Wild: Stories of Survival from the World's Most Dangerous Places (Adrenaline) (Paperback)

~ Clint Willis (Editor) "Having spent two months travelling in the primary rain forests of Borneo, a four-month journey in the country between the Orinoco and the Amazon would..." (more)
Key Phrases: wild sweet pea, wild potato, main fire, Mann Gulch, Glen Canyon, Mary Ellen (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

This collection of unabridged excerpts and short stories dealing with nature's perils is a mixed bag. Though each of the pieces is excellent in its own right, the same cannot be said of all the readings or of their sequence. The production begins, after a cloying and needless introduction, with a hilarious excerpt from Redmond O'Hanlon read flawlessly by Sampson. But given the serious tone of the collection's subtitle, O'Hanlon seems an odd choice to start things off. That becomes ever more clear with the ensuing awkward transition to Rohan's sober rendition of an outtake from Norman Maclean dealing with smoke jumpers being burned alive in a Western wildfire. The strangest turn is taken with the inclusion of Algernon Blackwood's surreal masterpiece, "The Willows." Though a fictional tale of two canoeists on the Danube being preyed upon by beings from the fourth dimension seems wildly out of place here, it is, ironically, without question the recording's highlightASampson is sensational in setting the story's sense of doleful mystery and in portraying its two embattled protagonists. The production's low point comes with Rohan's disappointing take on Jack London's "To Build a Fire." Though Rohan is a veteran narrator, he sounds more like a news anchor than a dramatist in this performance of one of London's best short stories. On their own, the other pieces are generally enjoyable, but they simply don't work well as an ensemble. Thunder's Mouth published the trade paperback original in September 1999. (Sept.).
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Audio Cassette edition.

From Library Journal

It is extraordinary when a piece of literature has a reader sitting on the edge of her seat, totally absorbed: Ice and Wild, new releases in the "Adrenaline" series, have just that sort of power. Following in the footsteps of the previous titles Epic, High, Rough Water, and The War, series editor Willis continues to capture readers' attention, allowing them to experience vicariously the threat of danger and the ultimate quest for survival through the eyes and emotions of each selected author. He draws from the works of contemporary writers such as Barry Lopez, Jon Krakauer, and Bill Bryson or from selections from historical figures such as Robert Falcon Scott, Sir Ernest Shackleton, and Richard Byrd. The reader is treated to candid accounts of the joys and dangers of exploration, expedition, and adventure travel. In Ice, readers are taken to the Antarctic to learn about one man's incredible quest for penguin eggs in -77 degree (Farenheit) temperatures; and to hear about how 20 men traveled south after being trapped in the ice for two winters 750 miles from the North Pole. In Wild, readers witness danger in the Amazon River and Alaskan regions, and in swamps, jungles, canyons, and deserts around the world. The 14 pieces in each book fill a specific niche for those who enjoy adventure travel. Broad in scope, these book offer exciting and riveting tales about incredible journeys. Both of these books would be excellent additions to any library travel section.
-Jo-Anne Mary Benson, Osgoode, Ontario
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 360 pages
• Publisher: Da Capo Press; illustrated edition edition (September 15, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1560252197
• ISBN-13: 978-1560252191
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 6 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 2.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #485,192 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Oustanding collection, January 9, 2000

By	T. S. Phillips - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Amazon Verified Purchase

Clint Willis has created a fascinating series of books with Epic, Climb, High, Wild, Ice, Rough Water, and The War. Each of these volumes presents the best literature about their respective subjects in a powerful cohesive manner. These books are a quick read, but intricate and spellbinding. I have given many of them to friends and family as gifts.

10 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Not Wild But Weird, January 12, 2002

By	"naia1" (HI, United States) - See all my reviews

This is yet another in Clint Willis's ongoing series of adrenaline, adventure, survival, disaster, storm, etc. series in which he seeks to capitalize on the rage for danger and excitement that is currently sweeping the literary market. In my search for material for a class on adventure writing I teach, I have read all of them, and found them a mixed lot with some real gems thrown in. This particular anthology is no exception, though I wish Willis would stop over dramatizing his titles. A more realistic name for the collection might be, "Exciting Moments in the Wilds," or "Wildernesss Moments."

Questionable names aside (giving titles to books is an art after all) this collection has some stand out and downright bizarre pieces that are worth reading. If you're looking for a good old-fashioned adventure story with plenty of excitement, try Dave Robert's "A Wilderness Narrrative," or Joe Kane's "Savages." For more than you ever wanted to know about tropical diseases and the dangers of traveling in the Amazaon jungle, try Redmond O'Hanlon's "In Trouble Again." But if you're looking for something really different, something that will not only entertain but make you question your sense of reality, read Barry Lopez's "Pearyland," in which the main character (a student Lopez met in an airport) steps into another, parallel world, or "The Willows" by Algernon Blackwood. The Willows in particular carries a disturbing undertone of unease and menace. The things that happen in this story shouldn't, and there is no real explanation for them.

Other, less off the wall, though no less entertaining pieces inlcude Edward Abbey's "Down the River" and Evelyn Waugh's "The Man Who Liked Dickens."

All in all, this is a worhty addition to Willis's growing pile of anthologies, thanks to the solid contributions from familiar and well-established names, but when will Willis dare to include the work of lesser known, though no less talented writers?

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Reader Beware!!, February 13, 2004

By A Customer

Don't be fooled by the title of this book: "Stories of Survival from the World's Most Dangerous Places." Several of the stories are taken from fiction books. Another chapter is from Bill Bryson's, "A Walk in the Woods," which most likely has already been read by several million people. Other chapters are from books such as "Famous Ghost Stories" and "The Book of Fantasy." And yet another story is a leisurely, week-long canoe trip through Glen Canyon prior to its flooding--hardy a story of "Survival" or a "Dangerous" place. I could go on, but I'm sure you get my point. If you are looking for a book packed with true stories of survival, this is not the book for you. Shame on Clint Willis for trying to pawn this book off to the adventure readership. Trust me! I won't be fooled again, Clint.