first years of the 20th century. In this vivid and painstakingly documented narrative, Bell recounts her visits to Damascus, Jerusalem, Beirut, Antioch and Alexandretta, as well as the time she spent in the deserts of the region. Fluent in Arabic and several other languages, Bell brings to her account a level of insight beyond the reach of an average travel writer. She would later go on to play a highly influential role in the politics of the Middle East, drawing on the knowledge and personal connections she built up during these and other travels. The text is accompanied by numerous photographs taken by the author. (Summary by Kazbek)     [chương_files]  

24/05/2024
North West Passage -The Gjöa Expedition 1903-1907 (Volume II) cover

North West Passage -The Gjöa Expedition 1903-1907 (Volume II)

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Volume II of Roald Amundsen’s The Northwest Passage. Roald Amundsen and six hearty seafarers in the tiny sloop Gjöa are the first to make the complete passage across the top of the North American continent from the Atlantic to the Pacific. With a Supplement by First Lieutenant Godfred Hansen, Vice Commander of the expedition. – Summary by Steven Seitel     [chương_files]  

23/05/2024
Endeavour Journal of Sir Joseph Banks from 25 August 1768-12 July 1771 cover

Endeavour Journal of Sir Joseph Banks from 25 August 1768-12 July 1771

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In this Journal, Joseph Banks records almost daily observations of the journey of the ship the Endeavour on the first of James Cook’s voyages to the Pacific during the years 1768-1771. There are also more detailed accounts of the events, people, flora, fauna and geology of the places (except Brazil) where they landed. They landed at Brazil, Tahiti, New Zealand, Australia, Batavia, Cape Town and St. Helena. Joseph Banks was one of the naturalists on the Endeavour, appointed by the Royal Society. The joint Royal Society, Royal Navy journey of the Endeavour was overtly a scientific expedition with the stated purpose of observing the transit of Venus from Tahiti. The other purpose of the journey was to attempt the discovery of the postulated Southern Continent (Terra Australis). In addition to himself, Banks funded the inclusion on the voyage of two other naturalists (Solander and Spöring) and two artists (Parkinson and Buchan). Joseph Banks became famous upon the return to Britain of the Endeavour and went on to be a highly influential person in Britain. Banks was President of the British Royal Society for more than 40 years; and was a strong advocate for the settlement of New South Wales as a convict settlement. Along with James Cook, he was responsible for representing the Australian continent as terra nullius (“nobody’s land”) even though he observed the occupation of the land by the indigenous Australians, which misrepresentation contributed to the colonization of Australia by the British. Now, 250 years after the Endeavour’s […]

23/05/2024
Book of American Explorers cover

Book of American Explorers

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This book tells the story of exploration in America in the words of the explorers themselves. It consists of extracts from narratives of the early discoverers and explorers of the American continent from the Northmen in 10th century to 17th century Massachusets Bay Colony. – Summary by Kikisaulite     [chương_files]  

23/05/2024
Audubon's Western Journal: 1849-1850 cover

Audubon’s Western Journal: 1849-1850

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John Woodhouse Audubon (1812-1862), son of the famous painter John James Audubon and an artist in his own right, joined Col. Henry Webb’s California Company expedition in 1849. From New Orleans the expedition sailed to the Rio Grande; it headed west overland through northern Mexico and through Arizona to San Diego, California. Cholera and outlaws decimated the group. Many of them turned back, including the leader. Audubon assumed command of those remaining and they pushed on to California, although he was forced to abandon his paints and canvases in the desert…. Throughout the whole of this long journey Mr. Audubon took notes of scenes and occurrences by the way. In his descriptions he exhibits the keen observation of the naturalist and the trained eye of the artist. The result is a remarkable picture of social conditions in Mexico, of birds and trees, of sky and mountains and the changing face of nature, of the barrenness of the desert and the difficulties of the journey, of the ruined missions of California, of methods of mining, and of the chaos of races and babel of tongues in the gold fields. It was manifestly impossible to keep a daily journal, and the entries were made from time to time as opportunity occurred. Considering the circumstances under which they were taken, the notes are remarkable for their accuracy. Because it was not edited by Audubon, the text (and this recording) ends abruptly. – Summary by Book Introduction and David Wales     [chương_files]  

23/05/2024
North-Pole Voyages cover

North-Pole Voyages

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For more than three hundred years an intense desire has been felt by explorers to discover and reveal to the world the secrets of the immediate regions of the North Pole. Nor has this desire been confined to mere adventurers. This volume sketches the latest American efforts (from the second Grinnel expedition to that of the “Polaris”), second to no others in heroism and success, and abounding in instructive and intensely interesting adventures both grave and gay. – Summary from the preface     [chương_files]  

23/05/2024
Shores of the Polar Sea: A Narrative of the Arctic Expedition of 1875-6 cover

Shores of the Polar Sea: A Narrative of the Arctic Expedition of 1875-6

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“THE ARCTIC EXPEDITION of 1875 left England on 29th May, crossed the Atlantic to Davis Straits in a succession of storms, and entered the Arctic regions on 4th July. It sailed with orders to ‘attain the highest northern latitude, and, if possible, reach the Pole.’” This is the story of the crew of the HMS Alert, on its voyage of exploration up the Baffin Sea and toward northern Greenland. LibriVox volunteers wish to thank the volunteers of Distributed Proofreaders for their work over the last 20 years to convert public domain books into e-books. “Shores of the Polar Sea” was DP’s 35,000th title. Congratulations and Happy 20th Anniversary Distributed Proofreaders! (Summary by MaryAnn, LV reader and DP proofer).     [chương_files]  

22/05/2024
Roosevelt-Rondon Scientific-Expedition and the Telegraph Line Commission cover

Roosevelt-Rondon Scientific-Expedition and the Telegraph Line Commission

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The Roosevelt–Rondon Scientific Expedition was the famous survey that took place in 1913-14 to follow the path of the Rio da Dúvida (“River of Doubt”) in the Amazon basin. The expedition was jointly led by Theodore Roosevelt, the former President of the United States, and Colonel Cândido Rondon, the Brazilian military engineer known for his explorations of the Western Amazon Basin and his lifelong support of Brazilian indigenous populations. Almost from the start, the expedition was fraught with problems: diseases left the explorers in a constant state of sickness; the canoes were unsuitable to the rapids and were lost; the food provisions were unsufficient, and the encounters with animals and wild native tribes, a source of concern. Of the 19 men who went on the expedition, only 16 returned. On October 1915, the Brazilian leader of the expedition, Colonel Cândido Rondon gave three public lectures in Rio de Janeiro, in which he offered his first hand account of the Roosevelt-Rondon Expedition and of his more encompassing work of laying telegraph lines across the wilderness of Brazil, allowing for the integration of the recent Republic. Throughout his life, Rondon laid over 4,000 miles of telegraph line through the jungles of Brazil, while opening roads, clearing lands, mapping the land, and establishing cordial relations with the Indians. He maintained contact with several indigenous peoples. In his lectures, translated into English soon after their publication in Portuguese, besides describing all the adventures of the exploration of the Amazon, also told by Roosevelt in […]