Adventurers, Explorers & Survival

From the creators of the New York Times bestselling audio series Campfire Stories and MeatEater’s American History comes a new audiobook original that plunges listeners into the untamed world of a celebrated and misunderstood group of nineteenth-century outdoorsmen: the Mountain Men.

Even among iconic frontiersmen like John C. Fremont, Kit Carson, and Jedediah Smith, Jim Bridger stands out. A mountain man of the American West, straddling the fur trade era and the age of exploration, he lived the life legends are made of....

The author of the #1 New York Times bestseller Saved tells the remarkable story of his harrowing recovery after surviving a deadly Russian missile attack in Ukraine, and shares the most profound lessons he learned about the power of resilience.

From New York Times bestselling author Hampton Sides, an epic account of the most momentous voyage of the Age of Exploration, which culminated in Captain James Cook’s death in Hawaii, and left a complex and controversial legacy still debated to this day....

Into Thin Air is the definitive, personal account of the deadliest season in the history of Everest...

In April 1992 a young man from a well-to-do family hitchhiked to Alaska and walked alone into the wilderness north of Mt. McKinley....

This is the remarkable story of Josef Lewkowicz—Polish Jew and Holocaust survivor who became a Nazi hunter.

A victim of her mother’s Munchausen by proxy and child abuse survivor, Gypsy-Rose Blanchard’s unique and controversial case made headlines across the world. Now, she’s finally free to start living her life on her terms—and to tell her own story as only she can.

Two friends, zero preparation, one dream. From the author of the beloved bestseller The Emerald Mile comes a rollicking and poignant account of an epic 750-mile odyssey, on foot, through the heart of America’s most magnificent national park and the grandest wilderness on earth.

I was born and broken in Birkenhead, abused from infancy by a network of every kind of pervert from ‘thinks it’s love’ to ‘show it hurts’. I was unwanted, beaten, sold, swapped, photographed, filmed, left for dead, corrupted, blamed, betrayed, ignored and orphaned....

On a May afternoon in 1943, an Army Air Forces bomber crashed into the Pacific Ocean and disappeared, leaving only a spray of debris and a slick of oil, gasoline, and blood....

The Trail is a moving story of how nature helps us find what’s missing in our lives. The tale begins with Gil, who in the wake of his father’s death and recently fired from his job, agrees to accompany his father’s old hiking partner Syd on a month-long trek on the John Muir Trail....

The River of Doubt brings alive extraordinary events in a powerful nonfiction narrative thriller that happens to feature one of the most famous Americans who ever lived....

Gather around for campfire stories with the MeatEater crew as they share 16 harrowing true tales of survival, grit, and misfortune in the great outdoors - an immersive audio experience from the host of the long-running Netflix series and top-ranked wilderness podcast....

From one of Outside magazine’s “Literary All-Stars” comes the thrilling true tale of the fastest boat ride ever through the Grand Canyon, atop the legendary Colorado River flood of 1983.

As thrilling as any novel, as taut and exciting as any adventure story, Peter Hathaway Capstick’s Death in the Long Grass takes us deep into the heart of darkness to view Africa through the eyes of one of the most renowned professional hunters.

In Campfire Stories: Narrow Escapes & More Close Calls, storytellers take us from Florida to the Northern Rockies to the Arctic Ocean with wild and true stories, a reminder that the natural world is rugged and unpredictable....

Martha Sherrill brings us to a world that Americans know very little about---the snow country of Japan during World War II....

Susan Casey is our premiere chronicler of the aquatic world. For The Underworld she traversed the globe, joining scientists and explorers on dives to the deepest places on the planet....

Never-before-told details of underground operations during the Vietnam War told through one airman's inspiring story of true love, honor, and courage....

One of the highest-ranking defectors from Scientology exposes the secret inner workings of the powerful organization in this remarkable memoir.

On November 21, 1914, after sailing more than ten thousand miles from Norway to the Antarctic Ocean, the Endurance finally succumbed to the surrounding ice.

On January 20, 2003, a thunderous crack rang out and a 100-foot-wide tide of snow barreled down the Northern Selkirk Mountains in British Columbia, Canada....

The Irish-American story, with all its twists and triumphs, is told through the improbable life of one man....

Hailed as the adventure-writing successor to Hemingway and Ruark, only Peter Hathaway Capstick “can write action as cleanly and suspensefully as the best of his predecessors’ (Sports Illustrated).

After suffering horrific, nearly-fatal injuries while covering the war in Ukraine in 2022, Benjamin Hall was told he’d need to spend two years in a hospital learning how to walk again. Instead, he made it home to his family in just six months. Sustained by his positive attitude and relentless will to keep moving forward, Hall impressed and inspired all those who followed his story and progress, with many wondering how they could bottle his seemingly superhuman resolve.

