Chris Santella – författare

Fifty Places to Run Before You Die is a beautifully illustrated collection of the most exhilarating running courses in the world. Featuring a balance of popular races (marathons, 10Ks, and endurance runs) and scenic trails off the beaten path, as well as interviews with accomplished runners and leaders of respected running organizations, this book divulges the details that make each venue unique—and plenty of tips for those who aspire to run there. Readers will discover events and courses both national and international, including the Ultra-Trail du Mont Blanc in France, the New York City Marathon, the Vancouver Sun Run, the Grand Canyon, the Dolomites in Italy, and the Great Ocean Road Marathon in Australia. Fifty Places to Run Before You Die is an essential travel companion for runners of all levels seeking to conquer new terrain while breaking personal records.

In 1894, a lighthouse keeper named David Lyall arrived on Stephens Island off New Zealand with a cat named Tibbles. In just over a year, the Stephens Island Wren, a rare bird endemic to the island, was rendered extinct. Mounting scientific evidence confirms what many conservationists have suspected for some time--that in the United States alone, free-ranging cats are killing birds and other animals by the billions. Equally alarming are the little-known but potentially devastating public health consequences of rabies and parasitic Toxoplasma passing from cats to humans at rising rates. Cat Wars tells the story of the threats free-ranging cats pose to biodiversity and public health throughout the world, and sheds new light on the controversies surrounding the management of the explosion of these cat populations. This compelling book traces the historical and cultural ties between humans and cats from early domestication to the current boom in pet ownership, along the way accessibly explaining the science of extinction, population modeling, and feline diseases.It charts the developments that have led to our present impasse--from Stan Temple's breakthrough studies on cat predation in Wisconsin to cat-eradication programs underway in Australia today. It describes how a small but vocal minority of cat advocates has campaigned successfully for no action in much the same way that special interest groups have stymied attempts to curtail smoking and climate change. Cat Wars paints a revealing picture of a complex global problem--and proposes solutions that foresee a time when wildlife and humans are no longer vulnerable to the impacts of free-ranging cats.

FISHING ADVENTURES FROM THE AUTHOR OF 50 PLACES TO FLY FISH BEFORE YOU DIEThese thirty stories take readers from leaping makos near the fairways of Torrey Pines to midnight Atlantic salmon fishing on the fabled Ponoi to encounters with very friendly mujeres on the streets of Havana . . . and even offer an unauthorized (yet unequivocal) account of Bob Dylan’s 1970s obsession with fishing. Santella’s peripatetic lifestyle and eye for entertaining details--even those that have little to do with the act of throwing flies at fish--will make you look at fishing in a whole different way.

In Fifty Places to Camp Before You Die, Chris Santella illuminates the best destinations for exploring the great outdoors. The book features the world’s top spots for sleeping under the stars and enjoying a host of outdoor recreational activities that make camping such a time-honoured tradition. Featuring favorite US National Parks destinations—as well as more exotic locales in Italy, Chile, France, Botswana, Germany and more—Santella provides helpful information and tips that will appeal to novice campers and seasoned outdoorsmen alike. Interviews with camping experts and beautiful, vibrant photography bring each location to life. Fifty Places to Camp Before You Die makes camping trips more accessible with easy-to-follow advice, enthralling anecdotes and tips and plans for creating your own amazing outdoor memories.

Fifty Places to Surf Before You Die is a beautifully illustrated guide to the most thrilling surfing destinations in the world. Covering quintessential beaches, including: Oahu’s North Shore; Australia’s Gold Coast; and of course, Malibu, California, the book also invites you to discover such unexpected gems as the Amazon and the Gulf of Alaska. From the frigid waters off Iceland’s Reykjanes Peninsula to Nazaré, Portugal, where in 2013 Garrett McNamara broke a world record for surfing the tallest wave (78 feet!), Fifty Places to Surf takes readers on a wide-roving adventure, divulging the details that make each venue unique—and plenty of tips for those who aspire to surf there. Featuring interviews with seasoned surfing experts such as pro surfer Joel Parkinson and Billabong executive Shannan North, Fifty Places to Surf Before You Die is an essential travel companion for surfers of all levels who are looking to catch that perfect wave.

