JULIAN SMITH
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Aloha Rodeo
Three Hawaiian Cowboys, the World's Greatest Rodeo, and a Hidden History of the American West
One of NPR’s 100 Best Books of the Year
2020 Oregon Book Award Winner

In August 1908, three unknown riders arrived in Cheyenne, Wyoming, their hats adorned with wildflowers, to compete in the world’s greatest rodeo.

Steer-roping virtuoso Ikua Purdy and his cousins Jack Low and Archie Ka’au’a had travelled 3,000 miles from Hawaii, of all places, to test themselves against the toughest riders in the West.

Dismissed by whites, who considered themselves the only true cowboys, the native Hawaiians would astonish the country, returning home champions—and American legends. 

An inspiring and impeccably crafted story of against-all-odds triumph.
​—Simon Winchester

One of the best single volumes on the rise and diversity of the North American cattle industry and the cowboy culture.
— True West Magazine


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Smokejumper
A Memoir by One of America's Most Select Airborne Firefighters
Jason Ramos
Jason Ramos, a U.S. Smokejumper in his 16th season, has been fighting fires for nearly 26 years from Alaska to Florida.

Based out of the North Cascades Smokejumper Base in the rugged Cascade Mountains of Washington State, Jason has faced burning buildings, raging wildfires and nearly everything between.

Smokejumpers are highly trained wildland firefighters who parachute into remote areas to fight fires at their source, before they grow too large to manage.

These elite professionals work independently in some of the most rugged terrain and under the worst conditions imaginable. They remain one of the oldest resources deployed by government agencies today.

Jason's story is a thrilling inside look into one of the world's most dangerous and difficult jobs.


A fun and valuable read...[a] touching and fast-paced memoir. 
— Washington Post

Ramos is an expert guide through a fearful world.
— USA Today

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​Crossing the Heart of Africa
An Odyssey of Love and Adventure
Journalist Julian Smith is madly in love with his girlfriend of seven years . . . but terrified by the idea of making a lifelong commitment.

Inspired by the story of British adventurer Ewart Grogan, who marched the length of Africa in 1898 to win the hand of the woman he loved, Julian faces down his fears by retracing an incredible 4,500-mile journey from South Africa to Sudan, just months before his own wedding.

Crossing the Heart of Africa is the unforgettable account of these twin adventures, beautifully interweaving Julian's contemporary journey with Grogan’s larger-than-life tale of charging elephants, cannibal attacks, deadly jungles and romantic triumph.

​​Both a mission impossible and a mission of love.
— CNN.com

Julian Smith, a talented travel writer…evokes Grogan, his adventures and his world with both insight and panache…and matchless skill.
— Washington Post

An insightful and often uproarious romp.
— Boston Globe

Awards
  • Outstanding Book Award, American Society of Journalists and Authors
  • Special Jury Mention, Banff Mountain Festival Book Competition
  • Lowell Thomas Travel Journalism Award, Society of American Travel Writers
© Julian Smith. All rights reserved.