Literary theme analysis, by a book like {foo}
Books about Endurance
The Odyssey
by Homer
Epic journey of a man's struggles for home and identity, encountering many obstacles along the way.
Sing to me of the man, Muse, the man of twists and turns,driven time and again off course, once he had plundered,the hallowed heights of Troy. So begins Robert Fagles' magnificent translation of the ... (Goodreads)
The Road
by Cormac McCarthy
A father and son journey through a post-apocalyptic landscape, facing the harsh realities of survival.
A father and his young son journey on foot across the post-apocalyptic ash-covered United States some years after an extinction event . The boy's mother, pregnant with him at the time of the ... (Wikipedia)
The Boys in the Boat: Nine Americans and Their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics
by Daniel James Brown
An inspiring story of a rowing crew battling against the odds to win gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics.
This novel is about the University of Washington eight-oared crew that represented the United States in the 1936 Olympics in Berlin, and narrowly beat out Italy and Germany to win the gold medal. The ... (Wikipedia)
Water for Elephants
by Sara Gruen
An elderly man's reminiscences of his time as a circus performer during the Great Depression.
The story is told through a series of memories by Jacob Jankowski, a 93-year-old man who lives in a nursing home. In the nursing home, Jacob's life lacks excitement and he's now a tired old man whose ... (Wikipedia)
Grandma Gatewood's Walk: The Inspiring Story of the Woman Who Saved the Appalachian Trail
by Ben Montgomery
The true story of Emma Gatewood's record-breaking hike of the entire Appalachian Trail.
2014 National Outdoor Book Award Winner in History / Biography Emma Gatewood told her family she was going on a walk and left her small Ohio hometown with a change of clothes and less than two ... (Barnes & Noble)
The Ghost Road
by Pat Barker
A soldier’s journey to face the horrors of World War I, and his attempt to come to terms with his past.
Prior, despite his new-found peace of mind and engagement to munitions worker Sarah, has been affected by the war and therefore does not have a lot of concern for his safety. Prior has been cured of ... (Wikipedia)
Born to Run: A Hidden Tribe, Superathletes, and the Greatest Race the World Has Never Seen
by Christopher McDougall
A thrilling exploration of the Tarahumara tribe and their superhuman running abilities.
Full of incredible characters, amazing athletic achievements, cutting-edge science, and, most of all, pure inspiration, Born to Run is an epic adventure that began with one simple question: Why does ... (Goodreads)
The Stand
by Stephen King
Survivors of a pandemic battle an ancient evil force in a post-apocalyptic world.
An extremely contagious and lethal strain of influenza is developed as a biological weapon in a secret U.S. Department of Defense laboratory in northern California. It is estimated to be 99.4% fatal. ... (Wikipedia)
The Indifferent Stars Above: The Harrowing Saga of a Donner Party Bride
by Daniel James Brown
A harrowing tale of survival, of a young woman's journey to the Sierra Nevada mountains.
From the #1 bestselling author of The Boys in the Boat comes an unforgettable epic of family, tragedy, and survival on the American frontier “An ideal pairing of talent and material.… Engrossing.… A ... (Barnes & Noble)
Finding Ultra: Rejecting Middle Age, Becoming One of the World's Fittest Men, and Discovering Myself
by Rich Roll
A man's inspiring journey of self-transformation, unlocking his fullest potential.
An incredible but true account of achieving one of the most awe-inspiring midlife physical transformations ever,On the night before he was to turn forty, Rich Roll experienced a chilling glimpse of ... (Barnes & Noble)
The Old Man and the Sea
by Ernest Hemingway
An aging Cuban fisherman's battle with a giant marlin, a journey of courage and determination.
The Old Man and the Sea tells the story of a battle between an aging, experienced fisherman, Santiago, and a large marlin . The story opens with Santiago having gone 84 days without catching a fish, ... (Wikipedia)
Gap Creek
by Robert Morgan
A rural family's struggles with poverty and hardships of life in the Appalachians.
Gap Creek's main character is a young girl, Julie, who does everything she possibly can to help her family and her new husband, Hank. Julie works hard to help her family when they need it, some even ... (Wikipedia)
You Get So Alone at Times That it Just Makes Sense
by Charles Bukowski
A collection of poems exploring the depths of human emotion and the beauty of life.
