Non-Fiction Books
In Autumn 1970 Ranuph Fiennes lead an extraordinary expedition to Jostedals glacier in Norway. He and his companions parachuted down onto the dangerous ice surface, their purpose being to survey the glacier and estimate its rate of movement since the last survey, and also to collect specimens of the miniscule forms of life which survive in that bleak environment. Having completed their research programme in dreadful weather, they had to climb down a sheer icefall, and then negotiate a river full of rocks and rapids in rubber dinghies which they were testing. This is Fiennes's story of the expedition.
Narrative of author's 1971 expedition through British Columbia to Deadmen (Headless) Valley, South Nahanni River Valley, Mackenzie District.
A British look at the civil war in Oman.
All the rapids, whirlpools, avalanches, deserts, swamps, communist bullets and faulty parachutes that have hitherto provided the obstacle courses in Ranulph Fiennes' eventful career take a poor second place when compared with travel on the North Polar Icecap in the freak winter of 1976-77. The polar journey involved four men and two women, with no previous polar experience and nothing but a grand design and singleness of purpose to drive them on through the agonies of snow-blindness, skinned toes, damaged, unhealing hands and the constant fear of frostbite.
Ranulph Fiennes has entered the public imagination as the intrepid explorer par excellance. Taunted by his wife over the challenge of the never-before attempted circumpolar navigation of the globe, he set off in 1979 on a gruelling 52,000 mile adventure. Together with fellow members of 21 SAS regiment, Fiennes left from Greenwich, travelling over land, passing through both ends of the polar axis. Completed over three years later, it was the first circumpolar navigation of the globe, and justifiably entered Fiennes into the record books. TO THE ENDS OF THE EARTH is the record of that journey. It captures the natural beauty of the landscapes they passed through, and the cameraderie that necessarily grows between men who had served in the British forces'' elite regiment and were now throwing themselves into danger of a different sort. Time and again, the expedition found themselves in life-threatening situations, weaving through the pack ice of the Arctic Ocean or sharing a single sleeping bag to ward off the -40 degrees celsius Arctic night. The calm and measured approach which made Fiennes such a great expedition leader shines through TO THE ENDS OF THE EARTH, deftly recreating the last unexplored regions on earth. It is also a book which lays the foundations for what was to come for Fiennes, confirming a need to exist outside the comfortable norms the rest of us inhabit. As the expedition progresses, there is also a mounting sense of tension as attainment of the final goal also spells the end of the adventure. TO THE ENDS OF THE EARTH is a compelling account of one journey and Fiennes'' drive to push himself to ever further extremes.
This book is in great condition for its age. It still has its dust jacket.
Brought up in South Africa, he never knew his father, who had died in the Italian Campaign the year before he was born. Ranulph followed his father's path into the Royal Scots Greys. After that came the SAS, from which he was dismissed for blowing up an American film set at the idyllic Cotswold village of Castle Combs, then two vicious years as a volunteer fighting communist insurgents in Oman. Then began the series of expeditions for which Fiennes is best known and which caused The Guinness Book of Records to hail him in 1984 as 'the world's greatest living explorer.' Up the White Nile in a hovercraft, parachuting onto Europe's highest glacier, forcing his way up 4,000 miles of terrifying rivers in northern Canada and Alaska, overland to the North Pole and to the ends of the earth, across the world's axis-the Transglobe Expedition-which took ten years from conception to completion. He writes here too about his attempt to reach the North Pole without dogs or motorised equipment, beating the world record by 300 miles, his determination to find the lost city of Urbar in the Arabian desert and, finally, his extraordinary journey across the Antarctic Continent via the South Pole. Living Dangerously is a remarkable testament from a remarkable man.
