Recs if you like Endurance: Shackleton's Incredible Voyage...

microhistory: the intensive historical investigation of a well defined smaller unit of research (such as an event, community, individual or a settlement); it aspires to "ask large questions in small places"

tales of history's infamous ships and those who sailed them

(hint: it got worse) (polar exploration)

In case you were curious at all, life is hard in the Arctic. If you enjoy reading stories about people getting marooned in very (very) cold places and eating their boots, this one's for you.

ask large questions in small spaces! avoids (but not void of) memoirs/biographies, some case studies, and the macro i'm not a historian or an expert by any means but i am salty. a lot of contemporary lists for microhistory reads contain a lot of books that are absolutely not micro. At. All. think mark kurlansky ("milk", "salt", "cod" etc.), anything that starts with "a short history of [incredibly complex geopolitical event]", or literally any historical account that spans centuries/countries/cultures/individuals. while there is definitely some gray areas and overlap, a good way to attempt to distinguish micro from the macro is macrohistory looks at how an individual/event/object/place changed and influenced the world/society/culture -- an outward expansion of one idea that proliferates time and space. microhistory is the inverse. how did the contemporary society, culture, and world change and influence a specific, tangential individual/place/event? the micro attempts to answer that! so let's reduce the scale of investigation! focus on the ones history would have otherwise forgotten if not for the diligent note takers! we're talking footnotes! anecdotes! indexes! the hot goss! EA-NASIR! macrohistory is about everyone but microhistory is about you and me baby!

A mix of fiction and nonfiction books about people being trapped in the ice or stuck at sea and trying to survive against all odds.

“Hey do you remember [insert horrible event here]? I should read a book about that.”

Books on disasters, horrible events, and scientific blunders.

Did I miss one? Let me know in the comments!

Nonfiction books about shipwrecks and survival.

Books to help me (and hopefully you) read more nonfiction

nonfiction books focusing on situations where humans find themselves fighting against nature (and sometimes their fellow humans) in hopes of survival

Non-fiction can seem dry or intimidating but these books have been selected to be reads you can’t put down.

"People need to be cautious because anything built by man can be destroyed by Mother Nature." - Russel L. Honoré, retired lieutenant general of the United States Army. This list is inspired by the terrifyingly beautiful intensity of nature at its most extreme. This is the nonfiction edition of this subject. Recommendations always welcome!

Shipwreck narratives aren’t just thrill rides. They’re reminders of nature’s power and humanity’s vulnerability. But most of all, they’re deeply hopeful. Even in the worst conditions—cramped rafts, dwindling supplies, scorched islands—someone figures out how to endure. If you’ve ever wanted a dose of courage, or to understand what true grit looks like beyond the buzzword, these books deliver.

Nonfiction books about maritime misadventures

Books about big boats

Please read these before you die! Thanks! -DJ