Great Misadventures

Good intentions don't always lead to success. "Great Misadventures" chronicles 100 failed adventures that ended in disasters because of human error. Entries are arranged chronologically within four subject volumes: Exploration and Adventure; Science and Technology; Miliary; and Society. Coverage extends from early civilization to the present, telling tales of exciting adventures gone wrong, such as Alexander the Great's trek across the Gedrosia Desert in 325 B.C. that cost the lives of hundreds of men, women and children; Umberto Nobile's 1928 effort to reach Antarctica in a dirigible which ended in disaster for the original party as well as their rescuers; the fatal attempts to climb Mount Everest in 1996 and 1997; and many more Added value features include sidebars offering biographical sketches of important adventurers, a timeline and a cumulative index. Approximately 220 maps and illustrations line the text.