This week's travel books are Mad, Bad & Dangerous to Knowby Ranulph Fiennesand DK Eyewitness Travel: Top 10 Marrakechby Andrew Humphreys
Mad, Bad & Dangerous to Know Ranulph FiennesHodder & Staughton, £12.99
Ranulph Fiennes is regarded as the world's greatest living explorer, and even in his 80s he shows little sign of slowing down. At the age of 61 he made an attempt on Everest, missing out on the summit by a few hundred metres. He followed this up by scaling the much more challenging north face of the Eiger in the Alps. Just over two years earlier, he completed seven marathons on seven continents in seven days, not to mention his previous exploits as a younger man. He was even briefly considered for the role of James Bond, but it was decided that his hands were too big and he had the face of a farmer. They plumped for Roger Moore instead.
Fienne's irrepressible love of travel makes this an inspirational read that will get your feet itchy, your mind racing and your heart hungry for new cultures. There is even an appendix with helpful hints on how to launch your own polar expedition.
Like this? Then why not also try: The Climb by Anatoli Boukreev and G Weston DeWalt, and The Lost Men by Kelly Tyler-Lewis
DK Eyewitness Travel: Top 10 Marrakech Andrew HumphreysDK, £6.99
Marrakech is a bustling oasis, the historical destination for caravans driving north from the Sahara. Today, the city teems with Moroccan life, a raucous, vibrant sprawling town of labyrinthine souks and streets, elegant gardens and exquisite architecture. The market square centre of Djemaa el-Fna has to be experienced at night, when the crackle and smells of sizzling platters fight for attention amid snake charmers, artists, apes and charlatans.
This is a colourful, almost bullet-point guide to the city, with plenty of maps and pictures to whet the appetite.