The Lost City of Z by David Grann recounts the story of British explorer Percy Fawcett and his travels to the Amazon in the 1920′s, trying to locate a city he called “Z”–a place Fawcett believed to be a lost city made of gold. Through thorough research in Fawcett’s diaries, Grann tells the story of the horrors of exploration in the Amazon jungles–swarms of insects, deadly diseases, hostile native Indians and deadly snakes. The world was captivated by Fawcett’s dispatches from the jungle, until the communications abruptly ceased and no word was ever heard from his party again. His disappearance is a mystery–one that has endured over the century and has prompted many to search for Fawcett and die in the attempt. As he delved deeper into the story, Grann also became consumed with Fawcett’s disappearance. In 2004, he left his urban life in New York City and set out for the jungles of the Amazon, seeking to learn the fate of Fawcett and his men. During his own explorations, Grann uncovers fascinating information about Fawcett and the city of “Z”. This is a thrilling adventure story about exploration, discovery, history and archaeology–a riviting story that captures the imagination.

Setting off with friends for a day of fishing and relaxation in February 2009, Nick Schuyler had no idea that his life would be forever changed by the trip. He joined NFL player Marquis Cooper on his 25 ft. boat, along with his best friend Will Bleakley and another NFL player Corey Smith–all four were healthy young men looking forward to spending time together. As a storm begins to approach, they gather their gear to return to Tampa, 75 miles away. Their anchor is stuck and in their inexperience, they capsize the boat, beginning their desperate attempts to survive. The men face hypothermia, hallucinations, dehydration, cold water and huge waves. Their lack of emergency preparations–no emergency beacons or provisions, inaccessible life jackets, etc. contribute to their precarious situation. The men work together in their battle to survive, clinging to the overturned hull of the boat, encouraging each other and pulling each other from the water as the waves wash them off the hull. In this first person account, Schuyler relays the helplessness, horror, emotions and courage shown by all of the men. Not Without Hope is a gripping and inspiring story of survival, a story that is hard to put down and one not easily forgotten. Schuyler takes his title from a Persian proverb “In the hour of adversity, be not without hope”.

In 1925, famed British explorer Percy Fawcett ventured into the Amazon with his son Jack and Jack’s best friend, Raleigh, in search of the remains of a lost city Fawcett cryptically named “Z”. Despite the assurances of anthropologists that the Amazon was a “counterfeit paradise” unable of sustaining a large population, Fawcett was certain that the tales of the Indians he had encountered, the shards of exquisite pottery he had unearthed in the jungle, and the shadows of ancient thoroughfares he thought he had traced over the landscape all pointed to a lost civilization built by a populous and highly advanced people. Fawcett’s dream of finding Z would not be easily achieved. The Amazon was still largely an unexplored mystery full of poisonous pit vipers, massive anacondas, and an abundance of deadly insects that spread yellow fever and malaria. And although some Indian tribes greeted white explorers with friendly caution, others were not so benevolent.

Yet Fawcett, who had become a preeminent South American explorer, seemed assured of success. When he and his companions sent a dispatch back from the village of a friendly Indian tribe they warned friends and relatives that they might be unable to communicate for up to two years. They were confident that during the course of those years they would find Z and unlock its ancient secrets, and the world waited with baited breath for the conclusion of their daring adventure. It never came.

Percy Fawcett disappeared, and it is the fate of he and his young companions – as well as the existence or illusion of Z – that David Grann explores in his book The Lost City of Z: A Tale of Deadly Obsession in the Amazon. Grann ventures into the Amazon, following Fawcett’s trail and seeking out the Indian tribes who may hold the key to the explorers’ fates. Through the narrative of his own journey he weaves the tale of Fawcett’s early expeditions, his remarkable ability to survive the most treacherous conditions, and his growing obsession with a lost civilization which may be the fabled El Dorado. It is an adventure worthy of Indiana Jones, a thrilling peek into a part of the world where the past is alive, jealously guarding its secrets.

The history of exploration is full of stories of remarkable courage, selfless heroism, strange coincidences, and unimaginable tragedy. And perhaps no region of the world has produced as many such stories as the Arctic with its sub-zero temperatures, treacherous, frozen seas, and unrelenting winters. The 19th century saw a flurry of Arctic adventures as Great Britain dispatched expedition after expedition to the northern seas to seek the fabled Northwest Passage to the Pacific. None of these expeditions would inspire the same confidence, national pride, and – ultimately – lasting infamy as the Franklin Expedition.

In 1845 Sir John Franklin sailed from England for the Arctic regions with two ships and 128 men on what was viewed as a mission of certain success. His orders were to find and sail through the Northwest Passage, and to insure his success he was equipped with two of the most technologically-advanced ships ever dispatched to the Arctic – the Terror and the Erebus – and enough supplies to keep him and his men fed and comfortable for at least five years. When the expedition, its ships, and every man on board vanished without a trace, however, the Franklin Expedition turned from a triumphant display of British naval power and ingenuity into one of the greatest and most enduring mysteries in the history of exploration. For the next twenty years England would send out dozens of intrepid men to search for Franklin and his crews – first in the hope of rescue, then simply to solve the puzzle of their fate. Yet to this day only three graves, two cryptic notes, and a scattering of artifacts and human bones have been located to give any indication of what tragedy befell the expedition.

So how is the ill-fated Franklin Expedition connected to the desk in the Oval Office used by U.S. presidents? That is the story that Martin W. Sandler unfolds in his book Resolute: the epic search for the Northwest Passage and John Franklin, and the discovery of the Queen’s ghost ship. It is a fascinating look at the personalities and expeditions – both thrilling and horrifying – that preceded Franklin and ventured into the Arctic wastes after his disappearance.

This and other tales of cold climate adventure and endurance are on display this month at MPL. See how warm January suddenly feels after reading these non-fiction stories of heroism and survival!