Alexander Von Humboldt - Andreas W Daum

 Sub-title: A concise Biography

I had no idea who this man was when I picked this book up at the library but I'm always up for a history lesson.  He was a German polymath - a general genius - and explorer, known for exploring Latin America (1799–1804) and his contributions to geography and natural science. So now I know.  

Quote:

"Between 1701 and 1810 the European powers deported almost six million people from Africa to exploit them as a labor force in America."

published:  2024 (In English)  Read: January 2025  Genre: History, Biography

Shadow Divers - Robert Kurson

Subtitle: The True Adventure of Two Americans Who Risked Everything to Solve One of the Last Mysteries of WWII

I waited too long to read this book.  My BFF recommended it ages ago and I finally got it off my TBR list and got a copy from the library.  It was a great read.

It's the story of two men looking for shipwrecks in the sport of "deep wreck diving". Dangerous to the extreme as well as competitive, they find a sunken submarine off the coast of New Jersey and seek to identify it.  

I really enjoyed the relationship of these fiercely independent, risk-taking men.  Their dedication to the search and their persistence despite dead ends and roadblocks and tragedy made for a good read.

Published:  May 2005  Read: September 2015  Genre: Adventure, Non-fiction