"Stories from the golden age of exploration"--Dust jacket.

Throughout their history, the Guardian and the Observer have avidly reported the worlds of exploration and adventure travel. In the 19th century, they covered the British and European explorers who were trying to fill in the 'blanks on the map' - crossing deserts, racing to the poles, searching for the source of the Nile and trying to be the first to master the peaks of the Alps, and, later, the Himalaya. By the turn of the 20th century, interest turned to Everest, the 'third pole', to the deserts that needed to be conquered, and also to the new ways of exploring that opened up a whole new world of adventure - airships over the North Pole and Citroen driving across the Sahara in the 1920s, to name but two. In the post-war period, explorers upped the ante - who would be the first to row across the great oceans? Travel unsupported to the Poles? Climb Everest without oxygen? Add to this the vogue for recreating great voyages (the most famous being the Kon Tiki and Vinland expedition to Greenland) and soon the newspapers were brimming with tales of derring-do. This collection draws together a unique collection of first person accounts, news reports and - inevitably - obituaries that demonstrate the awe-inspiring lengths to which explorers and adventurers have gone to push back the boundaries of human endeavour. - Gordon Laing's doomed journey to Timbuctoo in 1828 - Captain Webb's epic swim across the English Channel in 1875 - Wilfrid Thesiger's 1940s crossing of the Rub' al Khali, - Aron Ralston's harrowing experience in 2003, when he amputated his lower right arm in order to free himself from a rockfall Capturing not only the adrenaline rush the adventurers feel when stepping out into the unknown but also the fear and trepidation that set in when things start to go wrong, Those Who Dared is an adventure anthology that will satisfy the yearnings of the hardened explorer and armchair traveller alike.

Difference Makers: Stories of Those Who Dared is a different sort of book. It features many big names from corporate titans to ministers to social entrepreneurs. But it is not just a compilation of feel-good success stories and minting millions. It is a celebration of the human spirit, of daring, drive and doggedness to make a difference. The endeavours within will make you tear, chortle, sigh, reflect and renew your faith that all things are possible. It is guaranteed to make a difference to your life.

A Newbery Honor Book author has written a powerful and gripping novel about a youth in Nazi Germany who tells the truth about Hitler. Susan Campbell Bartoletti has taken one episode from her Newbery Honor Book, Hitler Youth, and fleshed it out into thought-provoking novel. When 16-year-old Helmut Hubner listens to the BBC news on an illegal short-wave radio, he quickly discovers Germany is lying to the people. But when he tries to expose the truth with leaflets, he's tried for treason. Sentenced to death and waiting in a jail cell, Helmut's story emerges in a series of flashbacks that show his growth from a naive child caught up in the patriotism of the times , to a sensitive and mature young man who thinks for himself.

The first in a series of meticulously researched World War II novels about hit-and-run raids against Hitler's war machine by British forces - under the command of a U.S. soldier - "Those Who Dare" is sure to appeal to avid military fiction fans. By May 1940, panzer divisions had decimated Belgium and reached Calais. Lieutenant John Randal of the U.S. 26th Cavalry Regiment volunteers his expertise to help slow their advance. What unfolds is a blend of military guerrilla tactics, suspense, humour, cultural and social commentary, and war buddy camaraderie - plus a little romance between the American GI and the widowed Lady Jane Seaborn. Along the way readers meet such colourful characters as Captain David Niven in MO-9 and Captain 'Geronimo Joe' McKoy with his Travelling Wild West Show and Shooting Emporium. The author - a decorated combat veteran - covers the details of war extensively, from the five points of contact of a parachute landing fall to descriptions of a British raider's A-5 flinging ferries before the first 12-gauge shell casing hits the floor. As the novel ends, Major Randal's men, fresh from Operation Tomcat in France, learn they will deploy via sea transport within 48 hours on their next mission. The second book, which is already written, tells that tale.

For decades, practically every major initiative in American education (from top-down standards to the testing movement) has moved decision-making farther away from the school. Fighting against this trend throughout their careers, Deborah Meier, John Goodlad, James Comer, Ted Sizer, and Henry Levin have worked to give our schools back the ability to educate students in the broadest and richest traditions of activity, inquiry, and problem solving. Now these visionary educators have joined together to share personal stories of the challenges and triumphs they faced and their ideas of what education can and must be for every student. Serving as an inspirational call to action for those seeking to be more involved in the urgent and continuing efforts to restore America’s public schools, this book: Brings together the experiences and insights of greatly influential and progressive educational leaders of the past half-century...and they are still working today! Ranges from highly personal to imminently practical to passionately political, with each writer offering a unique perspective on what it takes to sustain major school change. Recounts the many instances when the authors thought beyond the conventional boundaries of educational practice to find innovative solutions in a number of critical areas, including developing more effective curriculum and assessment, expanding the benefits of gifted education to every child, strengthening school/community partnerships, and addressing the specific needs of small schools and learning communities.

The God Dare. Where will you hear it? . . . Deep down inside, you know you’re on this planet for a reason. God has a plan in mind just for you. In fact, He chose you for His plan before the foundation of the world. He designed you very specifically for this time and this place, and He’s perfectly equipped you to accomplish His purpose in the earth. Through engaging and memorable true stories—both biblical and modern—author Kate Battistelli challenges and encourages you to discover how God has specifically designed you for this time in history, your place in the world, your role in His cosmic plan. Once and for all, let go of your fear, worry, pride and strife. . . All God ever needs is a willing vessel. Will you say yes?