Charles Bukowski examines cats and his childhood in You Get So Alone at Times , a book of poetry that reveals his tender side. He delves into his youth to analyze its repercussions. ... (Barnes & Noble)
The Revenant
by Michael Punke
A 19th century fur trapper's epic battle of survival in the wilderness of the American West.
Hugh Glass isn’t afraid to die. He’s done it once already. Rocky Mountains, 1823. The trappers of the Rocky Mountain Fur Company live a brutal frontier life. Hugh Glass is one of the most respected ... (Goodreads)
Endurance: Shackleton's Incredible Voyage
by Alfred Lansing
True story of a remarkable Antarctic expedition, a testament to the power of courage and tenacity.
The harrowing tale of British explorer Ernest Shackleton's 1914 attempt to reach the South Pole, one of the greatest adventure stories of the modern age. In August 1914, polar explorer Ernest ... (Goodreads)
Island of the Blue Dolphins
by Scott O'Dell
A young girl is stranded on an island and must find a way to survive on her own.
The main character is a Nicoleño girl named Won-a-pa-lei, whose secret name is Karana. She has a brother named Ramo, whose curiosity usually leads to trouble, and a sister named Ulape. Her people ... (Wikipedia)
The Crimson Campaign
by Brian McClellan
Epic fantasy tale of a band of unlikely heroes struggling to save their kingdom from a tyrannical enemy.
Field Marshal Tamas has committed a brutal coup against Adro's monarchy and is now in open war with the Kez. Cut off behind enemy lines with only a fraction of his army, he must lead his men through ... (Wikipedia)
The Pilot's Wife
by Anita Shreve
A woman's journey of overcoming personal tragedy to find strength and courage.
The novel is about Kathryn Lyons, whose husband, Jack Lyons, dies in a plane crash over the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Malin Head , Ireland. As she and her daughter Mattie try to cope with this ... (Wikipedia)
One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich
by Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn
A single day in a Soviet prison camp, detailing the hardships and struggle of the inmates.
Ivan Denisovich Shukhov has been sentenced to a camp in the Soviet gulag system. He was accused of becoming a spy after being captured briefly by the Germans as a prisoner of war during World War II ... (Wikipedia)
The Long Walk
by Richard Bachman
Fourteen boys face a grueling test of endurance and willpower as they compete in a life-or-death march.
One hundred teenage boys join an annual walking contest called "The Long Walk" or just "The Walk". Each contestant, called a "Walker", must maintain a speed of at least four miles per hour; if he ... (Wikipedia)
The Monster at the End of this Book
by Jon Stone
A humorous adventure of a creature trying to stop a book from being read.
Many adults name this book as their favorite Little Golden Book. Generations of kids have interacted with lovable, furry old Grover as he begs the reader not to turn the page—for fear of a monster at ... (Goodreads)
The First Four Years
by Laura Ingalls Wilder
An account of the hardships endured and lessons learned in the first four years of marriage.
The novel gets its title from a promise Laura made to Almanzo when they became engaged. She did not want to be a farmer, but decided to try farming for three years. Laura keeps house and Almanzo ... (Wikipedia)
Sophie's Choice
by William Styron
A survivor of the Holocaust is confronted with a devastating moral dilemma.
Stingo, a novelist who is recalling the summer when he began his first novel, has been fired from his low-level reader's job at the publisher McGraw-Hill and has moved into a cheap boarding house in ... (Wikipedia)
The Summer Garden
by Paullina Simons
A love story of two people caught in the whirlwind of war and its consequences.
Four years have gone by since World War II has ended; and Tatiana and Alexander are married and living a life together with their son, Anthony. Yet, they are strangers to each other. Having been ... (Wikipedia)
Into Thin Air: A Personal Account of the Mount Everest Disaster
by Jon Krakauer
A gripping narrative of the 1996 expedition on Mount Everest that resulted in tragedy.
When Jon Krakauer reached the summit of Mt. Everest in the early afternoon of May 10, 1996, he hadn't slept in fifty-seven hours and was reeling from the brain-altering effects of oxygen depletion. ... (Goodreads)
Ethan Frome
by Edith Wharton
Tale of doomed romance set against a harsh New England winter.
