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Stephen R. Bown

    This critically acclaimed author of nine literary non-fiction books focuses on the history of science, exploration, and ideas. He employs a biographical and narrative approach to his writing, utilizing fiction techniques—strong storytelling, creative language, emphasizing people, their decisions, actions, and motivations—to recount factually and historically accurate narratives. He believes that people and their behavior remain constant, with only the context evolving. His lifelong fascination with history stems from the lessons found in studying the triumphs and failures of history's greatest thinkers, leaders, and innovators, those who challenged conventional thought and established power structures to reshape their world. He is particularly interested in how individuals responding to the pivotal challenges of their eras shaped the world we inhabit today, and specifically, how and why these individuals became pioneers.

    Dominion
    Scurvy
    Island of the Blue Foxes
    The Company
    Madness, Betrayal and the Lash
    The Last Viking: The Life of Roald Amundsen
    • 2023

      Dominion

      The Railway and the Rise of Canada

      • 416 pages
      • 15 hours of reading

      The narrative delves into the monumental engineering feat of the Canadian Pacific Railway, which played a pivotal role in uniting British colonies from coast to coast. Set against the backdrop of the late 19th century, it explores the economic challenges faced by the Hudson's Bay Company and the ambitious political vision that drove the railway's construction. Bown highlights the struggles of Indigenous peoples, laborers, and the broader societal impacts, revealing a complex and often troubling history that reshaped Canada into a modern nation.

      Dominion
    • 2021

      The Company

      The Rise and Fall of the Hudson's Bay Empire

      • 496 pages
      • 18 hours of reading
      4.1(65)Add rating

      The narrative explores the dramatic evolution of the Hudson's Bay Company from its humble beginnings in 1670 to its emergence as a dominant political and economic force in northern and western North America. It highlights the Company’s complex relationships with Indigenous peoples and its ruthless competition with French traders, culminating in the rise of the infamous Governor George Simpson. Stephen R. Bown presents a detailed and engaging account that blends scholarly insight with vivid storytelling, revealing the profound impact of the Company on Canada's development.

      The Company
    • 2021

      The story of how three individuals conquered the plague of the sea

      Scurvy
    • 2020

      Prawdziwa historia największej, najdłuższej i najdroższej ekspedycji naukowej wszech czasów. Udanej, tragicznej i do tej pory nieopowiedzianej. Stephen R. Bown - autor książki „Amundsen. Ostatni wiking” zabiera nas w fascynującą i niebezpieczną XVIII-wieczną podróż. Wyprawa nazwana Wielką Ekspedycją Naukową miała za zadanie zbadać obszary od Petersburga przez Syberię aż po wybrzeża Ameryki Północnej. Zlecona przez cara Piotra I Wielkiego kosztowała jedną szóstą rocznych przychodów Imperium Rosyjskiego. Dowodzona przez legendarnego Duńczyka – Vitusa Beringa obejmowała ponad trzy tysiące naukowców i żeglarzy. Była jednym z najbardziej ambitnych i tragicznych przedsięwzięć w annałach historii morskiej i arktycznej. „Wyspa niebieskich lisów” to pasjonująca opowieść o czasach wielkich przygód, kiedy naukowcy byli prawdziwymi bohaterami i niebezpieczeństwa doświadczali na własnej skórze w imię nauki, pieniędzy, sławy i uznania.

      Wyspa niebieskich lisów
    • 2018

      Amundsen Ostatni Wiking

      • 456 pages
      • 16 hours of reading
      4.0(187)Add rating

      ?Amundsen. Ostatni wiking? ukazuje życie człowieka, kt�ry bił na głowę tych, kt�rzy ścigali się, by nanieść na mapę świata ostatnie nieznane zakątki: Przejście Południowo-Zachodnie, Przejście Południowo-Wschodnie i biegun południowy. Prawdziwy p�łnocny wojownik, kt�ry już za życia stał się legendą. Ścigany przez wierzycieli. Uwielbiany przez kobiety. Należał do epoki wypraw badawczych, kt�ra niebawem miała dobiec końca za sprawą technologii, handlu i reklamy.Jego nazwisko nosi część Oceanu Spokojnego, lodowiec i stacja badawcza Amundsen-Scott na Antarktydzie.?Amundsen. Ostatni wiking? to zar�wno ekscytująca biografia literacka, jak i wspaniała opowieść.

      Amundsen Ostatni Wiking
    • 2017

      Island of the Blue Foxes

      • 326 pages
      • 12 hours of reading
      4.1(625)Add rating

      The story of the world's largest, longest, and best financed scientific expedition of all time, triumphantly successful, gruesomely tragic, and never before fully told

      Island of the Blue Foxes
    • 2015

      White Eskimo

      • 341 pages
      • 12 hours of reading

      As T. E. Lawrence did for the Arab world and Richard Burton did for the heart of Africa, Knud Rasmussen opened the landscape and culture of the Arctic. Stephen Bown, biographer of Roald Amundsen, follows Rasmussen's thrilling expeditions, including a three-year sled ride from Baffin Bay to Alaska,

      White Eskimo
    • 2013

      The Last Viking unravels the life of the man who stands head and shoulders above all those who raced to map the last corners of the world. In 1900, the four great geographical mysteries—the Northwest Passage, the Northeast Passage, the South Pole, and the North Pole—remained blank spots on the globe. Within twenty years Roald Amundsen would claim all four prizes. Renowned for his determination and technical skills, both feared and beloved by his men, Amundsen is a legend of the heroic age of exploration, which shortly thereafter would be tamed by technology, commerce, and publicity. Féted in his lifetime as an international celebrity, pursued by women and creditors, he died in the Arctic on a rescue mission for an inept rival explorer. Stephen R. Bown has unearthed archival material to give Amundsen's life the grim immediacy of Apsley Cherry-Garrard's The Worst Journey in the World, the exciting detail of The Endurance, and the suspense of a Jon Krakauer tale. The Last Viking is both a thrilling literary biography and a cracking good story.

      The Last Viking: The Life of Roald Amundsen
    • 2012

      Madness, Betrayal and the Lash

      • 264 pages
      • 10 hours of reading

      This book offers a unique perspective on Captain Vancouver, highlighting his remarkable explorations and contributions to history. It delves into his adventures and the challenges he faced, providing insights into his character and the impact of his journeys. Through a fresh narrative, the author brings to life the complexities of Vancouver's expeditions and his legacy in the world of exploration.

      Madness, Betrayal and the Lash