The Best Adventure Books
Adventure books are among the most exciting and inspiring works in travel literature, offering stories that celebrate discovery, endurance, and the thrill of exploration. Some of the best adventure books are written with real humor, following everyday travelers who throw themselves into extreme situations and share their missteps with wit and honesty. Others deliver gripping, serious accounts of harrowing expeditions—whether it’s scaling treacherous mountain peaks, braving polar ice, or surviving shipwrecks and disasters. These travel adventure books capture the spirit of pushing human boundaries, blending fascinating history, unforgettable journeys, and heart-stopping moments that are impossible to put down.
Into Thin Air, by Jon Krakauer Jon Krakauer
Jon Krakauer's Into Thin Air unfolds like a waking nightmare of ambition and catastrophe, chronicling the author's firsthand experience during the deadliest day in Mount Everest's climbing history when eight people perished in a sudden storm in May 1996. What makes this account so gripping isn't just the harrowing survival story, it's Krakauer's examination of his own complicity in the tragedy, his journalist's eye for the commercial circus that Everest had become, and his ability to transform altitude-induced confusion and guilt into crystalline writing that captures both the sublime beauty and grotesque reality of humanity's obsession with conquering the world's tallest peak. The book is ultimately a meditation on the thin line between heroism and hubris, where the pursuit of personal glory collides with the unforgiving physics of oxygen-starved air and the brutal mathematics of survival at 29,000 feet.
The Best Adventure Travel Books
The Best Adventure Travel Books
The Worst Journey in the World, by Apsley Cherry-Garrard
One of our best recommendations for stories about exploration is The Worst Journey in the World, the intense story of the tragic scientific expedition led by Robert Falcon Scott in 1911 to Antarctica, where five people died just after reaching the South Pole. The author was one of the surviving members on the team, and he provides a truly personal account of the entire three-year campaign, with special insight into polar exploration at the time, the extreme challenges faced by the team, and the motivation that drives humans to such an endeavor. Notably, the title itself comes not from the South Pole attempt but from a harrowing midwinter side journey the author made with two colleagues across the Ross Ice Shelf in total darkness and temperatures reaching minus 40 degrees, with the sole purpose of collecting Emperor penguin eggs for scientific study. Read our full book review.
God's Middle Finger, by Richard Grant
Plunge into the wildest depths of Southeast Asia with Into the Heart of Borneo, a side-splitting adventure that tops our list of must-read travel books. Scottish writer Redmond O'Hanlon, armed with more wit than wilderness skills, embarks on a perilous expedition not attempted since 1926. Joined by his equally unprepared friend, poet James Fenton, and three bemused native guides, O'Hanlon stumbles through the untamed jungles of Borneo, facing challenges that would make even hardened adventurers quake. Their ostensible mission is to locate the nearly extinct Borneo rhinoceros deep in the Sarawak interior, a quest that leads them through treacherous rapids, clouds of insects, and villages where the locals generously keep them drunk on rice wine until they can barely stand. Read our full book review.
Endurance, by Alfred Lansing
Plunge into the icy depths of Antarctic adventure with Endurance, Alfred Lansing's gripping account of Ernest Shackleton's audacious attempt to conquer the South Pole. Far from a mere expedition tale, this riveting narrative unveils an extraordinary saga of human perseverance against nature's harshest extremes. As Shackleton's crew battles crushing ice, bitter cold, and dwindling hope, readers witness the emergence of true leadership in the face of seemingly insurmountable odds. Hailed as one of the greatest exploration stories ever told, Endurance will leave you breathless, inspired, and in awe of the indomitable human spirit. See our full book review here.
Into the Heart of Borneo, by Redmond O'Hanlon
Plunge into the wildest depths of Southeast Asia with Into the Heart of Borneo, a side-splitting adventure that tops our list of must-read travel books. Scottish writer Redmond O'Hanlon, armed with more wit than wilderness skills, embarks on a perilous expedition not attempted since 1926. Joined by his equally unprepared friend, poet James Fenton, and three bemused native guides, O'Hanlon stumbles through the untamed jungles of Borneo, facing challenges that would make even hardened adventurers quake. Their ostensible mission is to locate the nearly extinct Borneo rhinoceros deep in the Sarawak interior, a quest that leads them through treacherous rapids, clouds of insects, and villages where the locals generously keep them drunk on rice wine until they can barely stand. Read our full book review here.
A Long Way Home, by Saroo Brierley
A Long Way Home is the remarkable true story of Saroo Brierley, who at five years old became lost on a train in India, completely separating him from his family. Adopted by an Australian couple, he grew up in Tasmania, but memories of his childhood never faded. Twenty-five years later, armed with only fragmented recollections and Google Earth, Saroo embarked on a truly extraordinary journey to find his birth mother. This amazing tale of perseverance and family bonds captivated readers worldwide and was later adapted into the acclaimed film 'Lion,' starring Dev Patel and Nicole Kidman.
