In this collection of exhilarating and page-turning stories, Chris Bonington looks at the adventurous impulse which has driven men and women to achieve the impossible in all the earth's elements - crossing its oceans, deserts and poles, canoeing its rivers, climbing its mountains, in balloons above and in caves beneath its surface. He has travelled extensively to talk to the adventurers whose stories are told in this book. He examines the motives and dedication, the mounting of each expedition, the perils and rigours encountered, the moments of exhilaration and sometimes tragedy involved in these achievements. This unique book brings together the greatest moments in adventure and exploration in the second half of this century.