The novel is a framed narrative . The framing story concerns an unnamed male narrator spending a winter in Starkfield while in the area on business. He spots a limping, quiet man around the village, ... (Wikipedia)
The Long Walk: The True Story of a Trek to Freedom
by Slavomir Rawicz
An incredible journey of survival, a man's trek of over 4000 miles to freedom.
The harrowing true tale of seven escaped Soviet prisoners who desperately marched out of Siberia through China, the Gobi Desert, Tibet, and over the Himalayas to British India. ... (Goodreads)
I Survived the Sinking of the Titanic, 1912
by Lauren Tarshis
A young boy survives the sinking of the Titanic and must find a way to survive in the freezing ocean until rescue arrives.
The most terrifying events in history are brought vividly to life in this new fictional series! In book 1, ten-year-old George is trapped on the Titanic – how will he survive? Ten-year-old George ... (Goodreads)
Fever 1793
by Laurie Halse Anderson
A young girl's fight for survival in the midst of a deadly fever epidemic in Philadelphia.
An epidemic of fever sweeps through the streets of 1793 Philadelphia in this novel from Laurie Halse Anderson where "the plot rages like the epidemic itself" ( The New York Times Book Review ). ... (Barnes & Noble)
It Ends with Us
by Colleen Hoover
A woman's journey of healing from the past and discovering her own strength.
Sometimes it is the one who loves you who hurts you the most. Lily hasn’t always had it easy, but that’s never stopped her from working hard for the life she wants. She’s come a long way from the ... (Goodreads)
Love in the Time of Cholera
by Gabriel García Márquez
An epic love story spanning decades, exploring the power of true love.
The main characters of the novel are Florentino Ariza and Fermina Daza. Florentino and Fermina fall in love in their youth. A secret relationship blossoms between the two with the help of Fermina's ... (Wikipedia)
The Fifth Mountain
by Paulo Coelho
A man's spiritual journey, overcoming obstacles and finding his place in the world.
The story is based on the account of Biblical prophet Elijah from the Hebrew Bible (1 Kings chapters 17-19). The focus is on Elijah's time in Zarephath (in this book named Akbar). In ninth century ... (Wikipedia)
The Alice Network
by Kate Quinn
Two women in WWI join forces to unravel secrets of a spy network in search of a missing girl.
The plot follows pregnant American college student Charlie St. Clair in the aftermath of World War II , as she travels around France looking for her missing cousin, Rose. Her story intersects with ... (Wikipedia)
Ultramarathon Man: Confessions of an All-Night Runner
by Dean Karnazes
A man's journey of pushing physical limits and exploring the depths of human endurance.
In one of his most ambitious physical efforts to date, Dean Karnazes attempted to run 50 marathons, in 50 states, in 50 days to raise awareness of youth obesity and urge Americans of all fitness ... (Goodreads)
Papillon
by Henri Charrière
An account of an unjustly convicted man's escape from a notorious French penal colony.
Henri Charrière, called "Papillon," for the butterfly tattoo on his chest, was convicted in Paris in 1931 of a murder he did not commit. Sentenced to life imprisonment in the penal colony of French ... (Goodreads)
Life As We Knew It
by Susan Beth Pfeffer
A teenage girl's struggle to survive an apocalyptic disaster, relying on her resilience and resourcefulness.
Miranda’s disbelief turns to fear in a split second when a meteor knocks the moon closer to the earth. How should her family prepare for the future when worldwide tsunamis wipe out the coasts, ... (Goodreads)
The Sea Wolf
by Jack London
A man's fight against the savage and untamed elements of nature on a brutal ship voyage.
The Sea-Wolf is a 1904 psychological adventure novel by Jack London about a literary critic Humphrey van Weyden.The story starts with him aboard a San Francisco ferry, called Martinez, which collides ... (Goodreads)
The Walking Dead: Compendium One
by Robert Kirkman
Survivors of a zombie apocalypse battle hordes of the undead while struggling to retain their humanity.
Introducing the first eight volumes of the fan-favorite, New York Times Best Seller series collected into one massive paperback collection. In a world ruled by the dead, we are forced to finally ... (Goodreads)
The Story of a Shipwrecked Sailor
by Gabriel García Márquez
A sailor's journey of survival and resilience in the face of a harrowing shipwreck.