The author of the bestselling Fifty Places series returns with a globe-trotting guide to the best and most beautiful places to rock climb around the world Fifty Places to Rock Climb Before You Die is a beautifully illustrated guide to some of the greatest rock-climbing locations around the world, as recommended by expert climbers. The book will cover three types of climbing—trad, sport, and bouldering—and will showcase breathtaking venues from Joshua Tree to Jeju, South Korea. Featuring insights from industry insiders, including employees from rock-climbing gear companies like Petzl and Black Diamond Equipment, professional climbers like Jon Cardwell and Kevin Jorgeson (co-star of Dawn Wall), filmmaker Michael Call, and Climbing magazine editor Matt Samet, Fifty Places to Rock Climb Before You Die is the essential travel companion for climbers of all levels of expertise.

The author of the bestselling Fifty Places series returns with a collection of the most meditative and relaxing locales for every type of yoga practiceFifty Places to Practice Yoga Before You Die is the seventeenth entry in Chris Santella’s bestselling Fifty Places series. The book shares yogis’ recommendations for the best and most beautiful places to do yoga as well as tips for how to plan the trip. It covers a variety of venues around the world that cater to many different classes and styles of yoga, including Anusara, Ashtanga, Bikram, hot yoga, Iyengar, Restorative, and Vinyasa. The following breathtaking, diverse locales are explored throughout:Haines, Alaska - Lake Louise, Alberta - Antarctic Peninsula, Antarctica - Sedona, Arizona - Melbourne, Australia - Uluru, Australia - Austria, St. Anton - Nassau, Bahamas - Paro, Bhutan - Welgevonden Game Reserve/Tuli Reserve, Botswana - Salt Spring Island, British Columbia - Joshua Tree, California - Los Angeles, California - Ojai, California - San Francisco, California - Watsonville, California - Siem Reap, Cambodia - Torres Del Paine, Chile - Denver, Colorado - Nosara, Costa Rica - Malta, Europe - Islamorada, Florida - Lake Atilan, Guatemala - Kapaau, Hawaii - Maui, Hawaii - Goa, India - Mysore (Mysuru), India - Pune, India - Rishikesh, India - Bali, Indonesia - Val de Chio, Italy - Boston, Massachusetts - Stockbridge, Massachusetts - Tulum, Mexico - Helena, Montana - Taghazout, Morocco - Bagan, Myanmar - Pokhara, Nepal - Glenorchy, New Zealand - Popoyo, Nicaragua - Valdres, Norway - Palmer Rapids, Ontario - John Day River, Oregon - Oregon City, Oregon - The Sacred Valley, Peru - Siargao, Philippines - Olhão, Portugal - Unawatuna, Sri Lanka - Kho Phangan, Thailand - London, United Kingdom

The bestselling Fifty Places series returns with a collection of creative, adventurous trips for dogs and the humans who love themFifty Places to Travel with Your Dog, the 18th book in the Fifty Places series, will explore all of the domestic and international ways dog owners can celebrate their love for man’s best friend. From the dazzling glaciers of Alaska and the onsen’s of Japan to the sun-soaked beaches of Portugal, this book takes you on a dog-approved journey of where to stay and how to travel with your beloved furry friend. Enjoy locations such as the ski trails of Mariposa, the gothic architecture of Prague, the chic salons of Paris for a doggy makeover, and the world’s first dog cruise—complete with a canine-friendly menu, even a three-course meal! See the world as you’ve never seen it before—through the eyes of your pup—as Fifty Places to Travel with Your Dog takes you through fun-filled festivals, special dog holidays, and luxurious hotels and retreats that aren’t just dog-centric, they are dog approved!

