For intensity of geographical exploration and wealth of first-rate adventure writing by intrepid men and women, the 19th century stands alone. This collection contains 35 stories from the most compelling odysseys of the century including Fridtjof Nansen"s attempt to walk to the North Pole; Mary Kingsley"s solo foray into the jungles of West Africa; Richard Burton"s forbidden pilgrimage to Mecca; Mary Mummery"s harrowing first ascent in the Alps; and Francis Parkman"s buffalo hunts with the Sioux. The excerpts are as varied as the voyages themselves - some humorous and light-hearted, others desperate and thrilling. From the search for the source of the Nile to the first crossing of the Himalayas, this book ranges the globe and captures the restlessness of the human spirit.