Main content

True adventure stories

  • Author:
    Skeers, Linda
    Summary:

    Women have been doing amazing, daring, and dangerous things for years, but they're rarely mentioned in our history books as adventurers, daredevils, or rebels. This new compilation of brief biographies features women throughout history who have risked their lives for adventure-many of whom you may not know, but all of whom you'll WANT to know, such as: - Annie Edson Taylor, the first person who dared to go over Niagara Falls in a barrel - Valentina Tereshkova, the first woman who dared to fly in space - Helen Gibson, the first woman who dared to be a professional stunt person - And many more! This is the perfect read for anyone who wants to know what it means to explore, discover, play, climb, and fight like a girl!

  • Author:
    Rolfe, Helen Y.
    Summary:

    Since the early days of exploration, adventurous women have felt the pull of the mountains. Women of the early 1900s climbed some of the highest peaks in Canada wearing woollen knickers and hobnail boots. These pioneers set the standard for the women who followed, such as Sharon Wood and Leanne Allison, who continue to push the limits even further. 2003.

  • Author:
    Christensen, Peter
    Summary:

    These true stories of people who work and live in the spectacular mountain wilderness of Alberta and British Columbia are filled with humour, keen observations about man and nature, and memorable human and animal characters. Old-time cowboys Johnny and Cal offer their no-nonsense brand of homespun wisdom. Wasp, the talented saddle horse, teaches his rider more than just horsemanship. From life-and-death drama to peaceful meditations, these tales capture the danger and beauty of the mountains and will enthrall both armchair cowboys and those who love to venture into the backcountry.

  • Author:
    Bourbeau, André-François, Stroud, Les
    Summary:

    A lifetime of wilderness adventures and the resulting insights relating to nature’s intricacies as experienced by a master in the art of primitive wilderness survival. "Fire! Wake up! The shelter is on fire!"His students affectionately call him "Doc Survival." He’s Quebec’s Indiana Jones in a forest setting. Searching for the treasures of the wilderness has been his life-long quest; with passion as his only guide, he has dared to penetrate the forest on its own terms, facing increasingly difficult challenges in the hope of becoming nature’s confidant, of learning her secrets.Professor emeritus André-François Bourbeau holds a Guinness World Record for voluntary wilderness survival in the boreal forest. Herein lies his path and his stories, unadulterated: gritty and often comical mistakes punctuated by inspiring successes. What remains of this lifetime of experimentation is one man’s everlasting love of the wilderness and its intricacies, a rousing reflection on our own human priorities, and need for deep connection with the environment and other fellow beings.

  • Author:
    Wilson, Ian, Wilson, Sally
    Summary:

    For one year, Ian and Sally Wilson travelled 3,000 kilometres by canoe and dog team, following the trading routes of Canada's voyageurs. In this book, they combine the lively account of their wilderness journey with fascinating stories of voyageur life 200 years ago.

  • Author:
    Conrad, John, Blatchford, Christie
    Summary:

    By every principle of war, every shred of military logic, logistics support to Canada’s Task Force Orion in Afghanistan should have collapsed in July 2006. There are few countries that offer a greater challenge to logistics than Afghanistan, and yet Canadian soldiers lived through an enormous test on this deadly international stage - a monumental accomplishment. Canadian combat operations were widespread across southern Afghanistan in 2006, and logistics soldiers worked in quiet desperation to keep the battle group moving. Only now is it appreciated how precarious the logistics operations of Task Force Orion in Kandahar really were. What the Thunder Said is an honest, raw recollection of incidents and impressions of Canadian warfighting from a logistics perspective. It offers solid insight into the history of military logistics in Canada and explores in some detail the dramatic erosion of a once-proud corner of the army from the perspective of a battalion commander.

  • Author:
    Litwiller, Roger
    Summary:

    This is the story of six of Canadas Warships HMCS NAPANEE, HMCS BELLEVILLE, HMCS HALLOWELL, HMCS TRENTONIAN, HMCS QUINTE (I), and the HMCS QUINTE (II). These histories give a unique account of the small ships that have been the backbone of the Canadian Navy during the Second World War and the Cold War. The stories record the accomplishments of these hardworking ships as well as the mistakes. This rich and vivid account of an important part of Canadas Naval Service draws from the records of the ships, interviews with their crews, letters, diaries, newspaper articles, community libraries and photographs. You will learn about the HMCS NAPANEE as she fights a five day battle against twenty-four German submarines in on one of Canadas most tragic convoy battles. Be with HMCS BELLEVILLE as she fights to rescue a torpedoed merchant ship and find out about how a German submarine sinks the HMCS TRENTONIAN late in the war killing six of her crew.