An adventurer describes his arduous journey across the wilderness of Antarctica, offering a narrative of the physical and mental challenges faced by his expedition
For Ranulph Fiennes, described by the Guinness Book of Records as "the world's greatest living explorer," physical fitness is no fadit has enabled him to withstand the rigours of desert and glacier alike. The book includes research into body types and environmental effects; advice on self-motivation, diet, and basic food control; and guidance on avoiding stress, illness, and injury. Beginning with basic exercises designed to help you maintain a minimum level of fitness, and progressing through to training regimes for those aiming for greater heights in sport, adventure, or everyday life, Fit for Life provides practical help and to take you as far as you wish to go
In a career spanning more than 30 years, Sir Ranulph Fiennes has circumnavigated the globe, broken numerous records, and experienced triumph and disaster. The high points are many, but there are low points toothe failed expedition to Antarctica in 1996, when painful kidney stones forced him to turn back; and the solo and unsupported attempt to reach the North Pole in 2000, which ended in horrendous frostbite and near death. In Beyond the Limits , Fiennes looks back over a lifetime of extraordinary adventures and talks about the lessons he has taken away from each one, from the importance of preparation and leadership to the value of persistence.
Sir Ranulph Fiennes is uniquely qualified to write a new biography of Captain Scott. This is the first biography of Scott by someone who has experienced the deprivations, the stress and the sheer physical pain that Scott lived through; he has suffered all but the final tragedy endured by the much maligned Scott. He is determined to put the record straight. As well as being the definitive biography of Scott, written with the full and exclusive cooperation of the Scott Estate, this book traces the way that Scott's reputation has been attacked and his achievements distorted.
Now in paperback, the real story of Captain Robert Scott's legendary Antarctic quest, told by the man whom the Guinness Book of World Records has proclaimed "the world's greatest living explorer" In 1911, Captain Robert Scott and his competitor Roald Amundsen conquered the unconquerable: Antarctica. This perilous race to the South Pole claimed the life of Scott and became the stuff of legend, as well as scrutiny. This compelling, meticulously researched history of Captain Scott and his fatal journey, by renowned modern-day explorer Sir Ranulph Fiennes, holder of 10 expeditionary records, is the definitive account of this hotly debated quest. Fiennes offers an account of Scott's motivations and aspirations for the Pole, and his historic clash with Amundsen over goals and approaches. He also reveals the unpredictably disastrous weather patterns that led to the extreme cold that ultimately doomed Scott's return trip. Infused with the intensity of fiction and exhibiting an exhaustive eye for detail found in the greatest historical biographies, Race to the Pole is a prodigious achievement and certain to become a classic in the literature of exploration.
First published in 1987, this book takes Ranulph Fiennes from his South African boyhood and army career to the series of breathtaking expeditions which have justly earned him the title of "the world's greatest living explorer". Since then, however, his determination to seek new challenges and, more importantly, to conquer them has led him to attempt to reach the North Pole without dogs or motorized equipment, to find the lost city of Ubar, hidden in the Arabian desert, and most recently, his extraordinary journey across the Antarctic to the South Pole. Writing with honesty and good humour, Ranulph Fiennes gives us a taste of the excitement, the hardship, the vital teamwork and the sheer courage that is the life of the modern explorer. He is an English hero in the classic mould - a man of whom it can be said that he has been everywhere and done everything.
Ranulph Fiennes has traveled to the most dangerous and inaccessible places on earth. In the process he nearly died on several occasions, lost nearly half his fingers to frostbite, and raised millions of pounds for charity. He discovered the lost city of Ubar in Oman and attempted to walk solo and unsupported to the South Pole. He was the first man to reach both poles by surface travel and the first to cross the Antarctic Continent unsupported. In 1993, Her Majesty the Queen awarded him the Order of the British Empire for "human endeavor and charitable services." An elite soldier, an athlete, a mountaineer, and a renowned explorer, Fiennes describes here in his own words his incredible journey through life.
Ranulph Fiennes OBE, known for his remarkable polar expeditions, mountaineering and marathon running, here turns his attention to his own family and England's history. For 600 years, the Fiennes have lived in Broughton Castle in Oxfordshire, and through their story, Ranulph Fiennes offers 'a simplified squint at the history of my country, England, warts and all, from its beginnings until 1944 when I was born'.
