Review by Booklist Review
The readership for adventure books continues to grow with the popularity of extreme sports and the increase in assaults on Everest and other dangerous mountains; and editor Willis continues to locate and publish some of the most harrowing and fascinating stories of men and women pushing themselves to the limits of human endurance. In Ice, the exploits of the famous Robert Scott and Admiral Richard Byrd coexist with those of Edward Abbey, whose piece "The Last Pork Chop" starts out telling of a quest to view a grizzly bear in the wild but turns into a thoughtful rumination on the Alaskan landscape and its people. Barry Lopez's "Arctic Dreams" channels North Pole explorers such as Peary and Stefansson while the author waxes ethereally on the influence of modern technology's march on the frozen tundra. A diary of desperate, stranded soldiers titled "Six Came Back" is a frightening account of frostbite and death, and this is coupled with the stunning personal diaries of Robert Scott and three other accounts gleaned from further research on Scott's legacy. In Wild, both Abbey and Lopez make appearances again, alongside mountain guru Jon Krakauer and pieces from such classics as James Dickey's Deliverance and Jack London's "To Build a Fire." The segment from Krakauer's Into the Wild is harrowing, hilarious, and ultimately exhilarating as he follows the Alaskan exploits of adventurer Chris McCandless through the merciless tundra. Speaking of hilarious, it's hard to top Bill Bryson's chronicle of his Appalachian hike, excerpted from his best-seller A Walk in the Woods. Both anthologies are worthy additions to the adventure shelves. --Joe Collins
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Library Journal Review
It is extraordinary when a piece of literature has a reader sitting on the edge of her seat, totally absorbed: Ice and Wild, new releases in the "Adrenaline" series, have just that sort of power. Following in the footsteps of the previous titles Epic, High, Rough Water, and The War, series editor Willis continues to capture readers' attention, allowing them to experience vicariously the threat of danger and the ultimate quest for survival through the eyes and emotions of each selected author. He draws from the works of contemporary writers such as Barry Lopez, Jon Krakauer, and Bill Bryson or from selections from historical figures such as Robert Falcon Scott, Sir Ernest Shackleton, and Richard Byrd. The reader is treated to candid accounts of the joys and dangers of exploration, expedition, and adventure travel. In Ice, readers are taken to the Antarctic to learn about one man's incredible quest for penguin eggs in -77 degree (Farenheit) temperatures; and to hear about how 20 men traveled south after being trapped in the ice for two winters 750 miles from the North Pole. In Wild, readers witness danger in the Amazon River and Alaskan regions, and in swamps, jungles, canyons, and deserts around the world. The 14 pieces in each book fill a specific niche for those who enjoy adventure travel. Broad in scope, these book offer exciting and riveting tales about incredible journeys. Both of these books would be excellent additions to any library travel section.--Jo-Anne Mary Benson, Osgoode, Ontario (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