This is Marquez's account of a real-life event. In 1955, eight crew members of the destroyer Caldas, were swept into the Caribbean Sea. The sole survivor, Luis Alejandro Belasco, told the true ... (Goodreads)
Stalingrad: The Fateful Siege, 1942–1943
by Antony Beevor
The epic story of the Battle of Stalingrad and its devastating impact on WWII.
The Battle of Stalingrad was not only the psychological turning point of World War II: it also changed the face of modern warfare. From Antony Beevor, the internationally bestselling author of, ... (Barnes & Noble)
Johnny Got His Gun
by Dalton Trumbo
A young soldier's harrowing journey through physical and psychological trauma of WWI.
Joe Bonham, a young American soldier serving in World War I , awakens in a hospital bed after being caught in the blast of an exploding artillery shell . He gradually realizes that he has lost his ... (Wikipedia)
Night Shift
by Charlaine Harris
A collection of darkly humorous and chilling stories rooted in Southern Gothic folklore.
From the #1, New York Times, bestselling author of the Sookie Stackhouse novels comes the third novel of Midnight, Texas, the town where some secrets will never see the light of day... At Midnight’s ... (Goodreads)
The Worst Journey In The World
by Apsley Cherry-Garrard
A first-hand account of Robert Falcon Scott's ill-fated expedition to the South Pole, including the tragic events that occurred during the journey.
The Worst Journey in the World recounts Robert Falcon Scott's ill-fated expedition to the South Pole. Apsley Cherry-Garrard, the youngest member of Scott's team and one of three men to make and ... (Goodreads)
Love's Abiding Joy
by Janette Oke
A story of love and devotion in the face of hardship, set in the harsh landscape of the Wild West.
A Birthday Surprise, a New Journey West, and a Delightful Reunion! But Then Comes Tragedy. Marty and Clark Davis's daughter Missie and her husband had homesteaded land in the far West, many weeks' ... (Goodreads)
A Voice in the Wind
by Francine Rivers
A Christian-inspired story of love, hope, and courage in the face of persecution.
“The city was silently bloating in the hot sun, rotting like the thousands of bodies that lay where they had fallen in street battles.” With this opening sentence, A Voice in the Wind transports ... (Goodreads)
The House of the Dead
by Fyodor Dostoevsky
Prisoners of a Siberian labor camp struggle to survive in a harsh and oppressive environment.
Accused of political subversion as a young man, Fyodor Dostoyevsky was sentenced to four years of hard labor at a Siberian prison camp — a horrifying experience from which he developed this ... (Goodreads)
We Die Alone: A WWII Epic of Escape and Endurance
by David Howarth
A gripping true story of a Norwegian resistance fighter's escape from the Nazis and his incredible journey to freedom.
If this story of espionage and survival were a novel, readers might dismiss the Shackleton-like exploits of its hero as too fantastic to be taken seriously. But respected historian David A. Howarth ... (Goodreads)
Follow the River
by James Alexander Thom
A woman's epic journey of survival and courage, escaping captivity in the American wilderness.
Mary Ingles was twenty-three, married, and pregnant, when Shawnee Indians invaded her peaceful Virginia settlement, killed the men and women, then took her captive. For months, she lived with them, ... (Goodreads)
Touching the Void: The True Story of One Man's Miraculous Survival
by Joe Simpson
Gripping account of a mountaineer's harrowing survival after a fall in the Peruvian Andes.
Joe Simpson and his climbing partner, Simon Yates, had just reached the top of a 21,000-foot peak in the Andes when disaster struck. Simpson plunged off the vertical face of an ice ledge, breaking ... (Barnes & Noble)
King Rat
by James Clavell
A tough prisoner of war's fight for survival in a Japanese POW camp.
The novel opens in early 1945. Peter Marlowe, a young British RAF Flight Lieutenant , has been a P.O.W. since 1942. Marlowe comes to the attention of the "King" - an American corporal who has become ... (Wikipedia)
Hinds' Feet on High Places
by Hannah Hurnard
A spiritual allegory of a young woman's journey from fear and despair to joy and freedom.