Light wear to cover. Shipped from the U.K. All orders received before 3pm sent that weekday.
There are only few human beings who can adapt, survive and thrive in the coldest regions on earth. And below a certain temperature, death is inevitable. Sir Ranulph Fiennes has spent much of his life exploring and working in conditions of extreme cold. The loss of many of his fingers to frostbite is a testament to the horrors man is exposed to at such perilous temperatures. With the many adventures he has led over the past 40 years, testing his limits of endurance to the maximum, he deservedly holds the title of ''the world''s greatest explorer''. Despite our technological advances, the Arctic, the Antarctic and the highest mountains on earth, remain some of the most dangerous and unexplored areas of the world. This remarkable book reveals the chequered history of man''s attempts to discover and understand these remote areas of the planet, from the early voyages of discovery of Cook, Ross, Weddell, Amundsen, Shackleton and Franklin to Sir Ranulph''s own extraordinary feats; from his adventuring apprenticeship on the Greenland Ice Cap, to masterminding over the past five years the first crossing of the Antarctic during winter, where temperatures regularly plummeted to minus 92ºC. Both historically questioning and intensely personal, Cold is a celebration of a life dedicated to researching and exploring some of the most hostile and brutally cold places on earth.
25 October 2015 is the 600th anniversary of the battle of Agincourt - a hugely resonant event in English (and French) history. Sir Ranulph Fiennes casts new light on this epic event, revealing that three of his own ancestors fought in the battle for Henry V, and at least one for the French. This is a unique perspective on Agincourt from a trained and decorated soldier. Ran reveals the truth behind the myths and legends of the battle. He tells how after the battle Henry V entertained his senior commanders to dinner, where they were waited on by captured French knights. There is the story of Sir Piers Legge of Lyme Hall, who lay wounded in the mud while his mastiff dog fought off the French men-at-arms. Then there is the legend that the French intended to cut off the first and second right hand fingers of every captured archer, to prevent him from using his bow. The archers raised those two fingers to the advancing French as a gesture of defiance. In this gripping new study Sir Ranulph Fiennes brings back to life these stories and more, including those of his own ancestors, in a celebration of a historical event integral to English identity.
Fresh from finishing the Marathon des Sables, Ranulph Fiennes has become the oldest Briton to complete this ultimate endurance test. The world''s greatest living explorer, has travelled to some of the most remote, dangerous parts of the globe. Well-known for his experiences at the poles and climbing Everest, he has also endured some of the hottest conditions on the planet, where temperatures regularly exceed 40 degrees and, without water and shelter, death is inevitable.
When on a whim Ginni Bazlinton signed up for a voyage to the planet's fifth largest and coldest continent she did not know what to expect. An icy wilderness governed by no nation, where virtually the only natives are penguins and seals, Antarctica was a vast unknown to her when she set off with a few fellow travellers on the rugged scientific vessel the Akademik Shokalskiy . Discoveries came thick and fast: the sheer beauty and alarming extremes of the landscape and climate - rocky voyages on dangerous seas - and the unexpected company of amazing wildlife from the legendary albatross, to huge whales, lazy seals and friendly penguins. As she learns more about the history of exploring the region, the science undertaken there and the extraordinary varied landscapes of vast mountains, rolling icebergs and sunken volcanoes childlike joy and peace gives way to deeper contemplation. For this 'from next door' her first hand encounter with a region unknown to many becomes the gateway to a profound fascination with the miracle that is Antarctica and a keener understanding of the wonder of the world itself and humanity's ambiguous role within it.
