The Usborne Book of Explorers is about people who made daring journeys to unknown places. It begins with the remarkable adventures of travellers in ancient times; then looks at the fascinating exploits of medieval explorers like Marco Polo. The book goes on to describe the brave voyages of discovery of the 15th and 16th centuries and how they changed the way people viewed the world. As well as discussing in detail the lives and careers of the most famous explorers; it look at the activities of lesser-known figures. Dramatic accounts of intrepid polar explorers; mountaineers; and astronauts bring the book up to date.
#3925978 in Books Pluto Press 2011-05-04 2011-03-15Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 7.80 x .70 x 5.08l; .70 #File Name: 0745331130272 pages
Review
0 of 1 people found the following review helpful. Five StarsBy MarjorieExcellent; kind of knew but always good to have mo info1 of 3 people found the following review helpful. Only a collection of sad stories...By Joost StrickxThe subtitle `India's Muslim Ghetto's' is somehow a misnomer; as this book tells a great number of life-stories of Muslims from Kolkata (formerly known as Calcutta). It would be wrong to deduct that this book analyses the plight of the Muslim communities in India; especially as the Muslim communities in Kolkata cannot be considered typical for the Indian Muslim communities at all. The Muslims of Kolkata; who historically are mostly descendants of immigrants from Bihar and Uttar Pradesh; have the particularity that they speak Urdu; and this amidst a Bengali-speaking majority. For 33 years West-Bengal has been governed by the secular Communist Party of India; which traditionally did not focus on the urban poor.This book is a very hard read; due to the subject matter and Seabrook's approach. It made me wonder why one reads überhaupt books. I presume; one motivation is that people read for pleasure. However; I cannot imagine that a reader of `People without history' could describe this collection of life stories of very unfortunate people as `entertaining'. Reading successively all these sorry stories undoubtedly does move that reader; who has not given up after the first chapter. Exemplary is the tragic-comical story of Mohammad Abdur Rouf; a BSc; who after successfully applying for a government job waits for 25 years (!!) for the confirmation letter. On 29 November 2007 his appointment is confirmed and he can start to work... for 41 days as he has reached retirement age. A court ruling entitles him to a full pension; however until now he did not receive anything... Other stories recount the abysmal living conditions; the despair of the people; the futility of education; the exploitation; the injustice...that is not my understanding of `fun'.I presume another motivation to read books is to be informed; to learn something. This book however does not really offer analyses; it simply recounts stories and unfortunately the writer does not suggest solutions either. No happy end here. The persevering reader; who does reach the final pages of this book; could conclude that resignation is the only solution and move on and forget about these lost people and their miserable lives.I had already read another book of Jeremy Seabrook; `Notes from Another India'; and did find that book much more worthwhile. Seabrook's stated objective for that book was `to explore positive initiatives taken by the people's movements and grassroots organisations' and this from different parts of India.With `People without history' Seabrook's aim was to show the fate of the poor who are isolated from the image of contemporary India and the growing separation of Muslims of India from the Hindu mainstream.I do not know if the courageous reader of this book will deduct that much of all these sad stories.