With over 2 million copies sold, Hinds’ Feet on High Places remains Hannah Hurnard’s best known and most beloved book: a timeless allegory dramatizing the yearning of God’s children to be led to new ... (Goodreads)
Island Beneath the Sea
by Isabel Allende
Epic story of a young slave's journey of resilience, emancipation and freedom.
The story opens on the island of Saint-Domingue (current day La Hispaniola ) in the late 18th century. Zarité (known as Tété) is the daughter of an African mother she never knew and one of the white ... (Wikipedia)
The Black Stallion
by Walter Farley
A young boy's friendship with a wild horse, overcoming challenges and finding courage.
Published originally in 1941, this book is about a young boy, Alec Ramsay who finds a wild black stallion at a small Arabian port on the Red Sea. Between the black stallion and young boy, a strange ... (Goodreads)
What I Talk About When I Talk About Running
by Haruki Murakami
Reflections of a runner, exploring the physical and mental challenges of the sport.
In 1982, having sold his jazz bar to devote himself to writing, Murakami began running to keep fit. A year later, he'd completed a solo course from Athens to Marathon, and now, after dozens of such ... (Goodreads)
The Story of the Trapp Family Singers
by Maria Augusta von Trapp
True story of a family's escape from Nazi-occupied Austria, inspiring a beloved musical.
With nearly 1,500 Broadway performances, six Tony Awards, more than three million albums sold, and five Academy Awards, The Sound of Music, based on the lives of Maria, the baron, and their singing ... (Goodreads)
Once a Runner
by John L. Parker Jr.
An elite runner's obsessive journey to become the fastest runner in the world.
The novel opens with a physically fit young man standing on a track, watching as "the night joggers" toil around him. He begins to walk toward the starting post and thinks that now that the Olympic ... (Wikipedia)
Shadows of the Workhouse
by Jennifer Worth
A nurse's journey of compassion, courage and determination amidst the harsh realities of a workhouse in 1950s London.
In this follow up to CALL THE MIDWIFE, Jennifer Worth, a midwife working in the docklands area of East London in the 1950s tells more stories about the people she encountered. There's Jane, who ... (Goodreads)
Natural Born Heroes: How a Daring Band of Misfits Mastered the Lost Secrets of Strength and Endurance
by Christopher McDougall
A thrilling tale of a group of misfits who rediscover the ancient secrets of strength and endurance through their journey in Crete.
The best-selling author of Born to Run now travels to the Mediterranean, where he discovers that the secrets of ancient Greek heroes are still alive and well on the island of Crete, and ready to be ... (Goodreads)
Endurance: A Year in Space, A Lifetime of Discovery
by Scott Kelly
Astronaut shares his story of a year in space, and the power of perseverance and resilience.
"A stunning memoir from the astronaut who spent a record-breaking year aboard the International Space Station – a candid account of his remarkable voyage, the journeys that preceded it, and his ... (Goodreads)
Going Solo
by Roald Dahl
A young man's adventures as a fighter pilot in WWII, his courage and resilience in the face of danger.
The book started with Dahl's voyage to Africa in 1938, which was prompted by his desire to find adventure after finishing school. , He was on a boat heading towards Dar es Salaam for his new job ... (Wikipedia)
The Pianist
by Władysław Szpilman
A man's harrowing survival in Nazi-occupied Warsaw, and the resilience of the human spirit.
The last live broadcast on Polish Radio, on September 23, 1939, was Chopin's Nocturne in C# Minor, played by a young pianist named Wladyslaw Szpilman, until his playing was interrupted by German ... (Goodreads)
The Great Escape
by Paul Brickhill
True story of Allied prisoners of war who escaped from a German camp during World War II.
They were American and British air force officers in a German prison camp. With only their bare hands and the crudest of homemade tools, they sank shafts, forged passports, faked weapons, and ... (Goodreads)
Dances with Wolves
by Michael Blake
A Civil War soldier discovers a newfound respect and understanding for Native American culture.
Ordered to hold an abandoned army post, John Dunbar found himself alone, beyond the edge of civilization. Thievery and survival soon forced him into the Indian camp, where he began a dangerous ... (Goodreads)
Lost in Shangri-la: A True Story of Survival, Adventure, and the Most Incredible Rescue Mission of World War II
by Mitchell Zuckoff
Epic story of a WWII air crash survivors' journey through a dangerous and uncharted jungle.