From the ruins of Persepolis to lawless outposts of the crumbling Ottoman Empire, The Mesopotamian Riddle whisks you on a wild adventure through the golden age of archaeology in an epic quest to understand our past.

Teenage Sammy has been in care from the age of nine. His mother has tragically spent much of his young life in and out of prison. Sammy has never found a safe haven and has been passed from pillar to post. When he arrives with Casey Watson, he is a closed book, but he slowly begins to open up. Casey realises that he has nobody in his life who he counts as family apart from a neighbour, ‘Uncle Kenny’. Sammy dotes on Kenny, even running away to be with him but having come across similar relationships before, alarm bells star to ring for Casey.

Now with a new introduction by Robert Macfarlane and a new afterword by Jenny Odell, this masterpiece of nature writing by Nan Shepherd describes her journeys into “the high and holy places” of the Cairngorm Mountains of Scotland. There she encounters a world of spectacular cliffs, deep silences, and lakes so clear that they cannot be imagined. As she walks through clouds, endures blizzards, and watches the great spirals of eagles in flight, Shepherd comes to know something about the hidden life of this remarkable landscape—and also herself.

Hailed as the adventure-writing successor to Hemingway and Ruark, only Peter Hathaway Capstick “can write action as cleanly and suspensefully as the best of his predecessors’ (Sports Illustrated). This long-awaited sequel to Death in the Silent Places brings to life four turn-of-the-century adventurers and the savage frontiers they braved. * Frederick Selous, a British hunter, naturalist, and soldier, rewrote the history books with his fearless treks deep into Africa. * English game ranger Constantine “Iodine” Ionides saved Tanganyikan villages from man-eating lions and leopards.

The Canadian North is a vast and lonely land where bears roam free, fires rage unchecked, and storms blast every living thing on the tundra. When Stephan Kesting, already no stranger to pushing his own physical limits, was faced with a rare illness, he knew the only way for him to recover in both body and mind was to dig even deeper. Despite the dangers inherent in the sub-arctic, Kesting sets out on an unimaginably difficult journey.

In the chilling and tumultuous annals of seafaring history, few tales are as gripping, horrifying, and ultimately transformative as "Batavia: One Unlucky Voyage". In this riveting narrative, plunge into the roiling waters of the Indian Ocean in 1628, aboard the majestic Dutch East India Company's flagship, the Batavia, on its ill-fated maiden voyage to the Spice Islands. As the ship slices through the sea, unbeknownst to the crew and unsuspecting passengers, mutinous plots thicken in the underbelly of the ship. A plot masterminded by none other than the charismatic apothecary, Jerome ...

This book is written as a travel log to the Churches that have survived and thrived during and after the Castro revolution in Cuba. The author takes you on a journey to the Cuba that Castro has neglected, and time has forgotten. Clean water filtering systems are installed in these Churches. They give it to anyone who is in need. This is a wonderful evangelistic tool. On average a church doubles in size in two years of an installation. The Bibles given out ensure that God’s Word is heard by all the new members. Clean water and Bibles are both scarce in Cuba. Come with him and experience ...

After leaving behind the routines of work life, Kevin Ryan sets out on a 4,000-mile journey by bicycle across America to discover who he is after a fulfilling and busy career. From the charming small towns of New England to the vast, rugged landscapes of the Rocky Mountains, this inspiring memoir captures not only the physical adventure but also the deeper, more personal quest for a renewed sense of purpose.

When German soldiers invaded Poland in September 1939, it began a six-year journey for then-ten-year-old Renee Salt and her mother Sala. Until their liberation in 1945, Renee and Sala were imprisoned in ghettos and concentration camps, including Auschwitz-Birkenau and Bergen-Belsen. The only light in the darkness and brutality for Renee was the unwavering grasp of her mother’s hand in hers–enduring, against all odds. It was this unbreakable bond, along with a few miracles, that kept Renee alive.

Step into one of the most chilling true crime stories ever told — a saga of control, deception, and an unthinkable act of desperation. This gripping book unravels the shocking details of Gypsy Rose Blanchard’s life under the oppressive rule of her mother, Dee Dee Blanchard, who weaved an intricate web of lies fueled by Munchausen syndrome by proxy.

When Kate Whouley saw the classified ad for an abandoned cottage that had to be moved, she began to dream. Transport the cottage . . . attach it to my three-room house . . . create more space for my work and life . . . Smart, single, and self-employed, Whouley was used to fending for herself. But she wasn't prepared for half the complications of her house-moving adventures. Supported by loyal friends, and egged on by her bossy gray cat, Whouley encountered a parade of town officials, a small convoy of State Police, and an army of house-moving, home-building men.

Are you tired of feeling trapped by your past? Do you long for hope and healing? Look no further than From Broken to Blessed. This powerful memoir will not only inspire you, but also provide you with the tools to transform your life.