Fifty Places to Travel Solo provides a roadmap to the very best and safest places for those who choose to adventure on their own.If there’s one striking travel trend in recent years, it’s a massive rise in solo travel. Fifty Places to Travel Solo features idyllic venues from around the world, interviews with solo travel experts, and a mix of urban and outdoor adventures well‑suited for individuals. Fellow travelers from a range of races, genders, physical handicaps, lifestyles, and ages offer their candid advice to the budding solo travelers of the world about which place didn't just make them feel welcome, but left the greatest impact on their lives.With both young and mature travelers alike beginning their solo travel journeys, this guide features two different travel options for each destination, “On a budget” and “Luxe,” so no matter who you are, or where, you will find the perfect accommodations to satisfy your wanderlust!These locations offer the perfect mix of whatever solo trip you are yearning for, whether it be the serenity found in the crystal‑clear waters of the Greek Isles, the adventure of hiking the unbelievable waterfalls and glaciers of Iceland, or the exciting culture found walking the streets of Portugal.Featured Destinations: Alaska - Glacier Bay and Beyond, Alberta – Banff, Antarctica – Antarctica, Argentina - Buenos Aires, Arizona - Grand Canyon, Australia – Melbourne, Austria -Vienna, Bhutan – Paro, British Columbia - Emerald Lake, British Columbia – Vancouver, Bulgaria - Rhodope Mountains, California - Palm Springs, Chile – Patagonia, Costa Rica – Nosara, Cuba – Havana, Czech Republic – Prague, Denmark – Copenhagen, Egypt - Nile River, England - Lake District, Fjords – Norway, Funafuti – Tuvalu, Georgia – Savannah, Greece - Greek Isles, Iceland – Reykjavik, Ireland – Dublin, Italy – Sicily, Japan – Tokyo, Louisiana - New Orleans, Maine – Portland, Malawi - Northern Region, Massachusetts – Boston, Mexico – Oaxaca, Mexico – Tulum, Montana – Whitefish, New York - New York, New Zealand - The North Island, North Carolina – Asheville, Oregon – Bend, Portugal – Lisbon, San Juan - Puerto Rico, Slovenia – Tour, Spain - Camino de Santiago, Taiwan – Taipei, Thailand – Pai, Tennessee – Nashville, Utah – Moab, Utah - Zion National Park, Vietnam – Tour, Washington - Olympic National Park, Washington - The Pacific Crest TrailFifty Places seriesFifty Places to Fly Fish Before You DieFifty Places to Play Golf Before You DieFifty Places to Sail Before You DieFifty Places to Dive Before You DieFifty More Places to Golf Before You DieFifty Places to Hike Before You DieFifty Places to Bike Before You DieFifty Places to Ski & Snowboard Before You DieFifty Places to Paddle Before You DieFifty Places to Camp Before You DieFifty Places to Drink Beer Before You DieFifty Places to Run Before You Die Fifty Places to Surf Before You DieFifty Places to Rock Climb Before You DieFifty Places to Practice Yoga Before You DieFifty Places to Travel with Your Dog Before You DieFifty Places to Travel Solo Before You DieBooks in the Fifty Places to Go series are the perfect gift for the adventurer in your life—whether they’re planning their next trip or dreaming from their armchair.

Belgian Flats is the story of a fly-fishing guide named Cody who’s hit a career dead-end after a dozen years guiding on a famed western trout stream. Cody’s mysterious and bombastic mentor, JD, suggests that Cody take a job as a lodget manager at a prestigious Atlantic salmon lodge in northwestern Russia. The story follows Cody’s travels to the Kola Peninsula and his encounters with the characters that filter through—from Oxbridge professors who can’t cast, to philosophizing oligarchs, to Sami herdsmen who are not above kidnapping lodge staff to maintain control of their historic lands. There’s even a love interest. Belgian Flats provides an offbeat and humorous insider’s view of the fly-fishing world that angling aficionados will appreciate.