A Wolverine is Eating My Leg, by Tim Cahill
Tim Cahill is one of our favorite adventure travel writers, noted for his wry and self-deprecating humor and willingness to put himself into some crazy situations. A Wolverine is Eating My Leg is one of his best collections of travel writing. Follow Cahill's unexpected encounters as he travels around the world, with plenty of daring adventures and a lack of advance planning that will keep you laughing. The range of the book is genuinely startling; in the same volume you'll find Cahill whitewater rafting through the Himalayas, spending time among Dian Fossey's mountain gorillas in Rwanda, and arriving at Jonestown in Guyana just days after the 1978 mass suicide to file one of the most haunting pieces of the collection. It's that combination of gonzo adventure and serious journalism that sets Cahill apart from other writers in the genre. Read our full book review here.
Farther Than Any Man, by Martin Dugard
Captain James Cook's extraordinary voyages come alive in Martin Dugard's Farther Than Any Man. This gripping account follows Cook from the treacherous waters of Cape Horn to the lush islands of Tahiti, the dangerous Great Barrier Reef, and the icy expanse of Antarctica. Through Cook's own journal entries, readers experience his groundbreaking discoveries, tense encounters with indigenous peoples, and the constant struggle against nature's fury. From claiming Australia for Britain to his tragic demise in Hawaii, Cook's tale is one of unparalleled exploration that forever changed our understanding of the world. Read our full book review here.
The Good Girl's Guide to Getting Lost, by Rachel Friedman
The Good Girl's Guide to Getting Lost is a well-written and funny memoir by recently graduated college student Rachel Friedman. Confused with what to do next with her life, she buys a ticket to Ireland and gets drawn into the wonders of exploring the world. Following her own adventure in three different countries, Rachel recounts her experiences through self-deprecating humor with a unique and captivating voice. The unlikely catalyst for all of it is a free-spirited Australian named Carly she meets while sharing an apartment in Galway, whose easy comfort with the unplanned and unpredictable opens Rachel's eyes to a completely different way of moving through the world. The two eventually reunite for a yearlong journey through Australia and South America, highlighted by a white-knuckle bike ride down Bolivia's notorious Death Road that perfectly captures how far Rachel has traveled — in every sense — from the cautious good girl she was on page one. Read our full book review here.
Blood River, by Tim Butcher
Blood River is the adventure masterpiece by journalist Tim Butcher's attempt in 2004 to recreate the illustrious 1874 journey taken by H.M. Stanley into the heart of the African Congo. The conditions were not much better for Butcher, making for an extremely arduous but entertaining adventure. In this non-fiction narrative, readers join Butcher journeys down the mysterious and fabled Congo River, navigating its treacherous waters and exotic landscapes and offering captivating insights into one of Africa's most fascinating lands. What makes the feat all the more staggering is that Butcher traveled alone, setting out from the Congo's eastern border with nothing but a rucksack and a few thousand dollars hidden in his boots, cobbling together passage by motorbike and dugout canoe through a country that aid workers and diplomats had warned him was simply too dangerous to enter. Read our full book review here.
Vagabonding, by Rolf Potts
Vagabonding is the quintessential guide by Rolf Potts on how to navigate long-term world travel, ahead of its time and full of practical insights on how to actually make the trip successful. There's plenty of inspiration by way of quirky experiences, irreverent musings on local cultures, and helpful travel tips peppered throughout this unique travel guide. With an off-beat sense of humor and no-nonsense approach, Vagabonding will likely inspire you that everyone is capable going wherever they want - both physically and mentally. Potts backs that up with his own experience, having traveled across Asia for years on as little as five dollars a day, which makes his central argument — that the real barrier to long-term travel is not money but the willingness to reprioritize your life around it — feel earned rather than merely aspirational. Read our full book review here.
Long Way Round, by Ewan McGregor and Charley Boorman
Long Way Round is the funny narrative of Ewan McGregor and Charley Boorman and their 20,000-mile motorcycle trip traveling east around the world. They are both famous actors of course, but here they simply come across as normal friends lucky enough to follow a crazy dream. Follow along to witness these famous faces transformed into helmet-wearing, road-loving adventurers, conquering the world one mile at a time. The whole thing started, as great ideas often do, with McGregor staring at a map on a quiet Saturday afternoon and realizing he could ride nearly the entire way around the world with just one short hop across the Bering Strait from Russia to Alaska — and within minutes he was on the phone to Boorman. The route they end up riding — through Ukraine, Kazakhstan, the remote Road of Bones across Siberia, and into Mongolia before crossing to Alaska and down to New York — is as wild as anything in adventure travel literature, and the fact that they documented every campfire and breakdown along the way makes it all the more irresistible. Read our full book review here.
