My Life of Adventure

I read this book on the strong recommendation of Iditarod champion Jeff King, and it was well worth the read, well worth it. Norman Vaughan truly lived a life of adventure in a time the likes of which we are not likely to see again. He did what most people dream of doing, but the difference was attitude and determination. He often comes across as confident, cocky, perhaps, a bit arrogant and pushy, but overall he is a likeable, even admirable guy, especially in his later years. Attitude. That what makes the difference at any age, especially old age. Norman Vaughan qualifies as a great American adventurer. He had the Spirit that made America great, even into his later years. At age 89, to climb a mountain named for you, now that's something. Good read, quick, easy read, and, in the end, quite inspirational and motivating. Ought to be required reading for the AARP crowd!

From the time he was a little boy, Norman Vaughan knew he could never be content with a mundane, conventional life. He and a friend constructed their first dog team by tying two mutts to a Flexible Flyer sled. At fifteen, Norman obtained his father's grudging permission to spend a week living off the land on a beach. Upon entering college at Harvard, he found himself bored. He knew it wasn't the life he wanted. So when Norman heard of the upcoming Antarctic exhibition, to be led by Admiral Richard E. Byrd, he lost no time in contacting the admiral. He managed to win himself a spot on the team. From that moment on, Norman Vaughan has lived a life full of excitement. I read my mother's copy of this book, which is signed by the author with his personal motto: "Dream Big and Dare to Fail." For his entire life, Vaughan lived by those words.Returning from Antarctica, he felt depression creeping back, and he knew he could never live a "normal" life again. He dropped out of Harvard. Vaughan joined the army and spent years doing search-and-rescue operations by dogsled. He became known for his hair-brained schemes, such as dropping dogs by parachute into locations too remote to reach otherwise. But by and large, his schemes always seemed to work. When he left the army, it wasn't the end of his adventures. He returned to Antarctica on several occasions. Vaughan also entered the 1,000+ mile Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race in Alaska 13 times. And on 16 December 1994, three days before his 89th birthday, Vaughan climbed the Antarctic mountain that Admiral Byrd had named for him 65 years earlier.For anyone with an adventurous streak, or even those who simply dream of such a life, this book is a sure winner. Norman Vaughan is one of the most inspirational human beings this world has seen. Most of his ambitious ideas met with much resistance from those around him, but not once did he give up. Sometimes he spent years fighting for what he wanted, and almost invariably he would win out in the end. When he was not invited to participate in the 50th anniversary trip to commemorate Byrd's 1929 expedition to Antarctica, Vaughan called every person he could think of who was involved. Eventually he was offered a place on the team.I thoroughly enjoyed this amazing autobiography. There are a couple of awkward grammatical and punctuation errors, but they are few and far between. For the most part the book is written in easy-to-read language. What did irritate me was that Vaughan consistently mis-spelled the name of Joe Redington, Sr. (he added an extra "d" every time), the founder of the Iditarod. But this is a very minor quibble, and since most people have probably never heard of Redington to begin with, it doesn't make much difference in the end. The last chapter of the book is actually written by Vaughan's wife, and recalls their climb to the top of Mount Vaughan. Also included is a selection of black-and-white photos of Vaughan on his different adventures throughout his li

I had the opportunity to hear Norman Vaughan speak and to meet him as well. After hearing his accounts, reading the stories he has are amazing. This book is well written and easy to follow. I have read it twice, and passed it on to many friends, I would reccomend this book to anybody who loves the outdoors or simply reading about others' travels.

Colonel Vaughan has done things most people only dream or read about. Like many of us, the mundane, everyday life of living did not excite him. He embarked on many adventures, the likes of which have killed many people. He lived through them by using his head and depending on common sense and his innate skill to survive. He helped numerous people and made friends all over the world. He is now in his nineties and still going strong. Young people who can't find anything to do, should look to this volume. Perhaps they could find inspiration in what Norman Vaughan has done in his lifetime.

Norman Vaughan is an inspiration to all that know him. I am honored to fall into that category. His up-beat, gracious, and determined view of life have enabled him to achieve goals only dreamed of by a few. This is a must read for anyone who enjoys outdoor adventures and believes that age should be no barrier to continuing to set and achieve lofty goals. "Dream big and dare to fail" is Norman's motto. He always dreams big. He rarely fails. Norman is a most unique individual. This book faithfully portrays over 70 years of world-class adventures as well as giving an insight to the internal drive, amiable personality, and unpretentious view of life that are his trademarks.