Wilderness book classics?

[HM]

Now that I bumped into Ellsworth Jaeger's book from 1945, I am wondering if there are other classics too?
Please let me know if there are other good books of earlier decades or even centuries.
I can quickly think of the Journals of Lewis and Clark or Robinson Crusoe from Defoe.
Also, i have seen in a bookstore (darn! that I did not buy it) once the diary of a journey of a Spaniard (I believe a man of faith) through the Southwest (?).

Any input is appreciated.

HM

Now that survival (OK, we can call it adventure travel or ecotravel) is a field of expertiese with its own literature, we have to figure out its history!

 

[Dave B]

There's way too much out there to list. I got interested in the search for the northwest passage a few years ago, and found that the Denver Public Library has dozens of original books by the people that actually did the explorations (those who came back, that is). Any big city library will have similar, as will any large university library. Look for McClure, Franklin, Shackleton, Baffin, Foxe, etc.

Africa has its own set of explorers, with extensive literature (the Victorian Brits wrote about everything that did). Try to find "Burton and Speke" or "Mountains of the Moon" - what those guys did will shock and amaze you.

Lewis and Clark left Orig. journals, and there's also much modern stuff out there - I've just started "Undaunted Courage". Try DeVoto.

Web searches are useful for tracking down specific stuff like this. Hope this helps.

db

 

[GLP-1]

Horace Kephardt, Nessmuk (George Washington Sears), and Townsend Whelen. The early 20th century produced a wealth of wilderness travelers. Also, read about Ishi, the Yahi indian who appeared out of the California wilderness in 1911 and provided firsthand info on many primitive techniques.