Aged 15, Lorna was living on the streets of Soho, trying to avoid abuse and rape whilst battling an addiction to heroin. She worked as an escort and a stripper, lost custody of her daughter, and relapsed multiple times. But, somehow, and unlike most of the people imprisoned by the streets, Lorna didn't just survive but she flew.

"Two of my greatest fears have always been hearing the words, ‘You have cancer,’ and being falsely accused of a crime. Well, I guess I can scratch two things off my anti-bucket list.” Tim Sharer became a mentor in 1989 when a student leader application literally hit him in the chest, thrown by a youth minister during a church service. Finding contentment and purpose in helping disciple young men, Tim spent the next thirty years building a community of men who continued to support each other, long after they’d moved on to start their families and careers.

A big trip as a catalyst for personal growth is a familiar story. But what happens when travel becomes a way of life rather than a one-time escape? Tim Mathis, author of the independent hit The Dirtbag’s Guide to Life, has spent decades exploring this question. A seasoned interpreter of adventure, culture, and life’s absurdities, he shares 15 true tales from a lifetime of travel, disruption, and transformation in What Happens If You Keep Going? Among these stories, you’ll find: A teenage clown evangelist in Peru facing a reality check. A pilgrimage in Spain achieving the opposite of ...

Kate Russell's third memoir explores the effects of child abuse. Beginning with her parent's upbringing, chronicling her life, ending in present day, Kate reveals traits, habits and mindsets that developed as the result of early childhood trauma. Long estranged from her abusers, Kate examines choices she made, masks she donned, and the outcome of her efforts through the lens of a survivor in recovery. For anyone who was physically, emotionally, spiritually, intellectually or psychologically abused. Especially those who cope by sweeping their past under the rug.

They were part of the Baby Boomer vanguard, three boys thrown together in a 1950s Southern California subdivision looking like most other boys of that era. Under coonskin hats they ran free all summer long inventing their own games and endless challenges, fought imaginary Indians and pirates in a nearby orange grove, and on occasion battled a neighborhood bully or two. Their greatest enemy, however, was an infectious disease called polio – a paralyzing scourge that maimed and too-often killed little kids.

Caroline's story is revealed in raw and incredible detail. Her connections to her American Indian ancestry and history of the Arkansas land are interwoven throughout, revealing the ancient curses and the stones of time that have seen everything.

Hello, My name is Rami. Please let me introduce my book to you. If I told you that the book had four main themes: 1. My life from 1934 through WWII in and around London and from 1957 up to October 7 2023 in Kibbutz Zikim on the Gaza border; 2. The history of kibbutz and changes in the kibbutz I've lived through since my arrival in Zikim in 1957. From equality to privatization; 3. The relationship with our neighbours across the border in the Gaza Strip over the years; 4. My diary written while taking part in the First Lebanon War; you may consider my book too dry and uninteresting. However, ...

Befriending our inner mind with curiosity opens the way to secure attachments, empathy, and intimacy. Because relationships dominate our inner world, knowing what we feel, and what we think about how we feel, cultivates self-awareness and acceptance. We learn to respect that others have their minds; we stop blaming and seeking scapegoats. Self-reflection, a learnable skill, links raw emotion--the kind we feel in our hearts and guts--to past events and behavior patterns.

This collection of letters from Henry M. Stanley published in 1898, present Henry's view of the then-current state of South Africa. It incorporates his views on the opportunities for the growing nation, highlights the bad management of its politicians, and the tension between the Dutch and English settlers.

"This is the tale of Mark Horrell’s not-so-nearly ascent of Gasherbrum in Pakistan, of how one man’s boredom and frustration was conquered by a gutsy combination of exhaustion, cowardice, and sheer mountaineering incompetence. He made not one, not two, but three intrepid assaults, some of which got quite a distance beyond Base Camp, and overcame many perilous circumstances along the way. The mountaineer Joe Simpson famously crawled for three days with a broken leg, but did he ever have to read Angels and Demons by Dan Brown while waiting for a weather window?

Meet the extraordinary individuals who refused to let disabilities define them. From Paralympic champions and daring adventurers to groundbreaking artists and innovators, these remarkable people overcame immense challenges to achieve greatness. “I tell my story—not about my disability, but about where I come from. No one is perfect, and that’s what makes each story worth sharing.” —Adrian Anantawan, violinist born without a right hand Missing limbs didn’t stop them from winning gold medals, climbing mountains, or racing at top speeds. Total paralysis didn’t prevent them from ...

In Homeless But Not Hopeless, Robert (Bob) Marshall offers an unflinching yet heartwarming account of life on the streets, told through the lens of resilience, humour, and humanity. Far from being a story of unrelenting despair, this audiobook captures the profound and often unexpected moments of connection, kindness, and even laughter that illuminate the darkest of times. From the frigid metal bench at Northwich bus station that served as his bed to the camaraderie of his makeshift community, Robert shares the trials and triumphs of navigating homelessness.