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Best Adventure Books

Embark on a journey through fantastical worlds and daring exploits with this compilation of adventure books, consistently chosen as top reads by adventure literati and genre experts.

Recommendations from 85 articles, Barack Obama, Taylor Swift, Ariana Grande and 154 others.
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Wild book cover
Wild
A Journey from Lost to Found
Cheryl Strayed - 2012-03-20
Goodreads Rating
A woman who has lost everything decides to walk 1,100 miles of the west coast of America alone. With no experience in long-distance hiking, she sets out to piece together a life that has crumbled in the wake of her mother's death.
Into Thin Air book cover
Into Thin Air
A Personal Account of the Mt. Everest Disaster
Jon Krakauer - 1999-10-19 (first published in 1997)
Goodreads Rating
A journalist's harrowing first-hand account of the tragic 1996 Mount Everest disaster that claimed five lives and left countless more in disarray. This epic narrative explores the dangers of mountain climbing and the consequences of reckless decisions, as well as the intense emotional toll on survivors.
Into the Wild book cover
Into the Wild
Jon Krakauer - 1997-02-01 (first published in 1996)
Goodreads Rating
Explore the captivating story of a young man who hitchhiked to Alaska in search of a new life, leaving everything behind. After abandoning his car, burning his cash, and taking on a new name, he wanted nothing more than to lose himself in the raw beauty of nature. But four months later, he was found dead, his body decomposed. Into the Wild follows this unforgettable journey of adventure, vision, and tragedy, and the mysteries that led to his untimely demise.
Recommended by
Gretchen RubinAkshay M
A Walk in the Woods book cover
A Walk in the Woods
Rediscovering America on the Appalachian Trail
Bill Bryson - 2006-12-26 (first published in 1998)
Goodreads Rating
Embark on a hilariously entertaining journey along the world's longest continuous footpath, The Appalachian Trail. Join Bill Bryson on this gruelling 2,000-mile hike through some of the most spectacular landscapes in North America, as well as its poverty-stricken and primitive backwoods areas. With Bryson's witty humor and unique perspective, A Walk in the Woods is the perfect adventure for any reader seeking a good laugh and a thrilling outdoors experience.
Recommended by
Tim Ferriss
Touching the Void book cover
Touching the Void
The True Story of One Man's Miraculous Survival
Joe Simpson - 2004-02-03 (first published in 1988)
Goodreads Rating
A thrilling and emotional true story of survival in the treacherous Peruvian Andes. When climbing partners Joe and Simon reach the summit of Siula Grande, they have no idea what horrors await them on the descent. After an unthinkable tragedy, Simon is forced to make a gut-wrenching decision that tests their friendship to the limit. Touching the Void is a gripping and heart-wrenching tale of human endurance and the power of friendship.
Recommended by
Penny Smith
Treasure Island book cover
Treasure Island
Robert Louis Stevenson - 2001-09-15 (first published in 1882)
Goodreads Rating
Embark on a thrilling adventure with young Jim Hawkins as he discovers Captain Flint's map to Treasure Island. But beware of one-legged Long John Silver and his gang of cruel and bloodthirsty pirates who will stop at nothing to claim the glory for themselves. With tales of buried gold and X marks the spot, Treasure Island has captured the hearts of young readers for generations as the most famous pirate story ever told.
Recommended by
Richard Branson
Endurance book cover
Endurance
Shackleton's Incredible Voyage
Alfred Lansing - 1999-01-01 (first published in 1959)
Goodreads Rating
Embark on a thrilling adventure through the frozen tundras of Antarctica as British explorer Ernest Shackleton and his crew attempt to reach the South Pole. Follow the remarkable journey of these brave men as they battle extreme conditions and navigate through dangerous terrain in their quest for survival. Endurance is a gripping and inspirational tale that has become a timeless symbol of heroic perseverance.
The Call of the Wild book cover
The Call of the Wild
Jack London - 2001-01-01 (first published in 1903)
Goodreads Rating
Follow the journey of Buck, a dog stolen from his California home and sold as a sled dog in the Yukon during the Klondike Gold Rush. Forced to fight for survival and dominance amongst other feral dogs, Buck sheds his civilized demeanor and becomes a leader in the wild. Jack London's adventure novel is a statement on modern life and the process of civilizing humanity.
