Book excerpt: "The author brings to life the stories of the greatest women adventurers in history. Crossing five continents, these indomitable women faced unimaginable dangers, from deserts and jungles to mountains and icebergs, often armed with little in the way of specialist equipment other than an umbrella and a "good, thick skirt". Spanning a century, this book mixes triumph and tragedy as it follows these heroines' extraordinary adventures. Archival photographs and extracts from diaries, journals, letters, and other writings thrillingly bring to life the unquenchable spirit of adventure of these courageous women."--Global Books in Print.