A highly personal account of a remarkable journey that pushed the author to the brink

    In May 2004, Flynn reached the summit of Mt. Everest--but not without tears, laughter, failures, near-death experiences and great friendships. If you'sve ever wondered what it would be like for a mere mortal to attempt Mt. Everest, this book is as close as it gets.

    The author endured so much on that mountain, and his description is vivid and emotional. I recommend this book to anyone. You don't have to be interested in climbing to enjoy this slice of adventure and terror. I could not recommend this book more!”-- K. Hymel. In this riveting account of an expedition to climb Denali, the author describes how a childhood fascination with mountaineering led to the adventure of a lifetime. As an average middle-aged guy, he began mountain climbing as a pastime, eventually signing on with a guided group to attempt an ascent of Denali. Formerly called Mt. McKinley, Denali is the highest peak in North America and well known for its vicious winds and dreadfully cold weather. During an expedition that was both triumphant and tragic, the team experienced the full force of the mountain’s fury. They were forced to face life and death on terms that had a lasting effect on each of them. This is a rare peek into a world often shrouded in glamor and mystery. More than a description of the climb, this is an introspective look at the physical and mental demands of climbing a high mountain, and it provides thoughtful insight on the impact that this amazing adventure had on Larry and his family and friends. Come along on a journey from armchair to the top of the continent, and share in the drama of this epic journey.

    

    The McGann's passionate and insightful writing evokes the raucous cast of riders, promoters, and journalists thrusting through highs and lows worthy of opera. This volume stands out as a must-read book for anyone seeking to appreciate cycling's race of races." -Peter Joffre Nye, author of The Six-Day Bicycle Races: America's Jazz Age Sport and Hearts of Lions "There are LOTS of books on the Tour de France. An increasing number of them are actually written in English. However, of those, none educates Americans about this grand spectacle�s rich past. The Tour de France has a history as fascinating and sordid as Rome�s and it is high time someone undertook to explain this to our American sensibility. Our guide for the trip is a man with a ravenous appetite for both world history and bicycle racing, just the sort of person to paint a Tour champion with the dramatic grandiosity befitting Hannibal himself." -Pat Brady, Editor, Asphalt Magazine At the dawn of the 20th Century, French newspapers used bicycle races as promotions to build readership. Until 1903 these were one-day events. Looking to deliver a coup de grace in a vicious circulation war, Henri Desgrange�editor of the Parisian sports magazine L�Auto�took the suggestion of one of his writers to organize a race that would last several days longer than anything else, like the 6-day races on the track, but on the road. That�s exactly what happened. For almost 3 weeks the riders in the first Tour de France rode over dirt roads and cobblestones in a grand circumnavigation of France. The race was an electrifying success. Held annually (suspended only during the 2 World Wars), the Tour grew longer and more complex with an ever-changing set of rules, as Desgrange kept tinkering with the Tour, looking for the perfect formula for his race. Each year a new cast of riders would assemble to contest what has now become the greatest sporting event in the world.

    What is it like? It is the best gift you can ever imagine, like rain falling on a dry place.This memoir is a great reunion journey, from Paris, to California, to Denmark! A coming together of a mother and son, the only two people who can answer all the questions the other one has.

    You may find it for free on the web. Purchase of the Kindle edition includes wireless delivery.

    Three young friends, on a drunken dare, set out on a dinghy for a nearby island. But when the gas ran out and they drifted into barren waters, their biggest threat wasn't the ocean -- it was each other.

    It is packed with stories and anecdotes from behind the image. There are tips on using social media to get your images seen by millions. The book offers advice on hiking, travel and the great outdoors as well as useful information on technical subjects such as where to focus and shooting RAW. After reading this book, not only will your photography start to improve, but you will be inspired to get up and out at dawn and stay out until dark. This book is for the beginner as well as the seasoned professional. Travel, Learn, Explore, Shoot.

    A man and a woman leave a normal lifestyle of home and office, similar to that of millions of others, and set off to sail around the world on a sailboat. They uncover distant lands, forgotten archipelagos, emotions, fears, and incredible landing places. Large and small adventures, compellingly told in simple language that will captivate right up to the final page.

