Rating: 
Summary: Refreshing tale of fearless adventure
Review: Angus' straightforward and readable tale of daring adventure and relentless stamina is a refreshing insight into one of the least documented regions of earth.Although not as well written as the version penned by his expedition team-mate Ben Kozel, "Five Months in a Leaky Boat", it is nonetheless a most enjoyable read and highly recommended to anyone with a spirit of adventure. I suggest readers ignore Bozeman's review of this book on this page, as it looks suspiciously like a bad case of sour grapes from someone who didn't have the skills and perseverence to get his own dream expedition up and running.
Rating:
Summary: Impersonation ---- URGENT
Review: I am very concerned that a review of the book "Lost in Mongolia" by my son, Colin Angus, appears under my name in one of a series of reader reviews on your web-site. My name is Valerie Spentzos, and I DO live on Vancouver Island, but there is no way in the world that I would submit a review, plagiarized at that, on any web-site, for a book by a family member. Colin and I believe that someone is using my name (easily discovered in the book), to discredit his favourable reviews. Kindly remove this review, which I certainly did NOT write, from the web-site, and if possible, print my disclaimer, as such dishonesty is really reprehensible.
Rating:
Summary: Impersonation ---- URGENT
Review: I am very concerned that a review of the book "Lost in Mongolia" by my son, Colin Angus, appears under my name in one of a series of reader reviews on your web-site. My name is Valerie Spentzos, and I DO live on Vancouver Island, but there is no way in the world that I would submit a review, plagiarized at that, on any web-site, for a book by a family member. Colin and I believe that someone is using my name (easily discovered in the book), to discredit his favourable reviews. Kindly remove this review, which I certainly did NOT write, from the web-site, and if possible, print my disclaimer, as such dishonesty is really reprehensible.
Rating: 
Summary: Very Enjoyable
Review: I bought this book for my brother's Christmas present. Having some spare time on my hands, I thought I'd read a few pages... Three days later I finished the book and loved it. I haven't read any other adventure books so I have nothing similar to compare it to, but it sure kept me hooked. Colin turns a journey of chaos and uncertainty into silky prose that will satisfy the non-adventurers. It's an entertaining way to learn about Mongolia and Siberia.
Rating:
Summary: Suberb Adventure Literature
Review: I never thought I'd come across another book as good as Don Starkell's "Paddle to the Amazon". Well this is it! This is a story about true adventure, exploration, interaction with extremely remote cultures and a beautiful portral of a seldom-visited region. The journey starts in North-Eastern Mongolia and it takes five months for these intrepid explorers to travel right through Siberia to the Arctic Ocean. One of the most gripping parts of the book is when Angus is separated from the group for 12 days with nothing but a pair of pants. Through this period he is forced to live off the land until he meets up with his companions 500 km downstream. With nights dropping below zero and without a shirt, shoes, tent or sleeping bag, things start to get quite interesting for Angus. Definitely recommended if you like reading about adventure.
Rating:
Summary: Great Read
Review: I read Colin's first book, Amazon Extreme, and felt compelled to read up on his follow-up adventure. Although I was interested to learn about Siberia and Mongolia, I felt there was no way that Lost in Mongolia would be as exciting as Amazon Extreme. Well I was wrong! Although they weren't shot at by guerrillas or lost in a desert this time around, a whole set of new, and even more intriguing, setbacks plague this intrepid team. Colin is separated from his colleagues for 12 days with nothing more than a pair of pants and a kayak - no food, no money, no shoes, and not even a blanket to keep him warm through the sub-zero nights. This is probably the most interesting part of the book. In the lower Yenisey, the adventurers are almost hit by large ships in the fog and are bombarded by freezing Arctic storms. This was one hell of an adventure! The thing that impresses me most about Colin's expeditions is that they are fueled by hardly anything more than the sheer determination of following a dream. Coming from a working-class background, Colin never allowed finances to get in the way of his ambitions. As is chronicled in Amazon Extreme his adventure in South America was completely self-financed - money earned from his firewood business. I'm glad to see in Lost in Mongolia that the team was finally able to get some assistance from sponsors. I would definitely recommend this book for people looking for an adventure read different than the usual run of the mill. The writing isn't quite the style of Thubron, but the story will keep you hooked from beginning to end
Rating:
Summary: Great Read
