Outlandish Approaches
by Dan White

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Hannibal Barca, Napoleon Bonaparte, and Ernest Shackleton: three men who dreamed of glory and would stop at nothing to achieve it. Their ambition drove them huge distances through hostile territory. In the end, their reach exceeded their grasp, and all three men ultimately failed in their quests. Yet their names are still remembered, whether with admiration, respect, or bafflement. What kind of person decides to spend months stuck in polar ice, or cross the Alps with elephants, or invade Russia in the dead of winter? For revenge, for conquest, for fame? And…was it worth it? This collection of essays documents each man’s campaign and speculates on what motivated them all. A thoroughly researched and approachable take, by turns knowledgeable and humourous, author Dan White takes the reader on a journey through history and around the globe in search of understanding the difference—if there is one—between genius and madness.

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Dan White got into writing because of his mother, who was his first audience and editor. “She would say, ‘Maybe you want to tell us more about the trees and the worms,’ or something like that. Then I would go back to the living room and write some more and bring it back in for a new read.” He became interested history when he read about Hannibal’s crossing of the Alps at age twelve. The tale stayed with him for sixty years, got mixed in with some other impressive men in history, and finally came out as this book. Dan now lives in Ottawa, Ontario with his wife, his adult daughter, and two dogs, where in addition to history, he enjoys playing country music and learning Italian. Outlandish Approaches is his fifth book, following Crossing the Gnat Line, Hep Cat, Confluence, Warring Personalities, and the forthcoming Gone Canucking.

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Contributors

Author

Dan White