Synopses & Reviews
Unlock your inner explorer in this riveting account of one of historyand#8217;s greatest adventuresand#8212;and a study of the seven character traits all great explorers share.andlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;In 1856, two intrepid adventurers, Richard Francis Burton and John Hanning Speke, set off to unravel a geographical unknown: the location of the Nile Riverand#8217;s source. They traveled deep into a forbidding and uncharted African wilderness together before arriving at two different solutions to the mystery and parting ways as sworn enemies. The feud became an international sensation upon their return to England, and a public debate was scheduled to decide whose theory was correct. What followed was a massive spectacle with an outcome no one could have ever foreseen.andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;In andlt;iandgt;The Explorersandlt;/iandgt;, andlt;iandgt;New York Timesandlt;/iandgt; bestselling author Martin Dugard tells the rich saga of the Burton and Speke expedition. To better understand their motivations and ultimate success, Dugard guides readers through the seven vital traits that Burton and Speke, as well as historyand#8217;s most legendary explorers, called upon to see their impossible journeys through to the end: curiosity, hope, passion, courage, independence, self-discipline, and perseverance. In doing so, Dugard demonstrates that we are all explorers and that these traits have a most practical application in everyday life. andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;Within some of us beats the heart of a mountain climber; within others, that of a budding entrepreneur. Just like the explorers, life will present us with great unknowns: the diagnosis of cancer, the call to help a troubled friend, the need to move forward after great tragedy. As professionals we will attempt to chart paths that have never been mapped. And however modest our lives may appear on the outside, there will be times requiring the same deep moral decisions and complex tactical judgments explorers faced in strange lands, thousands of miles from home.andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;andlt;iandgt;The Explorersandlt;/iandgt; is a book about courage and survival. It is also a book about stepping into the darkness with confidence and grace, aware on some profound leveland#8212;as were Burton and Spekeand#8212;that the Promised Land we are searching for is not some lost corner of the world, but a place within ourselves.
Review
and#8220;This is an exciting and uplifting book, with inspiration on every page. You donand#8217;t have to be in search of the source of the Nile to benefit from understanding the seven habits of fearless explorers.and#8221;
Review
and#8220;Using his usual brilliant research, Martin Dugard takes the reader on a thrill ride to some of the most dangerous places on earth. Can you handle it?"
Review
and#8220;Martin Dugard has written bestselling histories with Bill Oand#8217;Reilly, and with me, but with andlt;iandgt;The Explorersandlt;/iandgt;, he shows that he does his best work as a solo performer. andlt;iandgt;The Explorersandlt;/iandgt; has a distinctive voice and the drama never flags from beginning to end.and#8221;
Review
"Dugard uses Richard Francis Burton and John Hanning Spekeand#8217;s quest to find the Nileand#8217;s source as a framing device to craft a fascinating examination of the seven key traits of historyand#8217;s most famous explorers. . . . In lesser hands, this exercise could come off as pedantic or pedestrian, but Dugardand#8217;s infusions of insight and enthusiasm carry the reader and drive his points home."
Synopsis
Unlock your inner explorer in this riveting account of one of history's greatest adventures--and a study of the seven character traits all great explorers share.
In 1856, two intrepid adventurers, Richard Francis Burton and John Hanning Speke, set off to unravel a geographical unknown: the location of the Nile River's source. They traveled deep into a forbidding and uncharted African wilderness together before arriving at two different solutions to the mystery and parting ways as sworn enemies. The feud became an international sensation upon their return to England, and a public debate was scheduled to decide whose theory was correct. What followed was a massive spectacle with an outcome no one could have ever foreseen.
In The Explorers, New York Times bestselling author Martin Dugard tells the rich saga of the Burton and Speke expedition. To better understand their motivations and ultimate success, Dugard guides readers through the seven vital traits that Burton and Speke, as well as history's most legendary explorers, called upon to see their impossible journeys through to the end: curiosity, hope, passion, courage, independence, self-discipline, and perseverance. In doing so, Dugard demonstrates that we are all explorers and that these traits have a most practical application in everyday life.
Within some of us beats the heart of a mountain climber; within others, that of a budding entrepreneur. Just like the explorers, life will present us with great unknowns: the diagnosis of cancer, the call to help a troubled friend, the need to move forward after great tragedy. As professionals we will attempt to chart paths that have never been mapped. And however modest our lives may appear on the outside, there will be times requiring the same deep moral decisions and complex tactical judgments explorers faced in strange lands, thousands of miles from home.
The Explorers is a book about courage and survival. It is also a book about stepping into the darkness with confidence and grace, aware on some profound level--as were Burton and Speke--that the Promised Land we are searching for is not some lost corner of the world, but a place within ourselves.
About the Author
Martin Dugard is theandlt;Iandgt; New York Timesandlt;/Iandgt; bestselling author of andlt;Iandgt;Into Africaandlt;/Iandgt;,andlt;Iandgt; The Training Groundandlt;/Iandgt;,andlt;Iandgt; Last Voyage of Columbusandlt;/Iandgt;, and andlt;Iandgt;The Explorersandlt;/Iandgt;. He is also the coauthor, with political commentator Bill Oand#8217;Reilly, of andlt;Iandgt;Killing Lincolnandlt;/Iandgt;, andlt;Iandgt;Killing Kennedyandlt;/Iandgt;, andlt;Iandgt;Killing Jesusandlt;/Iandgt;, and andlt;Iandgt;Killing Patton. andlt;/Iandgt;He lives in Southern California with his wife and three sons.