Granite Mariner - by John Long (Hardcover)

Book Synopsis

GRANITE MARINER divulges Long's experiences of a life fully lived. When adventure/extreme sports achieved liftoff in the mid-1970s, John Long stories provided a kind of Technicolor diary of what it was like to shoot rapids with Punan tribesmen in Borneo, and scale the great granite monoliths in Yosemite. From the rugged heights of sheer granite walls to the enchanting allure of uncharted cavescapes, Long's words paint a vivid portrait of his exploits. Traverse the rocky crags of Long's memory as he recalls the first ascents that defied convention, immortalized by his daring prose. Feel the rush of adrenaline as you navigate treacherous terrains alongside him, where every hold and every step are infused with the raw essence of life itself.

Long's award-winning stories brought into focus the DNA of the athlete's inner experience. How the characters sounded and felt and lived - and sometimes died. In turn literary, noir, absurd, and cosmic, Long's stories span nearly five decades, have been read by millions, and have been translated into many languages. The most classic and well-loved of these stories are now compiled into one volume.

Journey with Long as he unveils the layers beneath the chalk-covered hands - a collection of personal accounts that reveal the vulnerabilities and triumphs that resonate with the universal human spirit.

Review Quotes

"Whether you've met Largo in person or simply encountered his singular voice and muscular prose on the page, it's certain that you've been entertained by one of the greatest, most innovative storytellers in the entire adventure world. With Granite Mariner, Largo is in peak form, with a rollicking collection of stories and essays that invoke both the spirit of adventure and exploration and the untamable cast of characters who form its iconoclastic heart. I couldn't put the book down, and you won't be able to, either. Simply put, this is narrative writing at its finest."

--Matt Samet, author of Death Grip and former editor of Climbing magazine

Climbers, who are not very much given to respect, respect the prose of John Long, the preeminent American adventure writer of his generation. So will readers who enjoy good writing by an author curious about what really makes people do extraordinary things. Long's short narratives flow with an elegance that defies constraint, even as he ventures to test its bounds.

Long has a clear-eyed vantage into the emotional cadence and toll of adventure. This exploration of the human condition is nuanced, heartfelt, and forgiving of the idiosyncrasies that define both adventurers on the rock faces and the human experience in general. The author spares his readers any cloying revelations atop lofty summits or pedantic moral lessons. Instead, he thrillingly unfurls sporadic revelations and fleeting tragic insights, illuminating unforeseen corners of our humanity.

In Long's narratives, wisdom haltingly emerges, whispering partial truths that can be in equal parts humorous and tragic. We are swept into surges of sensation, rapturous moments that transform each one of us into an adventurer in the extraordinary lives of his characters. The tapestry Long has crafted into this collection of stories resonates with the visceral and timeless urge to explore life itself.

--David Smart, winner of the Boardman Tasker Award for Mountain Literature

About the Author

John Long was an original member of the legendary "Stonemasters," a core group of California climbers who lit the fuse on the modern adventure sports revolution. His incredible feats include the first one-day ascent of El Capitan in Yosemite Valley. Long describes himself as "a writer who just happens to get caught up in climbing and adventuring."

John Long has written over forty books, with nearly three million copies in print. His literary short stories have been translated into many languages. He is the recipient of a National Book Award, the H. Adams Carter Literary Award from the American Alpine Club, and has won the Grand Prize at the Banff Film and Book Festival.

John Long has two beautiful daughters and two grandchildren. He currently resides in Venice Beach, California.