The July/August 2001 issue of Adventure (buy the back issue) featured our list of the all-time best 100 adventure books, and this June, National Geographic Books publishes a new edition of our number one title—The Worst Journey in the World, by Apsley Cherry-Garrard—to launch its Adventure Classics series.

In this bookish spirit, we asked participants in our greatest-book online forum to name any classics we may have missed. Below, ten reader-recommended page-turners.

Our Readers Recommend

Dersu the Trapper, V. K. Arseniev (buy this book)
“The early 20th-century explorations of a Russian expeditionary officer and his native guide, Dersu, through Siberia, Manchuria, and North Korea.” —Paul Doiron

Godforsaken Sea: The True Story of a Race Through the World’s Most Dangerous Waters, Derek Lundy (buy this book)
“Sixteen sailors tackle 60-foot [18-meter] waves and hurricane winds during the Vendée Globe race.” —Mark Pesapane

Gorilla Monsoon, John Long (buy this book)
“A legendary rock climber’s travel tales. It deserves a place on your list based on adrenaline factor alone.” —Andrew Brown

Heart of the Amazon, Yossi Ghinsberg (buy this book)
“A perilous journey down Bolivia’s thundering Rio Tuichi.” —John Chafee

Ice Bound: A Doctor’s Incredible Battle for Survival at the South Pole, Jerri Nielsen (buy this book)
“A gripping tale.” —Jean Donley

In the Heart of the Sea, Nathaniel Philbrick (buy this book)
“The true story of the whale ship that inspired Moby Dick.” —Jim Nielson III

Mawson’s Will: The Greatest Polar Survival Story Ever Written, Lennard Bickel (buy this book)
“A magnificent account—right up there with Shackleton’s story.” —Gordon Verrill

On Foot Through Africa, Ffyona Campbell (buy this book)
“An amazing story of the author’s journey from Cape Town to the Mediterranean.” —Christine DeMeyer

Prisoner of Dunes, Isabelle Eberhardt (buy this book)
“This account of a Swiss woman’s escapades in the Algerian desert deserves to be 101 on your list.” —Jay Lasner

Tomboy Bride: A Woman’s Personal Account of Life in Mining Camps of the West, Harriet Fish Backus (buy this book)
“A pioneer woman’s adventures in Idaho, Colorado, and British Columbia.” —Gail Denkhaus

Don’t see your favorite on our list? Post it on our great books forum >>

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July 2002:
In the Magazine | Excerpts | Rockies Photos | Surfing Jaws | Underwater Photo Gear | Fear Forum | Gear Guide: Watches | Adventure Books | Travel Calendar