For both armchair travelers and avid outdoorsmen and women, Fifty Places to Fly Fish Before You Die maps out the top fly-fishing destinations around the world. Through in-depth interviews with fifty fly-fishing gurus, including Dan Callaghan (noted fly-fishing photographer), John Randolph (editor-in-chief of Fly Fisherman magazine), Mike Fitzgerald (president of Frontiers, the world's leading fly-fishing travel company), and Joan Wulff (a women's fly-fishing pioneer), author Chris Santella goes beyond standard fishing guides to convey the very essence of each location. Readers can vicariously cast mouse pattners to fifty-pound taimen in the wilds of Mongolia, wrangle with wily permit off the Florida Keys, and match the hatch on Montana's Armstrong's Spring Creek. From Cuba to Kamchatka, each essay includes a cultural and natural history of the featured spot, colourful anecdotes based on the author's and authorities' experiences, and, finally, some "if you go" travel and tackle information so that the more adventurous can start planning their next fishing excursion. With 40 breathtakingly beautiful photographs of the spots, many by celebrated fly-fishing photographer R. Valentine Atkinson, this book is a lovely gift for any fisherman.

There’s an incredible similarity between the mechanics of a fly cast and the swing of a golf club. Perhaps that’s why Chris Santella, author of Fifty Places to Fly Fish Before You Die, can be found on the links when he’s not on the stream. With Fifty Places to Play Golf Before You Die, Santella gives voice to his other sporting passion, interviewing 50 people intimately connected to the sport about some of their favorite courses around the world.For both passionate golfers and armchair travelers, this gorgeous full-color book presents the world’s greatest golf venues, the personal favorites of renowned players, course architects, and other experts in the sport. From Ballyliffin, Ireland’s northernmost course, whose rumpled fairways wander along the North Sea in the shadows of Glashedy Rock, to New Zealand’s Cape Kidnappers, perched atop dramatic cliffs some 500 feet above the ocean, the book’s beautiful photographs capture the architecture, noteworthy holes, location, and ambiance that make these courses standouts for ardent golfers. A brief history of each course, an experiential account—filled with local color—from the person recommending the venue, and trip-planning advice provide adventurous readers with all the information they need to chip and putt their way around the globe.A close-up look at golf’s top courses around the world, recommended by such experts as Nick Faldo and Christie Kerr (pro golfers), Pete Dye and Tom Doak (course architects), Brian McCallen (editor and author), and Donald TrumpWith breathtaking color photographs of each site, this is a great gift for avid golfers and armchair travelers alike

Mankind has plied the waves of the ocean since the dawn of recorded time, seeking sustenance, riches and adventure. "Fifty Places To Sail Before You Die" maps out some of the world's great sailing venues, as shared by both champion racers and celebrated adventurers. Venues range from clubby New England ports like Newport to the hair-raising passage around Cape Horn to idyllic island retreats like Mopelia. In addition to colourful descriptions of the sailing spots and anecdotes from some of the world's greatest sailors, "Fifty Places To Sail Before You Die" will include brilliant photographs and enough information to help would-be sailors chart their own adventure in these areas.

The earth’s oceans hold many wondrous surprises—be they the small, colorful “critters” off the coast of Papua New Guinea, opportunistic red demon squids in the Sea of Cortes, or naval wrecks in the lagoon of Bikini Atoll. In Fifty Places to Dive Before You Die Chris Santella has invited diving experts from around the world to share some of their favorite destinations, so ardent divers can experience these underwater wonders for themselves—either on location in their SCUBA gear, or at home in their armchair. The fifth in Santella’s bestselling “Fifty Places” series, the book takes divers from hot-spot destinations like Raja Ampat (off the coast of West Guinea) to old Caribbean favorites like Grand Cayman Isles. Readers will swim among whale sharks off Myanmar, befriend wolf eels off the coast of Maine, and marvel at the giant mola mola of Lembognan, Indonesia. These wonderful creatures—plus the brilliant coral reefs that often provide their backdrop—are captured in 40 gorgeous color photos from the world’s greatest underwater photographers. And for readers who want to travel to these breathtaking locales, Santella provides complete “If You Go” suggestions to help you plan your trip.

