As discussed in yesterday’s post, the annual Adventure Issue of Men’s Journal is currently available at newsstands, but not online.
One of the more intriguing articles contained within the issue is a ranking of the 20 best adventure writers. I always love such lists because they inevitably introduce me to authors I’ve never heard of before. This was how I discovered a few years ago that Antoine de Saint-Exupéry wrote much more than just The Little Prince. His books on flying (e.g., Wind, Sand and Stars) have become some of my very favorite novels. He comes in at Number Eight this year on the Men’s Journal list.
Numbers One and Three are new discoveries for me as well this year. Theodore Roosevelt landed the top spot. I wasn’t even aware he wrote adventure books (such as Through the Brazilian Wilderness), but I’ll certainly check him out now.
Although Number Two on the list is the well-known Ernest Hemingway, Number Three was completely unknown to me. Apparently author Redmond O’Hanlon writes with a “Monty Python-esque” style and excels in the genre of miserable-but-humorous travelogues (e.g., Into the Heart of Borneo). Anything “Monty Python-esque” is certainly worth trying in my book.
There are a few other pleasant discoveries on the list as well. In addition, one can also expect traditional mainstays such as Jack London, Jon Krakauer, and Heinrich Harrer. Pick up Men’s Journal today for the full list.