  • Author:
    Henighan, Tom
    Summary:

    Born in Manitoba of Icelandic parents, Vilhjalmur Stefansson (1879-1962) became one of Canada’s most famous and controversial Arctic explorers. After graduate studies in anthropology at Harvard University, Stefansson lived with and studied Inuit in the Mackenzie River Delta in the Northwest Territories in the winter of 1906-07. In two subsequent expeditions he completed a major anthropological survey of the Central and Western Arctic coasts and islands of North America; located and lived with the Copper Inuit, a previously unknown group of aboriginal people; and discovered the world’s last major land masses. During his third and final great Arctic expedition from 1913 to 1918, some of Stefansson’s men perished tragically, an outcome that severely damaged his reputation. Nevertheless, the hardy explorer contributed immensely to knowledge about the Far North, particularly in his championing of the "Friendly Arctic." Part scientist, part showman, Vilhjalmur Stefansson was truly unique among polar adventurers.

  • Author:
    Smith, Lisa Anne
    Summary:

    On the morning of June 13, 1886, a rogue wind fanned the flames of a small clearing fire—and within five hours, the newly incorporated city of Vancouver, British Columbia, had been reduced to smoldering ash. Vancouver is Ashes: The Great Fire of 1886 is the first detailed exploration of what happened on that pivotal, yet seldom revisited day in the history of Canada’s third-largest city. Lisa Anne Smith tells the story with numerous archival photographs. She uses eye-witness accounts to describe flames sweeping down wooden sidewalks “faster than a man could run,” houses that were constructed of freshly milled lumber, which virtually exploded in the onslaught, as well as hair-breadth escapes of Vancouver citizens from all walks of life. She records how two businessmen lying face-down in a patch of gravel bid each other goodbye, while a young married couple cling to a makeshift raft, and a mother and her children cower in fear beneath a stable blanket in a shallow ditch. Strange, often unlikely stories emerge in the aftermath, such as the pile of ice discovered amidst the burned out wreckage and the near-miraculous survival of a downtown hotel. Ramifications of the catastrophe that continued into the days, months and years following are examined, resulting in some surprisingly positive, as well as negative conclusions. Part proceeds from sales of Vancouver is Ashes are being donated to the Vancouver Firefighters’ Charitable Society.

  • Author:
    Willcock, Kathryn
    Summary:

    Kathryn Willcock and her sisters grew up in logging camps on the coast of B.C. in the 1960s when children were set loose to play in the wilderness, women kept rifles next to the wood stove, and loggers risked their lives every single day. The author's tales of grizzly bears, American tourists, and a couple of terrified gangsters, along with the wisdom of Indigenous elders, pour off the page like warm syrup on a stack of cookhouse hotcakes.

  • Author:
    Fanthorpe, Lionel and Patricia
    Summary:

    Seas and oceans cover most of the Earth’s surface, yet we know less about what lies beneath them than we do about stars and planets millions of miles away. The seas are filled with intriguing mysteries: How were they formed? What gave rise to stories of sirens, mermaids, and mermen? Where did the old pirates and buccaneers hide their treasure? The answers to these questions and more can be found in Unsolved Mysteries of the Sea.

  • Author:
    Hanrahan, Maura
    Summary:

    Twenty-seven dead. Staggering property losses.

    Triggered by an offshore earthquake on the Grand Banks, a tsunami unleashed its fury on the coastline of the Burin Peninsula of Newfoundland, killing twenty-seven people and destroying homes and fishing premises in fifty outports.

    Here is the dramatic, incredible story of the South Coast Disaster of 1929, the superhuman efforts of Nurse Dorothy Cherry to save the sick and dying, and Magistrate Malcolm Hollett’s tireless campaign to rebuild shattered lives and devastated communities.

    Winner of the 2005 Heritage and History Award

    Shortlisted for the 2005 Newfoundland and Labrador Book Awards – Rogers Cable Non-Fiction Award

  • Author:
    Molto, Kimberly
    Summary:

    There are things in this world that we cannot explain, and occurrences that make us ponder the very nature of our existence. True Tales of the Paranormal is an intriguing examination of reincarnation, premonitions, and other spooky inexplicables from a scientific perspective, exploring modern scientific theories and current research. The author also provides suggestions on how to deal with paranormal experiences and where to go for help and information. Even readers who have never had psychic experiences will be drawn into the lives of those who have and will be left questioning the world as we know it.

  • Author:
    Matthews, Carolyn
    Summary:

    A crab boat off Newfoundland catches fire, and a rescue is undertaken by helicopter. A child goes missing in a New Brunswick forest, and a desperate hunt is mounted. A climber falls on a British Columbia mountain, and a helicopter rescue is attempted. A civilian chopper crashes in Nunavut, and a search-and-rescue team braves a savage snowstorm to find survivors. True Stories of Rescue and Survival features the above true stories and many more from across the country, past and present. Its heroes are to be found in the RCMP, city police forces, the Canadian military, and among all the rescue workers and specialists of the Canadian Coast Guard. Volunteers, too, risk injury and even death to help others. Sidebars spotlight the equipment search-and-rescue teams use, how search dogs are trained, how long-line rescues work, how navy divers are making a difference in the deserts of Afghanistan, and much more.

