Contents

Introduction

Chapter 1 – Kon-Tiki – Thor Heyerdahl's raft voyage across the Pacific

Chapter 2 – The Man Who Raced Himself – Francis Chichester's single-handed circumnavigation

Chapter 3 – Golden Globe – The contest to be first non-stop round the world single-handed

Chapter 4 – Ice Bird – David Lewis sails round Antarctica

Chapter 5 – The Empty Quarter – Wilfred Thesiger's travels in Southern Arabia

Chapter 6 – The Blue Nile – Two very different expeditions

Chapter 7 – Annapurna: the First 8,000 – Maurice Herzog's French expedition to the North Face

Chapter 8 – The Challenge of Everest – The first ascent, led by John Hunt

Chapter 9 – Annapurna: South Face – Big wall climbing in the Himalaya

Chapter 10 – Diamir: Messner on Nanga Parbat – The first complete solo ascent of an 8,000-metre peak

Chapter 11 – A Vertical Desert – The challenge of El Capitan

Chapter 12 – Changabang – Triumph and tragedy on Changabang's North Face

Chapter 13 – The crossing of Antarctica – Fuchs, Hillary and the Commonwealth Trans-Antarctic Expedition

Chapter 14 – The Longest Polar Journey – Wally Herbert's team cross the Arctic Ocean

Chapter 15 – The Last Great First: Round the world non-stop by balloon

Chapter 16 – Round the World – The first circumnavigation of the world by Microlight

Chapter 17 – Dead Man's Handshake – The linking of Kingsdale Master Cave and Keld Head

Conclusion

Glossary

Select Bibliography

Author’s Note

Photographs