# Recommend me: Adventure book. **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [May 27, 2011, 7:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-adventure-book/583467 "2011-05-27T19:07:33Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Shirley\_Ujest](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/45deac/32.png) [@Shirley\_Ujest](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shirley_Ujest)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2011, 11:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-adventure-book/583467/41 "2011-06-01T11:26:48Z")
> [@ITR\_champion](#): > > A British author named Philip Reeve has emerged in the past ten years as one of the greatest adventure-tellers of all times. Unfortunately, he’s still not well known on this side of the Atlantic, but you can help fix that by reading his books and then being seized by a sudden urge to spread the word about him to everyone you know. His first series begins with [_Mortal Engines_](http://www.amazon.com/Mortal-Engines-Hungry-City-Chronicles/dp/0060082097/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1306848927&sr=1-1), a post-apocalyptic tale in which giant mobile cities rove the surface of the planet, eating each other up. This book combines action, humor, great characters, and relentlessly fast pacing. The movie rights have been sold and Peter Jackson is working on the screenplay. _Mortal Engines_ is the first in a series of four. > > After that he turned to [_Larklight_](http://www.amazon.com/Larklight-Philip-Reeve/dp/1408800608/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1306849223&sr=1-1), the first in a trilogy. The premise here is that this is actually historical fiction, set in England after Isaac Newton discovers the secrets of space travel, allowing Britain to establish an Empire that spans the solar system, which turns out to be inhabited by all manner of strange creatures. The movie of this one is one the way as well. These look really good. Thanks! **flying rat** I’ve had several Tim Powers books on my bookshelves untouched for years, I am definately dusting them off to give them sunlight and reading time this year. (Powers was brought to my attention via someone else here on the Dope and I happened upon his books at a sale and grabbed them.) ---
**Author:** ![Shirley\_Ujest](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/45deac/32.png) [@Shirley\_Ujest](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shirley_Ujest)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2011, 11:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-adventure-book/583467/42 "2011-06-01T11:31:01Z")
There are so many excellent suggestions that I may have to ask for donations to pay for my real life existence so I can spend my time reading. Any takers? ---
**Author:** ![Sigmagirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c89c15/32.png) [@Sigmagirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sigmagirl)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2011, 1:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-adventure-book/583467/43 "2011-06-01T13:42:27Z")
_Beau Geste_. The most exciting book I have ever read. ---
**Author:** ![Barkis\_is\_Willin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a183cd/32.png) [@Barkis\_is\_Willin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Barkis_is_Willin)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2011, 2:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-adventure-book/583467/44 "2011-06-01T14:19:26Z")
> [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](#): > > If you’ve never read **Treasure Island** , I recommend the heck out of that. It earns every inch of its reputation. > > For that matter, so do a lot of the other classics, including The Three Musketeers, Kidnapped!, and The Count of Monte Cristo. All fantastic, but \*Kidnapped \*is my absolute favorite adventure book. Another classic adventure I read not long ago that was better than I thought it would be was \*The Island of Dr. Moreau \*by H. G. Wells. I suppose I had the bar set pretty low because of the movie, but it’s a pretty fun story. ---
**Author:** ![chela](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chela/32/21582_2.png) [@chela](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chela)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2011, 3:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-adventure-book/583467/45 "2011-06-01T15:00:56Z")
> [@Tapioca\_Dextrin](#): > > Another non-fiction recommendation: [Setting the East Ablaze](http://www.amazon.com/Great-Game-Struggle-Central-Kodansha/dp/1568360223/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1306763172&sr=8-4). It’s Britain’s and Russia’s attempt to control Afghanistan in the 19th century. A real page turner. The Great Game looks to be excellent as well. 😉 Speaking of the great game let me add Kipling’s _Kim_ I’ve just finished _Pearl in the Storm_ by Tori Murden McClure. It’s about her life and how she built and rowed her boat across the atlantic o. Tough childhood, a scrapper, smart, now president of Spaulding College in KY. ---
**Author:** ![cjepson](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a9adbd/32.png) [@cjepson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cjepson)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2011, 3:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-adventure-book/583467/46 "2011-06-01T15:46:50Z")
> [@Chefguy](#): > > In addition to **King Solomon’s Mines** , there is also **Alan Quatermain** and **She** , all written by H. Ryder Haggard. Except that I wouldn’t call _She_ an adventure novel… it’s a captivity narrative, in which the protagonist spends most of the book doing nothing. I always liked _The Incredible Journey._ _Henderson the Rain King_ is an old favorite of mine, although I think the first half is better than the second. ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2011, 5:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-adventure-book/583467/47 "2011-06-01T17:21:31Z")