Fifty More Places to Play Golf Before You Die is the sixth of Chris Santella’s popular “Fifty Places” books (more than 250,000 copies in print), and the first to return to golf—the series’ most popular subject. In this new book Santella interviews 50 luminaries in the golf world about their favorite courses and experiences. Experts range from seasoned touring professionals (Amy Alcott, Fred Funk) to journalists and photographers (James Dodson, Brian Morgan) to golf course architects (Robert von Hagge, Bob Harrison) to travel specialists (Gordon Dalgleish, Mike Lardner). Old Country favorites like Royal Dornoch and Machrihanish in Scotland are featured, but so are venues far off the linksters’ beaten path, like Nirwana, Bali, where the course runs beside rice paddies in the shadow of ancient temples, and China’s Jade Dragon Snow Mountain, where players tee off at 10,000 feet, at the base of the Himalayas. More than 40 spectacular photos capture the allure of these unforgettable golf destinations.

Chris Santella, along with top expedition leaders, explores the world’s greatest walking adventures. Some, such as the Lunana Snowman Trek in Bhutan and the Kangshung Valley Trek in Tibet, are grueling multiweek adventures at high altitudes. Others, such as Japan’s Nakesando Trail, move leisurely from village to village, allowing walkers to immerse themselves in the local culture.Whether it’s climbing the Rwandan mountains to view mountain gorillas or strolling through bistros along Italy’s Amalfi Coast, there’s a memorable hike at everyone’s level within these 50 chapters. With commentaries from expert trekkers and insider tips that lead the reader off the beaten path, Santella has again captured the special characteristics that make these must-visit destinations.

In the ninth addition to his bestselling “Fifty Places” series, author Chris Santella is back at it again, this time exploring the world on bikes with Fifty Places to Bike Before You Die. Biking has grown increasingly popular in recent years, as both a leisure and extreme exercise activity and Chris cover trips for cyclists of every level. Fifty Places to Bike covers environments as varied as the Dalmatian Coast in Croatia, the Tour de Tuli through Botswana, and the urban jungle of New York City. With a healthy mix of international and national locations, the fifty chapters capture breathtaking vistas cyclists will enjoy around the world. As always the places are brought to life with more than 40 stunning colour photographs.

Fifty Places to Ski and Snowboard Before You Die—the 10th book in the popular Fifty Places series—takes readers to some of the world’s most inspiring skiing/snowboarding destinations: the Chugach Mountains (Alaska); Aspen, Crested Butte, and Steamboat Springs (Colorado); Tuckerman Ravine (New Hampshire); Rusutsu (Japan); Chamonix (France); Portillo (Chile); and Whistler Blackcomb (British Columbia). Based on interviews with leading experts, the book chronicles the rich history of these sports and the people who have mastered them, including Tommy Moe, Jonny Moseley, Billy Kidd, and Greg Harms. Above all, Santella provides readers with the gorgeous scenery, the glamorous ambiance, and the always thrilling experience of visiting mountains from the Alps to the Rockies, whether it’s après-ski in Cortina or helicopter rides into virgin Alaskan powder. Praise for Fifty Places to Ski and Snowboard Before You Die “Even the reader who gets no farther than the couch can feel transported to the snow-covered peaks, mogul fields, and sparkling expanses sculpted by the book’s avalanche of quirky nuggets, insider tips, and historical perspectives . . . After writing nine other Fifty Places guides, author Chris Santella has the drill down.” —Reuters.com “Whether you’re an expert looking to hit the double diamond moguls or a beginner who wants a gentle slope just in case stopping is an issue, these spots have a little something for everyone.” —The Daily Beast “For powderhounds, Fifty Places to Ski & Snowboard Before You Die by Chris Santella ($25) looks at snow sports destinations around the world.” —Associated Press

The Hatch is On! will be a celebration, in both words and pictures, of fly fishing's most treasured insect emergences and the incredible angling experiences these hatches create.