Help me find eccentric exploring ladies!
October 21, 2011 8:27 AM Subscribe
Help me find eccentric exploring ladies!
I'd like to learn more about women explorers, particularly those of the eccentric-spinster variety. I'm looking for ladies in the vein of Mary Kingsley, whom I'd never heard of until I bought her book on a whim. No limits as to era or nationality, but preferably with written works in English.
I'd like to learn more about women explorers, particularly those of the eccentric-spinster variety. I'm looking for ladies in the vein of Mary Kingsley, whom I'd never heard of until I bought her book on a whim. No limits as to era or nationality, but preferably with written works in English.
A brief google bought me this and this. Most, if not all women explorers of the past were considered eccentric because they weren't in the kitchen or bringing up children.
posted by adamvasco at 8:49 AM on October 21, 2011
posted by adamvasco at 8:49 AM on October 21, 2011
Best answer: Alexandra David-Neel walked across China and all over Tibet when she was in her 50s. She wrote in French but many of her books are translated into English. "Magic and Mystery in Tibet" is one of her best known. She was inspiring - virtually indestructible. Lived to be 101 or something. She makes me feel inadequate.
posted by crazylegs at 9:06 AM on October 21, 2011
posted by crazylegs at 9:06 AM on October 21, 2011
Best answer: They're more recent but you might try the travel writing of Rose Macaulay, Rebecca West, and Jan Morris.
posted by villanelles at dawn at 9:08 AM on October 21, 2011
posted by villanelles at dawn at 9:08 AM on October 21, 2011
Best answer: How about Ella Maillart? Forbidden Journey is the story of a walk from China to India with Peter Fleming (Ian's brother), who also wrote it up in News from Tartary.
posted by Logophiliac at 9:28 AM on October 21, 2011 [1 favorite]
posted by Logophiliac at 9:28 AM on October 21, 2011 [1 favorite]
Best answer: Dervla Murphy is a cycling legend and a terrific travel writer to boot. Full Tilt is her most famous book---a bicycle trip trip from Ireland to India in the 1950s with no external help. Most of what she writes is well worth a read though.
posted by bonehead at 9:33 AM on October 21, 2011
posted by bonehead at 9:33 AM on October 21, 2011
Best answer: Even more recent and eccentric in a very glamorous sort of way are the Africa books of photographer Mirella Ricciardi.
posted by villanelles at dawn at 9:40 AM on October 21, 2011
posted by villanelles at dawn at 9:40 AM on October 21, 2011
Best answer: Lady Hester Stanhope, niece of William Pitt the Younger. The Wiki article has links to a couple of biographies of her; I've read Lorna Gibbs' 'Lady Hester' and it's pretty good.
posted by SyntacticSugar at 9:42 AM on October 21, 2011
posted by SyntacticSugar at 9:42 AM on October 21, 2011
Best answer: I'm not sure if she would qualify as an explorer, but Rosamond Halsey Carr lived in Rwanda beginning in the 1940's and had quite an interesting story to tell.
posted by thankyouforyourconsideration at 9:42 AM on October 21, 2011
posted by thankyouforyourconsideration at 9:42 AM on October 21, 2011
Further to Lady Hester, Archive.org have scans of her memoirs.
posted by SyntacticSugar at 9:46 AM on October 21, 2011
posted by SyntacticSugar at 9:46 AM on October 21, 2011
Best answer: She wasn't exactly an explorer -- she grew up in Kenya, though, and spent her life being a bit odd, raising horses, screwing royals and flying about in airplanes in an era where women didn't do those things -- but perhaps Beryl Markham would interest you? West with the Night is supposed to be a very good book, though I admit that I haven't yet read my copy.
posted by jacquilynne at 9:59 AM on October 21, 2011
posted by jacquilynne at 9:59 AM on October 21, 2011
Best answer: Emily Hahn wasn't exactly an explorer, but she traveled by herself in the 1920's, '30's, and '40's. You may particularly enjoy Africa to me, about her trekking through Africa and hitchhiking. I particularly love China to me, about her time living on her own in China and Hong Kong (including under Japanese occupation) until she was repatriated to the U.S. She somehow makes her life, including various mishaps, just be hilarious. Hopefully your library has some copies.
posted by Margalo Epps at 11:23 AM on October 21, 2011
posted by Margalo Epps at 11:23 AM on October 21, 2011
Best answer: Robyn Davidson. Not sure which of her adventures has been more adventurous - walking across the Australian desert with camels or marrying Salman Rushdie.
posted by the fish at 2:55 PM on October 21, 2011
posted by the fish at 2:55 PM on October 21, 2011
Response by poster: Thanks, everyone! These are a great help--and now I have a lot of reading to do!
posted by orrnyereg at 7:32 AM on October 26, 2011
posted by orrnyereg at 7:32 AM on October 26, 2011
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by shornco at 8:45 AM on October 21, 2011 [1 favorite]