Vanished!: Explorers Forever Lost
by Evan L. Balkan
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Book Summary Information
Author: Evan L. BalkanEdition: Paperback
Audio: English (Original Language); English (Unknown); English (Published)
Published: 2007-10-28
ISBN: 089732983X
Number of pages: 145
Publisher: Menasha Ridge Press
Book Reviews of Vanished!: Explorers Forever Lost
Book Review: Fascinating read
Summary: 4 Stars
VANISHED! EXPLORERS FOREVER LOST by Evan Balkan is good. Really, REALLY good. Suspenseful, concise portraits of 9 adventurers, some famous and others more obscure, include:
Amelia Earhart
Antoine de Saint-Exupery
Ambrose Bierce
Glen & Bessie Hyde
Percy Fawcett
Everett Ruess
Michael Rockefeller
Johnny Waterman
It is easy to either lionize or denigrate out-sized personalities, but Balkan is clear-eyed and compassionate. Adventurers are placed into context: how the person fit into their own era, and the impact of their disappearance on society and their families. A book revolving around tragedy might easily be dark and depressing. VANISHED! is not: Balkan leavens the subject matter with a wry turn of phrase at just the right time. He also discusses the meaning of adventure and risk, and its importance to even the most sedentary "armchair explorer".
Exhaustive research seems to have gone into this book. As a climber of 20+ years and an extensive collector of mountaineering literature, I have long been familiar with Johnny Waterman's sad saga. Balkan delineated Waterman's familial background concisely, setting into context Johnny's epic climb of Mt. Hunter in a way the non-climber could understand and appreciate. Yet, VANISHED! included details new to me. Kudos to Balkan's well-done homework, utilizing essential citations such as Glenn Randall's little-known book, Breaking Point: Challenge on Alaska's Mt. Hunter, THE AMERICAN ALPINE JOURNAL, and personal communications.
My only "complaint" is that VANISHED! was too short. The book is a good value, but Balkan is a gifted author and I would have enjoyed reading more. One is hoping that his next book will have "covers that are a long way apart."
Summary of Vanished!: Explorers Forever Lost
In the best adventures, the intrepid explorer returns home to banner headlines and a hero's welcome.but what of the men and women who don't return home? This collection proves their stories are just as compelling. From the disappearance in Utah of cowboy roamer Everett Ruess to the loss of billionaire explorer Michael Rockefeller in the wilds of New Guinea, the tales ring with mystery, intrigue, and excitement. Whether murdered, drowned, or eaten alive, their disappearances are likely to remain unsolved, but never forgotten.
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