Your Next Summer Read
Advocating for the "Legendary Real-Life Quest” Genre
The Fourth of July always serves as the strongest beacon of summer for me. Sure, the summer solstice was technically on June 20th this year, school was out and the temps were up already. However there is something about the smell of sulfur and charcoal in the air paired with a long weekend that shifts summer into full gear all the way until Labor Day.
Since the dog days are in full swing, I’ve been dipping into my favorite genre of books for my preferred “summer reading.” These aren’t your classic lighthearted flings or “easy reads” to scan through while you’re half distracted by passing boats on your local inland lake.
Though a bit unconventional, the “Legendary Real-Life Quest” genre is one of my favorites and there are a number of gems that will capture your attention while your skin soaks up those July UV rays.
In honor of this going out on a federal holiday, I’ll keep these recommendations short and sweet.
First, I’m almost positive that “Legendary Real-Life Quest” is not, in fact, a recognized book genre. Whoever determines that (some elitist board of wizards at Barnes & Noble? The genre police at Good Reads?) may have a more accurate classification for the books on my list.
However, here are my personal qualifiers for books that fall into the Epic IRL Quest space:
Historically Accurate - Can’t be much more clear than using “Real-Life.” These books are based in history, and though the facts can sometimes be muddled, that comes with the territory of unwinding the yarn of stories that are sometimes centuries old.
Epic Adventures - Nobody would watch “Star Trek” if the Captain’s log was a recounting of how Kirk ate breakfast, lunch and dinner and had regular bowel movements. These narratives recount grand and thrilling adventures sought out by ambitious and determined men and women. In some form or another, these are stories of characters who “boldly go where no man has gone before.”
Draaaaamaa - In history, there are often multiple points of view. If the author does their job, they typically capture and retell those perspectives, which tend to add reality-tv levels of drama to life-or-death situations.
It’s essentially if Pirates of the Caribbean were non-fiction.
If you were to feed a traditional “summer hit” like “Where the Crawdads Sing” by Delia Owens into my brain’s algorithm, it would immediately be shredded. Great book, but it’s not a Legendary Real-Life Quest.
Without further ado, here are some great books to get you started in the world of Legendary Real-Life Quests this summer:
Grann is the only author with two books on this list of very specific books, so you should definitely give one of them a shot.
There was a very unique time in human history when people were floating around on wooden tubs across thousands of nautical miles of ocean and this was when people didn’t make fun of you for keeping a diary. There is an extremely rich trove of sailing adventures from the mid-18th century because everyone wrote down every single thing that happened at sea.
The book recounts the true events of the HMS Wager's shipwreck off the coast of South America in 1741, providing a detailed and well-researched historical narrative. It follows the crew's harrowing struggle for survival on a desolate island, facing extreme conditions and perilous journeys back to civilization.
The story will twist a knife into your moral gut and make you wonder what you would do in such a desperate situation.
Into Thin Air: A Personal Account of the Mt. Everest Disaster by Jon Krakauer
This story had me breathing as if I was at 27,000 feet of elevation from the suspense.
The book weaves together the tale of the dreadful 1996 Mount Everest disaster, where a series of tragic events during a climb led to the deaths of eight climbers.
Climbing Everest, no matter the season, training or method, is always going to be an extreme adventure of peril and daring. In the fateful year of 1996, the mountain forced life-or-death decisions to be made, which led to utter catastrophe.
I always thought reaching the peak was the pinnacle of danger in extreme mountain climbing, but it's often the descent where death lurks behind every ice fall, crevasse, and ferocious storm.
In the Heart of the Sea: The Tragedy of the Whaleship Essex by Nathaniel Philbrick
Can whales be villains? Is it wrong to root for a whale in the whale Vs. human match-up of the century?
The book details the true events of the whale ship Essex, which was rammed and sunk by a sperm whale in 1820.
Yep, a whale head-butted a ship and it sank in the middle of the Pacific Ocean.
And we have a detailed account of the before and after from the sailors that experienced this ridiculous and terrifying event.
It follows the crew's extraordinary struggle for survival as they pick up their dignity and whatever else floated after the shipwreck and embarked on an epic journey across thousands of miles of open ocean in small boats.
Sound slightly familiar? Maybe you’re making the connection to…. Moby Dick ? Well that very famous whale story was based on the true events of the Essex.
Notable Mentions
The Gathering Wind: Hurricane Sandy, the Sailing Ship Bounty, and a Courageous Rescue at Sea by Gregory A. Freeman
Madhouse at the End of the Earth by Julian Sancton
The Lost City of Z: A Tale of Deadly Obsession in the Amazon - David Grann
Denali's Howl: The Deadliest Climbing Disaster on America's Wildest Peak - Andy Hall
My Next Read
Endurance: Shackleton's Incredible Voyage by Alfred Lansing
Touted as one of the greatest Legendary Real-Life Quests ever written, I can’t wait to pick “Endurance” up this summer.
Breakout of the traditional “easy” summer reading and treat yourself to an epic quest this year, you won’t regret it.
The Bel