Review: I read Colin's first book, Amazon Extreme, and felt compelled to read up on his follow-up adventure. Although I was interested to learn about Siberia and Mongolia, I felt there was no way that Lost in Mongolia would be as exciting as Amazon Extreme. Well I was wrong! Although they weren't shot at by guerrillas or lost in a desert this time around, a whole set of new, and even more intriguing, setbacks plague this intrepid team. Colin is separated from his colleagues for 12 days with nothing more than a pair of pants and a kayak - no food, no money, no shoes, and not even a blanket to keep him warm through the sub-zero nights. This is probably the most interesting part of the book. In the lower Yenisey, the adventurers are almost hit by large ships in the fog and are bombarded by freezing Arctic storms. This was one hell of an adventure! The thing that impresses me most about Colin's expeditions is that they are fueled by hardly anything more than the sheer determination of following a dream. Coming from a working-class background, Colin never allowed finances to get in the way of his ambitions. As is chronicled in Amazon Extreme his adventure in South America was completely self-financed - money earned from his firewood business. I'm glad to see in Lost in Mongolia that the team was finally able to get some assistance from sponsors. I would definitely recommend this book for people looking for an adventure read different than the usual run of the mill. The writing isn't quite the style of Thubron, but the story will keep you hooked from beginning to end
Rating:
Summary: Magnificent!!
Review: I received this book on Christmas day and, much to the dismay of the rellies, I finished it on the same day. As the miserable weather outside lashed at the windows and my Aunt Jennifer babbled about napkin handling etiquette, I was far removed to another world; a land of gushing rivers, Russian mafia, indigenous people, and non-stop action. "Lost in Mongolia" is a true modern-day adventure and Angus vividly details the trials and tribulations that he and his team encounter as they attempt to become the first to fully navigate the length of the world's fifth longest river. It is obvious that the quest to be "first" comes secondary to the team's desire to simply get out and explore the most remote regions of our planet from a unique perspective. Angus' strongest writing comes through as he describes the varied characters that they enounter the whole way down the river. For me, the most haunting moment came near the end where, at 71 degrees lattitude in the perpetual grey twilight of the tundra, they come across a scattering of human bones, remnants of Stalin's period of terror. And amongst the bones a small rotted leather shoe is found, obviously from a little girl. It is a mystery that leaves the reader feeling uncomfortable, juxtaposed near the team's triumphant ending at the Arctic Ocean. This adventure is definitely worth reading about. It is an insightful and difficult journey through one of the last regions on the planet untouched by tourism.
Rating:
Summary: Magnificent!!
Review: I received this book on Christmas day and, much to the dismay of the rellies, I finished it on the same day. As the miserable weather outside lashed at the windows and my Aunt Jennifer babbled about napkin handling etiquette, I was far removed to another world; a land of gushing rivers, Russian mafia, indigenous people, and non-stop action. "Lost in Mongolia" is a true modern-day adventure and Angus vividly details the trials and tribulations that he and his team encounter as they attempt to become the first to fully navigate the length of the world's fifth longest river. It is obvious that the quest to be "first" comes secondary to the team's desire to simply get out and explore the most remote regions of our planet from a unique perspective. Angus' strongest writing comes through as he describes the varied characters that they enounter the whole way down the river. For me, the most haunting moment came near the end where, at 71 degrees lattitude in the perpetual grey twilight of the tundra, they come across a scattering of human bones, remnants of Stalin's period of terror. And amongst the bones a small rotted leather shoe is found, obviously from a little girl. It is a mystery that leaves the reader feeling uncomfortable, juxtaposed near the team's triumphant ending at the Arctic Ocean. This adventure is definitely worth reading about. It is an insightful and difficult journey through one of the last regions on the planet untouched by tourism.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent Adventure Book
Review: The best way to summarize the way I felt after reading this book is jealous! The concept seemed so simple: to voyage the complete length of the world's fifth longest river, yet it is unbelievable that in the 21st century no one had done it before them. I thought all the firsts had been done! This book isn't just about rapids, waterfalls, and man against the elements, it is also very insightful and Angus does a wonderful job of portraying the varied characters that the team encounters in remotest Mongolia and Siberia. This book is a Bryson meets Hyerdhal: it is humorous, interesting and very exciting. Definite thumbs up!
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