Emerging from jungle, desert or ice-cap, explorers - the celebrities of their day - were hailed as if back from the dead. Journalists fought for their stories and publishers rushed their narratives to a voracious audience. John Keay, former editor of the Royal Geographical Society's History of World Exploration, has selected and introduced the original first-hand narratives of many of these heroes, including Ross's and Franklin's experiences in the Arctic, Huc's account of the Forbidden City of Lhasa, and the last poignant accounts of Wills in Australia and Scott in Antarctica. This collection makes gripping reading, enhanced by the recollections and insider knowledge of John Keay's observations.