Gorilla Monsoon

John "Largo" Long is an almost larger than life pioneer in the Yosemite rock climbing and Joshua Tree bouldering communities of the 1970s and 1980s. He is also an extremely creative and interesting writer. One of the best things about this book is that it is inundated with humorous touches and is often hysterically funny. I highlyl recommend this book.The stories he tells in this book, most of them true or at least with a kernel of truth in those that are larger than life, are always interesting. While the stories here only occasionally touch on climbing activities, they demonstrate a consistent philosophy of an adventurer at heart -- someone who lives his experiences to the fullest. Through his writing, he shows that he truly cares about the environment where his adventures take place; even though his experiences exploring prehistoric cultures in Malaysia seem to show a bit of disrespect to the cultures he is interfering with, I always sensed that he was respectful of the people around him.

Being scared to death, while laughing yourself to death, is a unique feeling, but one captured in this collection of adventure stories expertly. Long has an excellent ability to portray what inspires adventurers, from the silly to the serious, to risk their lives and what it feels like when they're doing it. I was thrilled to see that this book is still available. Get it now before it goes out of print! !

I believe this is his first collection and I think his best. All his own writings, fact or based on fact, or fiction. The funniest adventure writer I have ever read. If you only want one John Long collection, this is the one to get.