  • Author:
    Simpson, Joe
    Summary:

    The author relates his nearly fatal adventures mountaineering in the Andes, adventures that included a fall into a crevice, broken limbs, and return to safety.

  • Author:
    Clavin, Tom
    Summary:

    The true story of the Earp brothers, Doc Holliday, and the famous Battle at the OK Corral, by the New York Times bestselling author of Dodge City and Wild Bill. On the afternoon of October 26, 1881, nine men clashed in what would be known as the most famous shootout in American frontier history. Thirty bullets were exchanged in thirty seconds, killing three men and wounding three others. The fight sprang forth from a tense, hot summer. Cattle rustlers had been terrorizing the back country of Mexico and selling the livestock they stole to corrupt ranchers. The Mexican government built forts along the border to try to thwart American outlaws, while Arizona citizens became increasingly agitated. Rustlers, who became known as the cow-boys, began to kill each other as well as innocent citizens. That October, tensions boiled over with Ike and Billy Clanton, Tom and Frank McLaury, and Billy Claiborne confronting the Tombstone marshal, Virgil Earp, and the suddenly deputized Wyatt and Morgan Earp and shotgun-toting Doc Holliday. Bestselling author Tom Clavin peers behind decades of legend surrounding the story of Tombstone to reveal the true story of the drama and violence that made it famous. Tombstone also digs deep into the vendetta ride that followed the tragic gunfight, when Wyatt and Warren Earp and Holliday went vigilante to track down the likes of Johnny Ringo, Curly Bill Brocius, and other cowboys who had cowardly gunned down his brothers. That "vendetta ride" would make the myth of Wyatt Earp complete and punctuate the struggle for power in the American frontier's last boom town.

  • Author:
    Matthews, Carolyn
    Summary:

    "We live, as we dream - alone." Sometimes our inner isolation is alleviated; in the aftermath of a cataclysmic event, rescuer and rescued meet, and loneliness is bridged.This book of true stories shows ordinary people in extraordinary events - a ski accident, a missing child, thrilling sea rescues - that take place from snow-bound Labrador to the coast of California. It is about the lives of rescuers who search for life’s meaning while engaging in deeds of heroism and compassion. It is about the aftermath of rescue. There are stories from each Canadian provinces and from the United States. Each is a story of action and inspiration.

  • Author:
    Duke, Darrell
    Summary:

    When the crew of the fishing schooner Annie Healy left their home port of Fox Harbour, Placentia Bay, on Wednesday, August 17, 1927, no one could have imagined what fate held in store for them. Times were hard in Newfoundland that year. On shore, wives of the crew were often worked to exhaustion, even more so while their men were at sea. Most had lost parents, siblings, or children to tuberculosis. Each family had at least one tragic story. But when a hurricane struck Placentia Bay on August 25 of that year, a tragedy unlike any they had lived through would unite these people in ways untold. Now, eighty-six years later, the full story of the ill-fated vessel and her crew is told for the first time. The closeness of the crew and their families, and how they worked together to ensure their little community survived, is relived through the memories of children of the crew, stories passed down from their mothers, and reports from the last men to see the schooner afloat.

  • Author:
    Kolb, E. L.
    Summary:

    During the fall and winter of 1911–12, pioneering Grand Canyon photographers Ellsworth and Emery Kolb rowed down the Green and Colorado Rivers through the Grand Canyon. Remarkably, they brought a newfangled motion-picture camera along for the ride and became the first to record the Grand Canyon on film. The resulting movie was shown at the Grand Canyon for some sixty years, and Ellsworth Kolb wrote a vivid account of the adventure in Through the Grand Canyon from Wyoming to Mexico, first published in 1914.

    This new edition of one of the earliest accounts of running the Green and Colorado Rivers contains the original text and photographs, appearing as they did in the first edition of the book. All of the characters and cataracts are here, as the Kolb brothers persevered through multiple mishaps and fickle weather during their remarkable journey. Their story is one of the classic adventure tales of the American West.

  • Author:
    Paulsen, Gary
    Summary:

    The Newbery Honor-winning author of Hatchet and Dogsong shares surprising true stories about his relationship with animals, highlighting their compassion, intellect, intuition, and sense of adventure. Gary Paulsen is an adventurer who competed in two Iditarods, survived the Minnesota wilderness, and climbed the Bighorns. None of this would have been possible without his truest companion: his animals. Sled dogs rescued him in Alaska, a sickened poodle guarded his well-being, and a horse led him across a desert. Through his interactions with dogs, horses, birds, and more, Gary has been struck with the belief that animals know more than we may fathom. His understanding and admiration of animals is well known, and in This Side of Wild, which has taken a lifetime to write, he proves the ways in which they have taught him to be a better person.

Pages

Subscribe to RSS - True adventure stories