    But Max Leonard, himself an accomplished amateur cyclist, does not forget the pain, the glory, the sweat, and the tears that go into these grueling climbs.  After all, cycling up a mountain is hard.  So hard that, to many, it can seem absurd. But for others, climbing a mountain gracefully (and beating your competitors up the slope) represents the pinnacle of cycling achievement. It is where legends are forged.Many books tell you where the mountains are, or how long and how high. None of them ask why. Why are mountain ranges professional cycling’s Coliseum? Why do amateurs also make pilgrimages to these high, remote roads? Why are the roads even there in the first place to lure us on to these obsession inducing climbs?   Just why are mountains so enthralling? “This is real cycling, where the glory is and where dreams come true,” according to Bradley Wiggins. Mountains are where cycling's greatest heroes have made their names. Every amateur rider wishes they could climb better, too.  Are all these people addicted to the pain? To the achievement? Or to the allure of the peaks? Some spend their weekends and holidays cycling up mountains from start to finish. But how does a rider push themselves beyond their limits to get up a 10% gradient on pedal power alone? What is happening when they do?A Higher Calling explores the central place of mountains in the folklore of road cycling. Blending adventure and travel writing with the rich narrative of racing, Max Leonard takes the reader from the battles that created the Alpine roads to the shepherds tending their flocks on the peaks, and to a Grand Tour climax on the “highest road in Europe.” And he tells stories of courage and sacrifice, war and love, obsession and even elephants, along the way.

    These men and women push the limits of human endurance, often in rides of more than one thousand miles a day. Perhaps the most determined of them is John Ryan, a diabetic and a man who even in late middle age loves nothing better than riding impossible distances at no small risk to himself. But why? Melissa Holbrook Pierson, herself a longtime motorcyclist, chronicles the gratifications of long-distance riding as well as the challenges and solitude that accompany it. In seeking to understand why people strive so mightily to reach a goal with no reward other than having gotten there, Pierson gives us an intimate glimpse of a singularly independent yet supportive community and a revealing portrait of its most daring member.

    A comprehensive guide to preparing for and hiking the Appalachian Trail

    The range of motorcycle riding reports cover runs along the Mississippi River to New Orleans for a tin of chicory coffee or flying to Japan to test-ride new Yamahas. In Leanings, Egan's favorite feature articles and columns have been reprinted for the first time, including his trip cross-country on a British twin with his wife and a journey on the abandoned Route 66, plus many more stories about the open road.

    The successful rugby career that had dominated his adult life had just been finished by a shoulder injury. Devastated, he could see no future for himself.A line from his grandmother's funeral, which he'd had tattooed on the inside of his arm, inspired him to emerge. After 21 days of solitude, he stepped out of the white room and threw himself into a new life in the dazzling, wide-open spaces of mountains and wildernesses. Within two years, he had become the first person in history to climb the highest peak on each of the seven continents and ski to the North and South Poles in the same calendar year, completing the feat in less than seven months. Now he is one of the world's leading extreme-environment athletes.Beyond the Horizon is a tale of redemption and astonishing endurance, set against the backdrop of the most extraordinary locations on EarthFrom the Back CoverThe horizon is only the limit of our sight...At the age of 31, Richard Parks lay in an empty white room at the back of the house his parents were renting. The successful rugby career that had dominated his adult life had just been finished by a shoulder injury. Devastated, he could see no future for himself.A line from his grandmother's funeral, which he'd had tattooed on the inside of his arm, inspired him to emerge. After 21 days of solitude, he stepped out of the white room and threw himself into a new life in the dazzling, wide-open spaces of mountains and wildernesses. Within two years, he had become the first person in history to climb the highest peak on each of the seven continents and ski to the North and South Poles in the same calendar year, completing the feat in less than seven months. Now he is one of the world's leading extreme-environment athletes.Beyond the Horizon is a tale of redemption and astonishing endurance, set against the backdrop of the most extraordinary locations on EarthAbout the AuthorBorn in 1977, Richard Parks is a former Welsh international rugby player turned extreme athlete and adventurer. When he's not travelling, he divides his time between Cardiff, Sheffield, and London.