A ground-breaking collection of stories, poems and articles about Nepal covering the length and breadth of this enchanting nation and its people. 'If you want a book in English that tells you about Nepalese thinking, and gives a taste of the country's contemporary literature, you could hardly do better than House of Snow ' Daily Telegraph 'One of the finest books I have read this year' Nudge Books 'A well-curated sliver of works that highlight the richness and variety of Nepal's literary contribution' Kathmandu Post In 2015, Sagarmatha frowned. Tectonic plates moved. A deadly earthquake devastated Nepal. In the wake of disaster, House of Snow brings together over 50 excerpts of fiction and non-fiction celebrating the breathtaking landscapes and rich cultural heritage of this fascinating country. Here are explorers and mountaineers, poets and political journalists, national treasures and international celebrities. Featuring a diverse cast of writers such as Michael Palin and Jon Krakauer, Lakshmiprasad Devko?a and Lil Bahadur Chettri – all hand-picked by well-known authors and scholars of Nepali literature including Samrat Upadhyay, Michael Hutt, Isabella Tree and Thomas Bell. House of Snow is the biggest, most comprehensive and most beautiful collection of writing about Nepal in print.
Sir Ranulph Fiennes is arguably the UK's greatest polar explorer and adventurer, whose never-say-die approach to life has enabled him to endure conditions most of us could never handle. His many successes of exploring the vastness of the icy southern hemisphere, and the polar ice cap, as well as scientifically monitoring how the human body copes in such extreme conditions has pushed him to the forefront of his field. Equally he has taken on several challenges purely for raising vast amounts of money, such as scaling Mount Everest. These adventures were thrillingly captured in his bestselling narrative memoir Cold . Colder is the fully illustrated edition of Fiennes' memoirs, compete with personal photographs, maps and diary notes of his adventures. New narrative is supported with personal photography from his many polar expeditions. Detailed maps showcasing his routes across the various landscapes he has traversed, as well as extended captions provide perfect analysis of what he has achieved. Colder is the perfect coffee table guide to understanding how great his achievements are in the history of man's exploration of extreme Earth.
Explorer and adventurer Sir Ranulph Fiennes explores the concept of fear, and shows us through his own experiences how we can push our boundaries in everyday life. Sir Ranulph Fiennes has climbed the Eiger and Mount Everest. He's crossed both Poles on foot. He's been a member of the SAS and fought a bloody guerrilla war in Oman. And yet he confesses that his fear of heights is so great that he'd rather send his wife up a ladder to clean the gutters than do it himself. In FEAR, the world's greatest explorer delves into his own experiences to try and explain what fear is, how it happens and how he's overcome it so successfully. He examines key moments from history where fear played an important part in the outcome of a great event. He shows us how the brain perceives fear, how that manifests itself in us, and how we can transform our perceptions. With an enthralling combination of story-telling, research and personal accounts of his own struggles to overcome fear, Sir Ranulph Fiennes sheds new light on one of humanity's strongest emotions.
When the photographer Enzo Barracco decided to mount a photographic expedition to Antarctica, inspired by the example of Sir Ernest Shackleton, he had much more than simple cold to contend with. As the world's last empty continent, the snowy lands of the South Pole are a challenge for the most seasoned explorer, with their merciless winds, treacherous seas and vast sheets of ice. Even to arrive on the continent itself involves a perilous journey by sea from southern Argentina through the notoriously rough Drake Passage. THE NOISE OF ICE: ANTARCTICA explores what drove Barracco to embark on his journey, and tells the story of the expedition in words and astonishing photographs, all of them captured during the trip and many obtained in hazardous conditions. In his gripping text, Barracco explains how even his journey to Antarctica itself was undertaken with the essential help of an ice pilot, to spot and avoid icebergs that ship's radar can miss. He tells of how the waves on that first journey threw him to the deck and brought home how hostile such an environment is, and of his constant battle to protect his photographic equipment and all-important memory cards from the extreme cold. Most importantly, he explains that in capturing these beautiful landscapes, his intention is to remind us all of the precarious position in which this part of the world finds itself. As the explorer Sir Ranulph Fiennes puts it in his foreword to THE NOISE OF ICE, "witnessed by only a few, Antarctica should be enjoyed by many and protected by all".
