Ice with Everything [first edition]

For those who enjoy a bit of old fashioned adventure and a sea story it is hard to go past Mr. Bill Tilman, a classic adventurer right up to his last days. His love for mountaineering, ocean sailing and the old English pilot cutters speaks clearly to us in this interesting little volume. Mr. Tilman wrote seven books about his mountain travels, and eight books on his years sailing to extreme climates. One of the last 'gentleman adventurers', Bill Tilman's stoic and courageous exploits have earned him a place of honor as one of the greatest in the pantheon of explorers. Once when asked the question what does one need to do to have an adventure Mr. Tilman replied in his succinct manner, "Put on a good pair of boots and walk out the door." "Ice With Everything" covers three voyages Mr. Tilman undertook to Greenland in 1971 to 1973, then in his early 70's, with the second seeing the loss of his second cutter, SeaBreeze. Not an easy man to deter, within one winter he had purchased a new old boat, refitted her and was on his way back to Greenland to complete the goal he had set himself. Mr. Tilman's adventures are brought to life through his simple narrative style, with never a cross word for anyone no matter what the disaster, a disdain for superlatives, a wry wit (if not always p.c.) and erudite quotations. His one line aphorisms scattered throughout, such as "a well-filled stomach is the great thing, all else is luxury," and "to enquire is neither a disaster nor a disgrace", reveal his joy of a simple adventurous life. "Ice With Everything" makes for an uplifting read.