The Explorer's Eye : First-Hand Accounts of Adventure and Exploration

The Explorer's First-hand Accounts of Adventure and Exploration

In the eighteenth century, exploration entered a new phase; for the first time explorers were motivated by scientific inquiry rather than greed. Their job was not only to open new lands but also to investigate the globe's mysteries. They were now expected to make a full record of everything they encountered, and include pictures as well as words.

Combining firsthand accounts with original images, The Explorer's Eye gives insight into who these people were, how they operated, and, above all, what they saw. Here you have Alexander von Humboldt braving the electric eels of South Africa, Robert Peary explaining the rigors of polar travel (and his wife giving her own slant too), Umberto Nobile lamenting the loss of his Zeppelin in an ice floe, Jacques Cousteau examining the planet from under the waves, and Neil Armstrong doing the same from outer space.

Drawing on a multinational archive of drawings, paintings, photographs, and journals, with expert commentary to set each expedition in context, and an introduction by Michael Palin, this book is a unique look at the world we inhabit.