Daren
In this book Jacki Hill-Murphy describes a journey undertaken by each of three female explorers (well two, as the first journey was out of need rather than exploration) and then re-creates those journeys in modern times. Within the book the author states her criteria for selecting a journey to recreate are 1- no war zones, 2- a clear beginning and end, and 3- a means of travel close to the original explorer. Modern equipment is used, and transport to the commencement of the journey is modern.
The recounting of these journeys was good, but where the author could draw the parallels of her own journey with the 18th & 19th century added another dimension. Following the original route wasn't always possible of course, and she was aided by the forming of new roads and better access in many cases.
The first (and only one I was not aware of) was a journey by Isabella Godin, who is recognised as he first woman to travel the length of the Amazon River in 1769. Born in a part of Peru that is now in Ecuador, married to a Frenchman, she travelled from Ecuador to he mouth of the Amazon to be reunited with him. Hers was a tale of hardship and determination, and she succeeded while those who set out to assist and accompany her inevitably lost their lives on the way. The author undertakes a journey with three female companions (and guides and drivers of boats etc).
The second part covers her climb up Mount Cameroon to retrace British explorer, Mary Kingsley's journey in 1885. At thirty years old, with her parents both passed, she set out to explore West Africa. Mount Cameroon was one of her various achievements. Kingsley put many of her contemporary male explorers to shame with their enormous entourages, she sets off with a guide and a few assistants. On this repeat journey, Hill-Murphy is joined by five women, who, as part of the agreement must bring a Victorian dress in which to complete the last stage of the summiting.
Interesting to note here that those who accompany the author are in a couple of cases friends, but in most people who have responded to an advertisement. The book gains a few paragraphs on how sometimes they are not the most appropriate people. This doesn't differ in the third journey, other than the author no longer has an all-female team.
The final part retraces the journey of Isabella Bird over the Digar pass in the Indian Himalaya in 1890. Bird is another British Victorian explorer. Often of ill health early in her life she is miraculously cured when travelling the world, exploring (I wish I could have convinced someone to finance my life spent travelling). Extensively travelled in her life, this small journey in the Indian Himalaya is recreated by Hill-Murphy accompanied by an English ex-soldier who loved trekking, and Muslim Egyptian academic who had never been trekking and an Indian living in England who convinced himself he was a trekker, but wasn't.
Enjoyable for the most part, but I found the start of the first journey quite hard to get through, so glad I persisted.
3.5 stars.
In this book Jacki Hill-Murphy describes a journey undertaken by each of three female explorers (well two, as the first journey was out of need rather than exploration) and then re-creates those journeys in modern times. Within the book the author states her criteria for selecting a journey to recreate are 1- no war zones, 2- a clear beginning and end, and 3- a means of travel close to the original explorer. Modern equipment is used, and transport to the commencement of the journey is modern.
The recounting of these journeys was good, but where the author could draw the parallels of her own journey with the 18th & 19th century added another dimension. Following the original route wasn't always possible of course, and she was aided by the forming of new roads and better access in many cases.
The first (and only one I was not aware of) was a journey by Isabella Godin, who is recognised as he first woman to travel the length of the Amazon River in 1769. Born in a part of Peru that is now in Ecuador, married to a Frenchman, she travelled from Ecuador to he mouth of the Amazon to be reunited with him. Hers was a tale of hardship and determination, and she succeeded while those who set out to assist and accompany her inevitably lost their lives on the way. The author undertakes a journey with three female companions (and guides and drivers of boats etc).
The second part covers her climb up Mount Cameroon to retrace British explorer, Mary Kingsley's journey in 1885. At thirty years old, with her parents both passed, she set out to explore West Africa. Mount Cameroon was one of her various achievements. Kingsley put many of her contemporary male explorers to shame with their enormous entourages, she sets off with a guide and a few assistants. On this repeat journey, Hill-Murphy is joined by five women, who, as part of the agreement must bring a Victorian dress in which to complete the last stage of the summiting.
Interesting to note here that those who accompany the author are in a couple of cases friends, but in most people who have responded to an advertisement. The book gains a few paragraphs on how sometimes they are not the most appropriate people. This doesn't differ in the third journey, other than the author no longer has an all-female team.
The final part retraces the journey of Isabella Bird over the Digar pass in the Indian Himalaya in 1890. Bird is another British Victorian explorer. Often of ill health early in her life she is miraculously cured when travelling the world, exploring (I wish I could have convinced someone to finance my life spent travelling). Extensively travelled in her life, this small journey in the Indian Himalaya is recreated by Hill-Murphy accompanied by an English ex-soldier who loved trekking, and Muslim Egyptian academic who had never been trekking and an Indian living in England who convinced himself he was a trekker, but wasn't.
Enjoyable for the most part, but I found the start of the first journey quite hard to get through, so glad I persisted.
3.5 stars.