“A lost world, man-eating tribesmen, lush andimpenetrable jungles, stranded American fliers (one of them a dame withgreat gams , for heaven's sake), a startling rescue mission. . . . This is atrue ... (Goodreads)
Alive: The Story of the Andes Survivors
by Piers Paul Read
Story of a group of Uruguayan rugby players who survive a plane crash in the Andes and must fight to stay alive.
On October 12, 1972, a plane carrying a team of young rugby players crashed into the remote, snow-peaked Andes. Out of the forty-five original passengers and crew, only sixteen made it off the ... (Goodreads)
Eiger Dreams: Ventures Among Men and Mountains
by Jon Krakauer
A collection of mountaineering stories, exploring the experiences of climbers and the beauty of the mountains.
No one writes about mountaineering and its attendant victories and hardships more brilliantly than Jon Krakauer. In this collection of his finest essays and reporting, Krakauer writes of mountains ... (Goodreads)
The Undaunted : The Miracle of the Hole-in-the-Rock Pioneers
by Gerald N. Lund
The story of a group of pioneers who, through faith and determination, overcame seemingly impossible obstacles to settle in a new land.
The journey was impossible. But they had no other choice. At the call of their prophet, they left well-established farms and businesses to strike out yet again into the untamed wilderness. A small ... (Goodreads)
The Silver Star
by Jeannette Walls
Two sisters embark on an epic journey across the U.S. in search of their long-lost mother.
It is 1970 in a small town in California. “Bean” Holladay is twelve and her sister, Liz, is fifteen when their artistic mother, Charlotte, takes off to find herself, leaving her girls enough money to ... (Goodreads)
The Black Stallion's Blood Bay Colt
by Walter Farley
A young boy and his father raise a wild colt, hoping to turn him into a champion racehorse.
Young Tom Messenger has been taking care of Bonfire, the second son of the famous Black Stallion, since Bonfire’s birth. Tom has earned the trust of Jimmy Creech, the veteran driver who owns Bonfire, ... (Goodreads)
Ghost Soldiers: The Epic Account of World War II's Greatest Rescue Mission
by Hampton Sides
True story of the remarkable rescue of prisoners of war in the Philippines during WWII.
On January 28, 1945, 121 hand-selected U.S. troops slipped behind enemy lines in the Philippines. Their mission: March thirty rugged miles to rescue 513 POWs languishing in a hellish camp, among them ... (Goodreads)
Miracle in the Andes
by Nando Parrado
A harrowing tale of survival and resilience in the Andes Mountains.
In the first hours there was nothing, no fear or sadness, just a black and perfect silence. Nando Parrado was unconscious for three days before he woke to discover that the plane carrying his rugby ... (Goodreads)
In the Kingdom of Ice: The Grand and Terrible Polar Voyage of the USS Jeannette
by Hampton Sides
An epic tale of survival and exploration in the unforgiving Arctic Ocean.
On July 8, 1879, Captain George Washington De Long and his team of thirty-two men set sail from San Francisco on the USS Jeanette. Heading deep into uncharted Arctic waters, they carried the ... (Goodreads)
Darkness, Be My Friend
by John Marsden
A group of five teenage friends discover the harsh realities of survival during a military conflict.
The author of, A Killing Frost, continues his bestselling series. ,“,Marsden,’,s style is as surefooted as his independent band of teens.,”—,School Library Journal, Ellie and her friends had been ... (Barnes & Noble)
The Night Is for Hunting
by John Marsden
A group of teens fight for their lives against a ruthless enemy, struggling to survive in the wilderness.
Hell’s a big place, but it gets crowded when Ellie and her friends take an uncooperative crew of orphans under their wing and into their hidden refuge. It’s not easy to keep four young children busy ... (Barnes & Noble)
The Heavenly Man: The Remarkable True Story of Chinese Christian Brother Yun
by Paul Hattaway
The inspiring story of a Chinese Christian's perseverance in the face of persecution.
The dramatic autobiography of one of China's dedicated, courageous, and intensely persecuted house church leaders. This is the gripping story of how God took a young, half-starved boy from a poor ... (Goodreads)
Adrift: Seventy-Six Days Lost at Sea
by Steven Callahan
A harrowing tale of survival at sea after a shipwreck, and a man's inner journey.