"Riveting stuff. Through the prism of his experience of the military elite, Fiennes presents a dazzling history of the world's best fighting units to amaze and enthral the reader." Damien Lewis, Bestselling author of Zero Six BravoInspired by the heroic war time escapades of his father, as well as drawing on his own experiences in the special forces , acclaimed adventurer Sir Ranulph Fiennes thrillingly explores the history of elite military units, from ancient Sparta to the War on Terror . The best of the best , these elite units have frequently been immortalised on the big screen, and in computer games, for their daring deeds . Whether it be fighting on the battlefield , storming forts and castles, rescuing hostages , high stakes reconnaissance missions or the dramatic assassination of enemy leaders , these are the men who are relied upon to undertake dangerous missions of the highest stakes. While celebrating the heroics of groups such as the SAS and Navy Seals , Sir Ranulph also reveals the true stories of infamous organisations such as The Assassins and Templar Knights . Uncovering their origins, and examining their weapons and tactics, Sir Ranulph showcases these units most famous missions , and reveals the men behind them. Showing incredible courage , often in the face of impossible odds , these units have also changed the course of history along the way. Sir Ranulph discusses the reasons behind their success and failures, with many notorious conflicts often being decided by these elite units facing off against each other, with the victor not only evolving warfare, but also consigning their opponent to history. While these units traditionally prefer to operate in the shadows , Sir Ranulph brings their remarkable histories to the fore, told with his trademark ability to weave a story which has seen him become one of Britain’s most beloved bestselling authors .
“When Ranulph Fiennes produces a book about Ernest Shackleton, it should get our attention. I found that the best way to read this book is to imagine that you are in a pub sharing a beer with Sir Ranulph while he regales you with his tale about Ernest Shackleton. Fiennes moves the narrative along at a good pace and his storytelling becomes particularly animated when he is describing the actual grind of slogging through the snow and ice.”—Lloyd Spencer Davis, The New York Times Book Review (front page review) An enthralling new biography of Ernest Shackleton by the world's greatest living explorer, Sir Ranulph Fiennes. To write about Hell, it helps if you have been there. In 1915, Sir Ernest Shackleton's attempt to traverse the Antarctic was cut short when his ship, Endurance , became trapped in ice. The disaster left Shackleton and his men alone at the frozen South Pole, fighting for their lives. Their survival and escape is the most famous adventure in history. Shackleton is a captivating new account of the adventurer, his life, and his incredible leadership under the most extreme of circumstances. Written by polar adventurer Sir Ranulph Fiennes who followed in Shackleton's footsteps, he brings his own unique insights to bear on these infamous expeditions. Shackleton is both re-appraisal and a valediction, separating Shackleton from the myth he has become.
'Life is too short to waste time on second-class ambitions. Go for the big ones.' Now in his late seventies, Sir Ranulph Fiennes looks back on a lifetime of exploration, and draws powerful, inspiring lessons that we can all use when faced by the tribulations of everyday life. Having crossed both Polar ice caps on foot, climbed Everest and the Eiger, served in the SAS and circumnavigated the world along its polar axis - a 53,000 mile odyssey that has never been repeated - 'Ran' looks back from the summit of an incredible life and teaches us how to: - Learn self-discipline, and master fear - Plan for success, and make your own luck - Learn from failure and strive to succeed - Keep going, whatever life throws at you
A vivid and illuminating biography of the famed T. E. Lawrence, written by “the world's greatest living explorer,” Ranulph Fiennes. As a young British intelligence officer in Cairo, archaeologist and adventurer Thomas Edward Lawrence became involved in the 1916 Arab Revolt, fighting alongside rebel forces against the Ottomans. He made a legendary 300-mile journey through blistering heat; he wore Arab dress; and he strongly identified with the people in his adopted lands. By 1918, he had a £20,000 price on his head. Despite readers' long fascination in his story, Lawrence—one of history's most enigmatic adventurers—has long remained unknowable, But with in-depth knowledge of what it takes to venture into the unknown, this authoritative biography from famed explorer Ranulph Fiennes at last brings enthralling insight and clarity to this remarkable life.