Non fiction recommendations
Discussion
Hi all
Anybody got any good non fiction books to recommend?
enjoy true life/autobio where there is a real journey/story/adventure being told
Have enjoyed many cycling autobiographies where the writer has gone through the mental, physical and emotional turmoil that comes with professional cycling (including the doping and redemptive process that ensued).
Also enjoyed mountaineering and exploration type books.
Seem to have run out of new ideas!?
Anybody got any good non fiction books to recommend?
enjoy true life/autobio where there is a real journey/story/adventure being told
Have enjoyed many cycling autobiographies where the writer has gone through the mental, physical and emotional turmoil that comes with professional cycling (including the doping and redemptive process that ensued).
Also enjoyed mountaineering and exploration type books.
Seem to have run out of new ideas!?
An Unsung Hero - Tom Crean - Antarctic Survivor by Michael Smith
Tom Crean was on both the Scott (one of the last people to see him alive and went back to bury him) and Shackleton (he sailed the boat across the Southern ocean to summon a rescue party) Polar expeditions, fascinating story
Tom Crean was on both the Scott (one of the last people to see him alive and went back to bury him) and Shackleton (he sailed the boat across the Southern ocean to summon a rescue party) Polar expeditions, fascinating story
Battlefield Britain by Peter and Dan Snow
Pure English history telling the tale of six significant battles starting with the Romans and Boudicca then finally to the Battle of Britain 1940.
Having only a passing interest in history, I found this book totally absorbing as it delves into minute detail including the state of mind of the opponents, the technical aspects of the weaponry, often by demonstrating use in the field, and followed up with neat computer graphics illustrating the stages of each battle. Even the local geography is explored to show how the topography influenced the result.
Unable to fully draw a 150lb pull traditional longbow, Snow also adds interesting factoids such as it was the Normans who introduced stirrups to ride a horse while standing up and fighting at Hastings.
Currently a bargain on Amazon, but beaten on price my my weekly forage into the local Oxfam. Strongly recommended.
Pure English history telling the tale of six significant battles starting with the Romans and Boudicca then finally to the Battle of Britain 1940.
Having only a passing interest in history, I found this book totally absorbing as it delves into minute detail including the state of mind of the opponents, the technical aspects of the weaponry, often by demonstrating use in the field, and followed up with neat computer graphics illustrating the stages of each battle. Even the local geography is explored to show how the topography influenced the result.
Unable to fully draw a 150lb pull traditional longbow, Snow also adds interesting factoids such as it was the Normans who introduced stirrups to ride a horse while standing up and fighting at Hastings.
Currently a bargain on Amazon, but beaten on price my my weekly forage into the local Oxfam. Strongly recommended.
I rather enjoyed Eye Of the Shoal by Helen Scales, I honestly didn't think a book about fish would be so interesting.
If you have any interest in aviation or space then Team Peaks autobiography and Chris Hadfield's "An Astronauts guide to life on earth" are very good
Adam Kay's "This is going to hurt" book of his experience as a junior doctor is far funnier than the current TV series, while still being as serious.
If you like any of Jackie Chan's films, his autobiography "Never grow up" is pretty good
If you have any interest in aviation or space then Team Peaks autobiography and Chris Hadfield's "An Astronauts guide to life on earth" are very good
Adam Kay's "This is going to hurt" book of his experience as a junior doctor is far funnier than the current TV series, while still being as serious.
If you like any of Jackie Chan's films, his autobiography "Never grow up" is pretty good
I read a lot and very rarely read fiction.
Best biography I've read in years is "When The Wind Changed : The Life and Death of Tony Hancock" by Cliff Goodwin.
https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/25200976-wh...
Quite a long book but literally never a dull page.
My other recommendation is "Nothing to Envy" by Barbara Demick about people who have escaped North Korea.
https://www.theguardian.com/books/2010/apr/03/noth...
Best biography I've read in years is "When The Wind Changed : The Life and Death of Tony Hancock" by Cliff Goodwin.
https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/25200976-wh...