Lands of Lost Borders book cover
Lands of Lost Borders
A Journey on the Silk Road
Kate Harris - 2019-01-01 (first published in 2018)
Goodreads Rating
Lands of Lost Borders is a captivating travel narrative about two friends who bike the Silk Road from beginning to end. Author Kate Harris weaves together adventure, reflection, and history of science and exploration, offering a unique perspective on the nature of limits and the wildness of Earth that can never be fully mapped. A must-read for lovers of Rebecca Solnit and Pico Iyer. National Bestseller and winner of the RBC Taylor Prize and the Edna Staebler Award for Creative Non-Fiction.
Recommended by
Alastair Humphreys
Hatchet book cover
Hatchet
Gary Paulsen - 2000-04-01 (first published in 1987)
Goodreads Rating
In this gripping tale of survival, a young boy must navigate the Canadian wilderness alone after his small plane crashes. Armed with only a hatchet, he must learn to find food and shelter, and overcome terrifying challenges each day. As he transforms from a helpless victim to a resourceful survivor, readers will be inspired to explore the wilderness themselves.
In Patagonia by Bruce Chatwin
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain
The Worst Journey in the World by Apsley Cherry-Garrard
Robinson Crusoe by Daniel Defoe
In the Heart of the Sea by Nathaniel Philbrick
Moby Dick by Herman Melville
Desert Solitaire by Edward Abbey
Tracks by Robyn Davidson
The Kon-Tiki Expedition by Thor Heyerdahl
Alone on the Wall by Alex Honnold
The Beach by Alex Garland
King Solomon's Mines by H. Rider Haggard
Lord of the Flies by William Golding
The Lord of the Rings by J. R. R. Tolkien
Wind, Sand, and Stars by Antoine de Saint-Exupery
The Swiss Family Robinson by Johann Wyss
The Road by Cormac McCarthy
A Short Walk in the Hindu Kush by Eric Newby
Welcome to the Goddamn Ice Cube by Blair Braverman
The Lost City of Z by David Grann
The Odyssey of Homer by Homer
On the Road by Jack Kerouac
The Martian by Andy Weir
Journey to the Center of the Earth by Jules Verne
Around the World in Eighty Days by Jules Verne
The Great Railway Bazaar by Paul Theroux
She Explores by Gale Straub
The Hobbit by J. R. R. Tolkien
The Geography of Bliss by Eric Weiner
Life of Pi by Yann Martel
Born to Run by Christopher McDougall
Jurassic Park by Michael Crichton
Thirst by Heather Anderson
The Emerald Mile by Kevin Fedarko
West with the Night by Beryl Markham
The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho
The Maze Runner by James Dashner
Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea by Jules Verne
The Long Walk by Slavomir Rawicz
Harry Potter And The Sorcerer's Stone by J. K. Rowling
The Princess Bride by William Goldman
Full Tilt by Dervla Murphy
Alive by Piers Paul Read
The Snow Leopard by Peter Matthiessen
Lost in the Jungle by Yossi Ghinsberg
The Perfect Storm by Sebastian Junger
Vagabonding by Rolf Potts
The Three Musketeers by Alexandre Dumas
Ben Montgomery by Ben Montgomery
Becoming Odyssa by Jennifer Pharr Davis
The Journals of Lewis and Clark by Meriwether Lewis
The Voyage of the Beagle by Charles Darwin
127 Hours by Aron Ralston
White Fang by Jack London
The Lost World by Arthur Conan Doyle
Roughing It by Mark Twain
The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas
My Side of the Mountain by Jean Craighead George
The Mysterious Island by Jules Verne
The Right Stuff by Tom Wolfe
The Jungle Book by Rudyard Kipling
Gulliver's Travels by Jonathan Swift
The Chronicles of Narnia by C. S. Lewis
Braving It by James Campbell
Blue Highways by William Least Heat Moon
Seven Years in Tibet by Heinrich Harrer
The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams
Annapurna by Maurice Herzog
Running Home by Katie Arnold
Thru-Hiking Will Break Your Heart by Carrot Quinn
On Trails by Robert Moor
The Great Alone by Kristin Hannah
The Innocents Abroad by Mark Twain
Don Quixote by Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra
Shantaram by Gregory David Roberts
Sailing Alone Around the World by Joshua Slocum
AWOL on the Appalachian Trail by David Miller
Adrift by Steven Callahan
Travels with Charley in Search of America by John Steinbeck
Deep Survival by Laurence Gonzales
In a Sunburned Country by Bill Bryson
Young Men and Fire by Norman MacLean
My Journey to Lhasa by Alexandra David-Neel
Congo by Michael Crichton
Tarzan of the Apes by Edgar Rice Burroughs
Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand
The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan
Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer
The Two Towers by J. R. R. Tolkien
Harry Potter by J. K. Rowling