The Long Walk, by Slavomir Rawicz
The Long Walk: The True Story of a Trek to Freedom recounts the extraordinary journey of a Polish Army lieutenant who, in 1941, escaped from a Siberian gulag with six others. After Poland's invasion by Nazi Germany, they reportedly walked 4,000 grueling miles to freedom, showcasing incredible human resilience. Their harrowing trek took them through some of the world's most unforgiving landscapes, from frozen Siberian forests to the scorching Gobi Desert. This inspiring tale of survival against overwhelming odds, fueled by an unwavering desire for freedom, later inspired the 2010 film The Way Back, bringing their remarkable story to a wider audience.
Terra Incognita: Travels in Antarctica
In 1994, Sara Wheeler became the first woman to serve as writer-in-residence at the South Pole, spending seven months living among scientists at the bottom of the world. The book she wrote about it became an international bestseller. Terra Incognita is part travel memoir, part meditation on solitude and wilderness, and part love letter to the most remote place on earth. Wheeler weaves her own experience into the long history of Antarctic exploration, from Shackleton to Scott, never losing sight of the continent's pull on the human imagination. The New York Times called it gripping, emotional, and compelling. It remains one of the great travel books of its era.
Walden on Wheels, by Ken Ilgunas
Walden on Wheels chronicles Duke University grad student Ken Ilgunas' innovative approach to avoiding crushing student debt, drawing inspiration from Henry David Thoreau's philosophy of simple living. This unexpectedly engaging book offers a candid and often self-deprecating account of Ilgunas' experiences as he explores America and makes his home in a renovated 1993 Ford Econoline van. Through his unconventional journey of self-discovery, Ilgunas weaves together moments of wit, adventure, and personal growth, providing readers with a fresh perspective on modern challenges and the pursuit of financial freedom. Read our full review here.
Sailing Alone Around the World, by Captain Joshua Slocum
Fans of maritime literature will find much to appreciate in Sailing Around the World, Joshua Slocum's compelling account of his groundbreaking 1895 solo circumnavigation. This seminal work, one of the earliest chronicles of a global sailing journey, has enthralled readers since its publication at the dawn of the 20th century. Slocum's narrative skillfully balances technical sailing details with vivid descriptions of his encounters and challenges. His understated prose belies the magnitude of his achievement, allowing readers to fully grasp the courage and determination required to complete such a monumental voyage. As a cornerstone of nautical literature, Sailing Around the World continues to inspire adventurers and armchair travelers alike, offering timeless insights into the human spirit's capacity for exploration and perseverance.
The White Spider, by Heinrich Harrer
Heinrich Harrer, renowned for his memoir Seven Years in Tibet, was primarily an accomplished mountaineer. He gained particular recognition for his role in the first successful ascent of the Eiger's formidable North Face in the Swiss Alps. In his book The White Spider, Harrer offers a comprehensive account of this perilous climb, blending his personal experience with a detailed history of previous attempts on the mountain. His narrative provides insight into the challenges and tragedies that marked earlier expeditions, offering readers a thorough understanding of the Eiger's significant place in mountaineering history.
AWOL on the Appalachian Trail, by David Miller
In AWOL on the Appalachian Trail, David Miller invites readers on an extraordinary journey of self-discovery and endurance as he tackles one of the most grueling hiking challenges on Earth. Unlike Bill Bryson's witty (and incomplete) attempt chronicled in A Walk in the Woods, Miller's gripping narrative plunges deep into the heart of the Appalachian Trail experience. With meticulous attention to detail, he equips aspiring thru-hikers with invaluable insights on preparation and perseverance, transforming his mid-life quest into a masterclass on conquering the world's longest hiking-only footpath. Miller was a software engineer who quit his job to make the nearly five-month, 2,172-mile journey from Springer Mountain in Georgia all the way to Mount Katahdin in Maine, and he earned his trail name AWOL on the very first days of the hike simply by telling fellow hikers what he had done to get there. That combination of an ordinary person doing an extraordinary thing — with his family's full support and his own engineer's eye for detail — is what sets this book apart from other trail memoirs and makes it essential reading for anyone seriously considering the thru-hike.
Other Adventure Book Recommendations
Also feel free to check out some of the adventure travel books listed in our “Best of the Best” section!
Wild, by Cheryl Strayed
Catfish and Mandala, by Andrew X. Pham
Chasing the Devil, by Tim Butcher
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