Quite a long book but literally never a dull page.
My other recommendation is "Nothing to Envy" by Barbara Demick about people who have escaped North Korea.
https://www.theguardian.com/books/2010/apr/03/noth...
How about That Others May Live
Its about a Pararescue Jumper (basically a Navy Seal with additional medical and rescue training)
https://www.amazon.co.uk/That-Others-May-Live-Amer...
Its about a Pararescue Jumper (basically a Navy Seal with additional medical and rescue training)
https://www.amazon.co.uk/That-Others-May-Live-Amer...
I appreciate this is an old thread so the OP might no longer be following, but if you like cycling books, I'd recommend Tim Moore.
French Revolotuions, for example is about when he attempts to cycle the route of le Tour de France the morning of each stage.
Josie Dew and Mark Beaumont are other cycling based travelogues which I've also enjoyed over the years - without the link to professional cycling.
French Revolotuions, for example is about when he attempts to cycle the route of le Tour de France the morning of each stage.
Josie Dew and Mark Beaumont are other cycling based travelogues which I've also enjoyed over the years - without the link to professional cycling.
On the subject of cycling, I have recently read 'One More Croissant for the Road,' by Felicity Cloake who writes about food for The Guardian. It made me smile often and I admired her ability to pedal 100 miles in a day on a loaded bike while packing calories away. One of those books that made me feel better.
Another was among Muslims by Kathleen Jamie, a book about kindness and one that I will be rereading shortly. Her writings a among those that I consider to be among the best non-fiction books that I have read and they have a lot of competition.
Another was among Muslims by Kathleen Jamie, a book about kindness and one that I will be rereading shortly. Her writings a among those that I consider to be among the best non-fiction books that I have read and they have a lot of competition.
Here are a few non-fiction books that you might find interesting:
"Into Thin Air" by Jon Krakauer - A gripping firsthand account of the 1996 Mount Everest disaster.
"Born to Run" by Christopher McDougall - An exploration of the Tarahumara Indians and their ability to run hundreds of miles without injury, as well as the author's own experiences with long-distance running.
"Wild" by Cheryl Strayed - A memoir of the author's solo hike along the Pacific Crest Trail after a series of personal tragedies.
"The Boys in the Boat" by Daniel James Brown - The story of the University of Washington's rowing team and their quest for gold at the 1936 Olympics in Nazi Germany.
"Endurance: Shackleton's Incredible Voyage" by Alfred Lansing - The story of Ernest Shackleton and his crew's survival in Antarctica after their ship, the Endurance, was trapped and destroyed by ice.
"Unbroken" by Laura Hillenbrand - The incredible true story of Louis Zamperini, an Olympic runner and WWII bombardier who survived a plane crash, 47 days at sea, and years of brutal treatment in Japanese POW camps.
"Into Thin Air" by Jon Krakauer - A gripping firsthand account of the 1996 Mount Everest disaster.
"Born to Run" by Christopher McDougall - An exploration of the Tarahumara Indians and their ability to run hundreds of miles without injury, as well as the author's own experiences with long-distance running.
"Wild" by Cheryl Strayed - A memoir of the author's solo hike along the Pacific Crest Trail after a series of personal tragedies.
"The Boys in the Boat" by Daniel James Brown - The story of the University of Washington's rowing team and their quest for gold at the 1936 Olympics in Nazi Germany.
"Endurance: Shackleton's Incredible Voyage" by Alfred Lansing - The story of Ernest Shackleton and his crew's survival in Antarctica after their ship, the Endurance, was trapped and destroyed by ice.
"Unbroken" by Laura Hillenbrand - The incredible true story of Louis Zamperini, an Olympic runner and WWII bombardier who survived a plane crash, 47 days at sea, and years of brutal treatment in Japanese POW camps.
i4got said:
"Wild" by Cheryl Strayed - A memoir of the author's solo hike along the Pacific Crest Trail after a series of personal tragedies.
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2305051/?ref_=nv_sr_s...
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