Before The Perfect Storm , before In the Heart of the Sea , Steven Callahan's dramatic tale of survival at sea was on the New York Times bestseller list for more than thirty-six weeks. In some ways ... (Goodreads)
Eat and Run: My Unlikely Journey to Ultramarathon Greatness
by Scott Jurek
A professional runner's story of pushing physical and mental boundaries to become a champion ultramarathoner.
For nearly two decades, Scott Jurek has been a dominant force—and darling—in the grueling and growing sport of ultrarunning. Until recently he held the American 24-hour record and he was one of the ... (Goodreads)
Pillar of Light
by Gerald N. Lund
Epic saga of a family's faith and courage in the face of persecution.
"You believe me, don't you, Nathan." It was not a question, but a statement, filled with wonder.,, It stunned Nathan., ,"You believe it all. I can see it on your face.",, For a moment, time seemed ... (Barnes & Noble)
Gold
by Chris Cleave
Two elite cyclists and best friends compete for Olympic gold while dealing with personal struggles and a shared secret.
Gold follows two friends and professional cycling rivals, Kate Meadows and Zoe Castle, through their lives until the London Olympics. Meeting at the age of nineteen at a cycling challenge, Kate ... (Wikipedia)
Life and Death in Shanghai
by Nien Cheng
Autobiographical account of a woman's survival during China's Cultural Revolution.
In August 1966 a group of Red Guards ransacked the home of Nien Cheng. Her background made her an obvious target for the fanatics of the Cultural Revolution: educated in London, the widow of an ... (Goodreads)
Men at Arms: The Play
by Stephen Briggs
A humorous play about a hapless army unit, facing a seemingly undefeatable enemy.
Edward d'Eath, an Assassin and son of a down-and-out noble family, becomes convinced that the restoration of the Ankh-Morpork monarchy will solve the social change in the city which he blames for his ... (Wikipedia)
Between a Rock and a Hard Place
by Aron Ralston
A harrowing true story of one man's fight for survival after being trapped in a canyon.
A brilliantly written, funny, honest, inspiring, and downright astonishing report from the line where death meets life which will surely take its place in the annals of classic adventure stories. One ... (Goodreads)
The Endurance: Shackleton's Legendary Antarctic Expedition
by Caroline Alexander
A gripping account of the famous Antarctic exploration, led by Ernest Shackleton.
In August 1914, days before the outbreak of the First World War, the renowned explorer Ernest Shackleton and a crew of twenty-seven set sail for the South Atlantic in pursuit of the last unclaimed ... (Goodreads)
South: The Story of Shackleton's Last Expedition 1914-1917
by Ernest Shackleton
The harrowing tale of Shackleton's Antarctic expedition, and the incredible feats of survival and endurance by his crew.
In 1914, as the shadow of war falls across Europe, a party led by veteran explorer Sir Ernest Shackleton sets out to become the first to traverse the Antarctic continent. Their initial optimism is ... (Goodreads)
Bruchko: The Astonishing True Story of a 19-Year-Old American, His Capture by the Motilone Indians and His Adventures in Christianizing the Stone Age Tribe
by Bruce Olson
A 19-year-old's experiences living among and converting a Stone Age tribe in South America.
What happens when a nineteen-year-old boy leaves home and heads into the jungles to evangelize a murderous tribe of South American Indians?, For Bruce Olson, it meant capture, disease, terror, ... (Barnes & Noble)
They Shoot Horses, Don't They?
by Horace McCoy
A group of desperate individuals participate in a grueling dance marathon during the Great Depression, with tragic consequences.
The story follows the narrator, Robert Syverten, a naive young man in Hollywood who dreams of being a film director. The story begins with Robert's sentencing for murder. He confesses that he "killed ... (Wikipedia)
438 Days: An Extraordinary True Story of Survival at Sea
by Jonathan Franklin
A man survives 14 months adrift in the Pacific Ocean after his boat capsizes. A harrowing tale of human endurance and the will to survive.
Declared “the best survival book in a decade” by, Outside Magazine, 438 Days, is the true story of the man who survived fourteen months in a small boat drifting seven thousand miles across the ... (Barnes & Noble)
Mud, Sweat and Tears
by Bear Grylls
Autobiography of Bear Grylls, detailing his adventures and survival skills in extreme environments.
