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	The Devil May Care: 50 Intrepid Americans and Their Quest for the Unknown from Oxford University Press, USA
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Product Details Binding Hardcover Dewey Decimal Number 917.304 EAN 9780195169225 ISBN 0195169220 Manufacturer Oxford University Press, USA Number Of Items 1 Number Of Pages 304 Publication Date October 16, 2003 Publisher Oxford University Press, USA Availability Usually ships in 1-2 business days Product Description Stripped naked and pursued across cactus-studded plains by a band of armed Blackfoot Indians, John Colter escaped certain death to become the one of the most durable characters in western American history. But Colter's harrowing tale was not beyond the ordinary when compared to the adventures of other American explorers. In The Devil May Care, popular historian and travel writer Tony Horwitz has culled through the American National Biography and selected fifty stirring biographies of adventurers who had no one's footsteps to follow in--and yet contributed enormously to our understanding of the world. Horwitz introduces us to fascinating individuals such as John Ledyard, the first American to see what would become the Pacific Northwest, and Elisha Kent Kane, America's first arctic hero, who stumbled upon an extremely strange remedy for scurvy while icebound off of Ellesmere Island. Having set off into the unknown many times himself as a foreign correspondent, Horwitz brings a subtle sense of humor and a reporter's eye for detail to a collection that offers a glimpse inside the lives of historic Americans who brazenly challenged danger as they pursued their wanderlust to extreme climates and forbidding environments. Beginning with a short essay, Horwitz seeks his own definition of exploration, drawing on some of his research into the voyages of Captain James Cook and considering its larger implications throughout history. Archival photographs as well as a lively and personal introduction to each story by Horwitz further enhance the appeal of a volume that winds its way through several centuries of American exploration, affirming that the best adventure stories are the true ones. Travel writer Horwitz (Blue Latitudes, etc.) combed through 18,000 biographies of 'men and women who have contributed to the shaping of America' from the American National Biography to select 50 for this captivating survey of some of America's most colorful (and in some cases, forgotten) characters. Arranged chronologically from 1490-1939, these portraits convey 'a sense of the narrative sweep of adventure in America.' Highlights include the story of Hannah Duston, who was taken hostage after her child was murdered during an Indian attack in Massachusetts in 1697. She later escaped by scalping nine of her captors and became a New England legend, as 'a symbol of feminine strength and assertiveness... [and] of the destructive power that Puritans believed was behind the feminine mask.' Daredevil Samuel Patch could be considered the founder of extreme sports for his death-defying jumps, in the 1820s, off of Niagara Falls and into various other 'swirling torrent[s].' Idealistic and eccentric Albert Pike embodied what Horwitz found so fascinating about many of his choices: 'the conflicting impulses of the American character... twinned within the same [person].' Pike, a gifted writer and lawyer, became an ardent defender of Indian rights, winning multimillion-dollar settlements for local tribes, yet he may also 'have written the ritual of the Ku Klux Klan.' Horwitz has taken pains to include many women, minorities and non-native-born Americans, and the book is richer for it. Carefully selected, these brief but cogent portraits are written with humor, grace and a deep appreciation for the contributions of these largely unknown individuals. Photos, illus. Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc. The U.S. has produced a lot of well-known adventurers: Lewis and Clark, Buffalo Bill, Daniel Boone. But, for every familiar name, there are handfuls of lesser lights, people who made their mark and then, rather unfortunately, slipped into obscurity. People such as Simon Kenton, the Kentucky fellow whose exploits rivaled those of Daniel Boone; John Sutter, the gold-rich philanthropist who was also a noted deadbeat; Hannah Duston, whose escape from an Indian raiding party in 1697 made her a legend; William Walker, the lawyer/physician/journalist who proclaimed himself president of Nicaragua a century and a half ago. Brave, flamboyant, and, in many cases, possibly nuts, these larger-than-life adventurers and heroes helped give America its flavor, its spirit, its ambition. It's about time somebody celebrated them, or at least reminded us they existed. These biographical essays do just that--and do it with style and readability, too. David Pitt Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved 'Presents a welcome chance to reflect on what motivated these eccentrics and pioneers, or what motivates any of us, really, to choose the lives we do.'--Washington Post Book World Stripped naked and pursued across cactus-studded plains by a band of armed Blackfoot Indians, John Colter escaped certain death to become the one of the most durable characters in western American history. But Colter's harrowing tale was not beyond the ordinary when compared to the adventures of other American explorers. In The Devil May Care, popular historian and travel writer Tony Horwitz has culled through the American National Biography and selected fifty stirring biographies of adventurers who had no one's footsteps to follow in--and yet contributed enormously to our understanding of the world. Horwitz introduces us to fascinating individuals such as John Ledyard, the first American to see what would become the Pacific Northwest, and Elisha Kent Kane, America's first arctic hero, who stumbled upon an extremely strange remedy for scurvy while icebound off of Ellesmere Island. Having set off into the unknown many times himself as a foreign correspondent, Horwitz brings a subtle sense of humor and a reporter's eye for detail to a collection that offers a glimpse inside the lives of historic Americans who brazenly challenged danger as they pursued their wanderlust to extreme climates and forbidding environments. Beginning with a short essay, Horwitz seeks his own definition of exploration, drawing on some of his research into the voyages of Captain James Cook and considering its larger implications throughout history. Archival photographs as well as a lively and personal introduction to each story by Horwitz further enhance the appeal of a volume that winds its way through several centuries of American exploration, affirming that the best adventure stories are the true ones. Tony Horwitz is the best-selling author of Blue Latitudes, Confederates in the Attic, Baghdad Without a Map, and One for the Road. He is also a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist who has worked as a foreign correspondent for The Wall Street Journal and a staff writer for The New Yorker. He lives in Virginia with his wife, novelist Geraldine Brooks, and their son, Nathaniel. Customers who bought this item also bought Confederates in the Attic: Dispatches from the Unfinished Civil War A Voyage Long and Strange: Rediscovering the New World One for the Road: Revised Edition Baghdad without a Map and Other Misadventures in Arabia Blue Latitudes: Boldly Going Where Captain Cook has Gone Before Customer Reviews for: The Devil May Care: 50 Intrepid Americans and Their Quest for the Unknown Rating - Just OK I am a big fan of Tony Horwitz's work. Confederates in the Attic may be one of my all time favorite books. Having said that, I would not recommend this book. He did not write this book, and that is clear from the first page! This book is really quite dry. It reads like a textbook, but without the depth. Rating - Average accounts A wonderful account of American exploration. From Cabeza De Vaca to Fremont and beyond this book gives quick sketches of Americas great explorers. Although it seems to stop short and seems to miss a few people this book gives a whirlwind tour of adventure, American style. Rating - Rip Off! How disappointing! My husband and I have been enthralled by Horwitz's earlier works, witty and entertaining while providing insight and education. The Devil May Care is none of the above. After reading the preface by Horwitz I was anxious to begin. Two paragraphs into the first biography I was puzzled and then as I scanned the book appalled. "edited" by Tony Horwitz...not "by" him. The writing is dry and frankly ... Read More See More Oxford University Press, USA products

Books : The Devil May Care: 50 Intrepid Americans and Their Quest for the Unknown