> [@Snickers](#): > > Non-fiction: > > [Into Thin Air](http://www.amazon.com/Into-Thin-Air-Personal-Disaster/dp/0385494785/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1306850131&sr=8-1), by Jon Krakauer. Tells one side of the story of the fated expeditions up Mount Everest in 1996, in which a lot of people died. It’s very accessible and gripping… Definitely! Sebastian Junger’s _The Perfect Storm_ has a similar vibe. Exciting, detailed, gripping and readable, with an underlying sense of tragedy. ---
**Author:** ![Shirley\_Ujest](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/45deac/32.png) [@Shirley\_Ujest](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shirley_Ujest)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2011, 1:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-adventure-book/583467/48 "2011-06-02T01:16:14Z")
[Timeless Adventure STories](http://www.abebooks.com/books/adventure-crusoe-kidnapped-forester-kipling/timeless-tales.shtml) [100 greatest adventure books of all times](http://www.nationalgeographic.com/adventure/0404/adventure_books.html) ---
**Author:** ![Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/left_hand_of_dorkness/32/7156_2.png) [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2011, 2:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-adventure-book/583467/49 "2011-06-02T02:46:09Z")
> [@Barkis\_is\_Willin](#): > > All fantastic, but \*Kidnapped \*is my absolute favorite adventure book. I prefer Treasure Island, but it’s definitely a tough call–and without the inimitable Long John Silver (who is to Jack Sparrow what absinthe is to lemonade), I’d probably go with Kidnapped too. I listened to the audiobook of Kidnapped, and it’s read by a guy with a brogue thick enough to lie down and roll around it. It’s absolutely delightful. Ooh! Another great adventure book is **Gentlemen of the Road** , by Michael Chabon. Also a great audiobook. ---
**Author:** ![chela](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chela/32/21582_2.png) [@chela](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chela)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2011, 11:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-adventure-book/583467/50 "2011-06-02T11:09:08Z")
> [@Shirley\_Ujest](#): > > [Timeless Adventure STories](http://www.abebooks.com/books/adventure-crusoe-kidnapped-forester-kipling/timeless-tales.shtml) > [100 greatest adventure books of all times](http://www.nationalgeographic.com/adventure/0404/adventure_books.html) Now that’s a list! thanks for sharing… I find I have several books on the lists, seems I am into sailing solo adventures, must dig up the one on the Grizzly guy, as I also like bear adventures. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![ThelmaLou](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thelmalou/32/390_2.png) [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2011, 1:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-adventure-book/583467/51 "2011-06-02T13:06:54Z")
The Horatio Hornblower series by C.S. Forester. LOVE THEM! He is a fantastic hero-- brilliant, capable, but full of self-doubt. Read them in order for best effect. ---
**Author:** ![davidw](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c4cdca/32.png) [@davidw](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davidw)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2011, 1:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-adventure-book/583467/52 "2011-06-02T13:24:05Z")
Any of the [Flashman](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harry_Paget_Flashman) books by George MacDonald Fraser ---
**Author:** ![Damfino](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Damfino](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Damfino)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2011, 7:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-adventure-book/583467/53 "2011-06-04T19:44:46Z")
In the same mode I’d recommend Bernard Cornwell’s [Sharpe](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_Sharpe_%28fictional_character%29) series dealing with the adventures of a soldier under Wellington during Napoleonic times. In fact most of Cornwell’s other novels, mostly historical, have a strong adventure element. ---
**Author:** ![movingfinger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7ab992/32.png) [@movingfinger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/movingfinger)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2011, 6:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-adventure-book/583467/54 "2011-06-05T06:49:17Z")
_The Wake of the Perdido Star_ by Gene Hackman (yes; THAT Gene Hackman), a good, rousing pirate adventure. ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2011, 7:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-adventure-book/583467/55 "2011-06-05T07:26:22Z")
_Shantaram_ by Gregory David Roberts. A book written three times, according to the author, and destroyed by prison warders the first two times. Based on the author’s own life, it is the story of an armed robber from Australia who escaped a maximum security prison and ended up living in a Bombay slum. Don’t be put off by the title - it’s not a new age yoga fest, it’s a gangster story. Not perfectly written by any means, but absolutely gripping. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-adventure-book/583467.md?page=2)