Bear Grylls is a man who has always loved adventure. After leaving school, he spent months hiking in the Himalayas as he considered joining the Indian Army. Upon his return to England after a change ... (Goodreads)
Skeletons on the Zahara: A True Story of Survival
by Dean King
Shipwrecked sailors fight to survive in the harsh Saharan desert.
A spectacular true odyssey through the extremes of the Sahara Desert in the early 19th century. Reader and protagonist alike are challenged into new ways of understanding culture clash, slavery and ... (Goodreads)
The Loneliness of the Long-Distance Runner
by Alan Sillitoe
A young man from a working-class background turns to long-distance running as a means of escape and rebellion against societal norms.
When he is caught by the police for robbing a bakery, Smith is sentenced to be confined in Ruxton Towers in Essex , a borstal (young offenders institution) for delinquent youths. He seeks solace in ... (Wikipedia)
The Climb: Tragic Ambitions on Everest
by Anatoli Boukreev
An exploration of the struggle and danger of climbing Mount Everest, and the triumph of the human spirit.
As the climbers of the 1996 Mt. Everest disaster vanished into thin air, one man had the courage to bring them down alive... On May 10, 1996, two commercial expeditions headed by expert leaders ... (Goodreads)
خرائط التيه
by بثينة العيسى
A powerful story of resilience and courage, chronicling a Sudanese family's journey from war-torn homeland to refugee camp.
نبيع كل شيء، ولا مال لدينا لنشتري أنفسنا. ماذا لو كانت قيمة الإنسان ميتًا أعلى منه حيًّا؟ مضيق هرمز. خليج فارس، أو الخليج العربي. بئر برقان. بئر زمزم. الهلال الخصيب. فلسطين المحتلة. دلتا سيناء. البحر ... (Goodreads)
A Fortunate Life
by Albert B. Facey
Autobiography of an Australian man who overcomes poverty and hardship to live a fulfilling life.
This is the extraordinary life of an ordinary man. It is the story of Albert Facey, who lived with simple honesty, compassion and courage. A parentless boy who started work at eight on the rough West ... (Goodreads)
The Emerald Mile: The Epic Story of the Fastest Ride in History Through the Heart of the Grand Canyon
by Kevin Fedarko
A thrilling account of a record-breaking boat ride through the treacherous rapids of the Grand Canyon.
From one of, Outside, magazine’s “Literary All-Stars” comes the thrilling true tale of the fastest boat ride ever, down the entire length of the Colorado River and through the Grand Canyon, during ... (Goodreads)
Winterdance: The Fine Madness of Running the Iditarod
by Gary Paulsen
A memoir of a man's journey to train and race in the grueling Iditarod dog sled race in Alaska.
Fueled by a passion for running dogs, Gary Paulsen entered the Iditarod–the eleven hundred and eighty mile sled-dog race through the Alaskan wilderness--in dangerous ignorance and with a fierce ... (Goodreads)
The Fast Diet: The Simple Secret of Intermittent Fasting: Lose Weight, Stay Healthy, Live Longer
by Michael Mosley
A guide to intermittent fasting, with scientific evidence supporting its benefits for weight loss, health, and longevity.
The #1 New York Times bestseller! Is it possible to eat normally, five days a week, and become slimmer and healthier as a result? Simple answer: yes. You just limit your calorie intake for two ... (Goodreads)
The Siege
by Helen Dunmore
A gripping tale of survival during the 1941 siege of Leningrad, where a family fights to stay alive amidst starvation and desperation.
Called "elegantly, starkly beautiful" by The New York Times Book Review, The Siege is Helen Dunmore's masterpiece. Her canvas is monumental – the Nazis' 1941 winter siege on Leningrad that killed six ... (Goodreads)
Running Like a Girl
by Alexandra Heminsley
A memoir of a woman's journey from a non-runner to a marathon finisher, exploring the physical and mental challenges of running.
In her twenties, Alexandra Heminsley spent more time at the bar than she did in pursuit of athletic excellence. When she decided to take up running in her thirties, she had grand hopes for a blissful ... (Goodreads)
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