Customer Reviews

Great Heart: The History of a Labrador Adventure (Kodansha Globe)

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Using Leon and Mina Hubbard's diaries, as well as those of their guides, Dillon Wallace and George Elson (great character!), Davidson and Rugge reconstruct the extraordinary story of a woman's search for the truth behind her husband's death in 1903. They flesh out the facts, give form to the unspoken fears and desires hidden between lines of desperate journal entries, and then skillfully breathe life into the tragic events. A powerful docunovel in a class all its own. Don't miss it.

This is a fabulous narrative of a wilderness adventure, like many others filled with the hazards adventurers encounter when they stray far from home. What makes the story unique is not a side-bar intrigue of romance and mystery but a deep underlying question about human motivation, relationships and dreams - as lived through the minds and bodies of the adventurous. The story is told with skill and grace - and is spellbinding.

Why don't more people know about this book? It puts most adventure stories to shame and makes most survivors of "hardships" look like wimps. Adventurers with virtually no prior experience, wearing wool sweaters and cotton pants, carrying tons of food, canoe and portage through uncharted waters only to get hopelessly lost. Between the bugs, cold, lack of food, etc... you wonder how any could survive. The concepts of leadership, friendship and conquest are tested. After a harrowing adventure ending in death, the widow of the expedition leader races a team member into the wilds of Labrador the following year. In 1905, it was hard enough for a man to make this unprecedented trip, and unheard of for a woman to try. It is a must read for all adventure lovers!

As well as Great Heart, I have read both of the source books by Dillon Wallace, the book by Mina Hubbard, as well as the book by Cabot, cited in Great Heart. This is a great bit of sleuthing and research and very well presented. In addition to bringing to life a historic disaster, this book does a great job of posing the question: Why do "explorers" take liberties with the truth in their books, and then why does the press shut their eyes to that and cover up the inconsistencies. Once you read this book, go out and get the source books so you can further explore this for yourself. And then... go out and canoe it! A must read for anyone who likes the Canadian bush.

I am an adventure traveler and canoeist, and an avid reader of adventure writing. There are a number of books that purport to tell the story of the ill-prepared Labrador Adventure, but it was told best, last and forever in the book, "Great Heart: The History of a Labrador Adventure." It is written by experienced canoeists and guides James West Davidson and John Rugge. These talented authors create atmosphere, characterization and drama that is unforgettable. I have returned to the book many times. Every canoeist, from novice to expert, should also own their other book, The Complete Wilderness Paddler. The authors use the story of a wild and wooly trip down the Class IV-V Moisie River in Canada as a way to teach everything from how to plan a trip to how to survive the torture of black flies. It is hilarious, brilliant, insightful, genius! You can read it over and over and learn new things about canoe camping. Even if you'd never set a paddle in a river, you'll love the graceful writing of Davidson and Rugge.

This is a truly remarkable book. It is one of a few books that I can unconditionally recommend to friends. It appeals to the outdoorsman/woman as well as those seeking insight into the human spirit as it deals with tragedy, tenacity, and vision. A sobering and, yet, inspiring read.

This book tells the story of two expeditions across Labrador. The first took place in 1903 by three men, on which one of them, Leonidas Hubbard, died. Three years later, his wife, Mina, made the same journey successfully. These accounts are well written and make good use of the original journals.

From two of the men who brought us "The Complete Wilderness Paddler" (a marvelous book in itself), this is a must read, preferably while you yourself are tucked comfortably at camp, or in the tent waiting out the storm, or late at night by the oil lamp. You won't miss with this one.

This story make you want to explore. But it highlights the dominance of nature over man. The writers did a wonderful job letting the story tell itself. If you enjoy the outdoors or are intrigued by man's (and woman's) need to go further, read this book.

Two great writers about canoe tripping come away with a review of a story which has long been hidden. They allow us to experience how difficult the canoe explorations were at the beginning of this century. Now us, at the end of this century, can only hope to save this type of adventure for our offspring.