Adventurers, Explorers & Survival

Steven Rinella (The MeatEater Podcast) brings to life the legendary wilderness exploits of men such as Jim Bridger, Jedidiah Smith, and Hugh Glass, who headed out to the Rocky Mountains to trap beavers in the decades following the Louisiana Purchase. Living off the land and dodging grizzly bears, these colorful characters carved out an existence defined by their relationships with Native people, their capacity to endure the most trying conditions, and their intimate knowledge of the western landscape.

Arctic explorer and American visionary Walter Wellman pioneered both polar and trans-Atlantic airship aviation, making history’s first attempts at each. Wellman has been cast as a self-promoting egomaniac known mostly for his catastrophic failures. Instead he was a courageous innovator who pushed the boundaries of polar exploration and paved the way for the ultimate conquest of the North Pole—which would be achieved not by dogsled or airplane, but by airship.

When Tara Roberts first caught sight of a photograph at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History depicting the underwater archaeology group Diving With a Purpose, it called out to her. Here were Black women and men strapping on masks, fins, and tanks to explore Atlantic Ocean waters along the coastlines of Africa, North America, and Central America, seeking the wrecks of slave ships long lost in time. Inspired, Roberts joined them—and started on a path of discovery more challenging and personal than she could ever have imagined.

A personal story of how Vicki, in her late 40's from Midhurst, Sussex, found walking in nature around the South Downs gave her positive energy, a new self-confidence, inner strength and a stronger passion for walking. After overcoming the trauma of life changing surgery back in Feb 22, which left her relearning to walk over 9 months, she shares with you her emotional heart warming journey about how she fought her physical and mental demons.

Gone Bush is about a lifetime of walking the backcountry. It tells stories of the eccentric characters he met along the way, some of the 1200 huts he's visited, and his most unforgettable journeys, including his 'long walk home' from deepest Fiordland to the top of Golden Bay. It's also a book about the powerful effects of being in the natural environment, doing what matters and living authentically.

In rural Victoria, Arnold Dix is known to locals as a farmer and a part-time truck driver. But his name reached global recognition when he played a pivotal role in rescuing forty-one Indian workers trapped after a deadly tunnel collapse. What many don’t know is that Arnold is also a barrister, scientist, engineer—a ‘quirky’ Aussie bloke who proves that extraordinary courage can come from the most unexpected places. In vivid detail, Arnold recounts the unlikely rescue that transformed him into a global hero.

Matt Dawson is a six-time world-record-holding endurance and adventure athlete who, within a twelve-month period, climbed the highest peak on every continent, skied to the South Pole, trekked solo and unsupported across the Mojave Desert and Death Valley, and rowed across the Atlantic Ocean. Performing in the planet’s harshest environments, he learned that his greatest obstacles don’t originate in the outside world, but within himself. That life doesn’t have to be a relentless battle against his deepest fears and shortcomings.

On September 11th, 1974, a commercial airliner operated by Eastern Airlines crashed in the fields outside the Charlotte International Airport. 72 people perished in this crash which was attributed to pilot error on approach. 10 passengers survived the crash and went on to recount their stories of that day. This account is Richard's personal experiences leading up to, during and after that fateful crash.

In the summer of 1972, the open road beckoned best friends, nineteen-year-old Barry Johnson and twenty-year-old Bobby Young. Carrying backpacks with the essentials, staples of Kraft Mac and Cheese, dressed in jeans, Frye boots, with $100 each, they set off from their homes in Massachusetts. And so their cross-country adventure began during a time when the bond of trust between driver and hitchhiker was rarely questioned. Little did they know that this journey would shape their lives in ways they could never imagine.

From addiction recovery to divorce, yoga studios to psychic readings, this raw and inspiring memoir follows one woman's quest for inner peace across three continents. When her marriage crumbles, former wellness instructor Kirchner faces her deepest fears: relapse, family trauma, and losing faith in life itself. Her journey through meditation retreats, Manhattan spirituality, and an unexpected encounter with an Indian guru challenges everything she thought she knew about healing.

After undergoing well over 30 major surgeries, including skin grafting and plastic surgery, she is healing and progressing into a fierce warrior. Even with a very long road still ahead, Rawkee’s energetic and resilient spirit continues to thrive. Her contagious laugh and captivating eyes will leave you warmed, charmed, and inspired to do and be more in your own trials and hardships.

Sumérgete en una impactante historia real de esperanza, resiliencia y supervivencia que cautivó al mundo. El Caso De Los 33 narra la increíble odisea de 33 hombres atrapados a más de 700 metros de profundidad en una mina colapsada, luchando por mantenerse con vida mientras el tiempo y las circunstancias conspiraban en su contra. Este libro detalla, con una narrativa envolvente, el drama humano vivido durante 69 días, la unión de esfuerzos internacionales para su rescate y los desafíos psicológicos y físicos que enfrentaron los mineros bajo tierra.

Not Your Average Drug Addict Whore follows the threads linking the extraordinary, oftentimes intense, events of a journey to self-realizing. It is a witness to truth, that a life is never broken, it is purely a singular life on its singular journey.

A viral story, an unbelievable survival, and God’s undeniable hand through it all. The morning of September 27th, 2008 was like any other day for Jordan Wells. Just starting college, she had the whole world ahead of her, until a fateful car crash changed her life. In the aftermath of the car crash, Jordan was loaded onto a helicopter to be transported to the hospital—but it would never make it there.

Sometimes enough is enough. And after suicide claimed three people from different parts of Evan “Sweet” Hansen’s life, he decided to do something about it. Motivated by the losses surrounding him, Evan set out to pick a fight with suicide. But instead of throwing punches, he chose to take steps. An experienced backpacker and outdoorsman, Evan came up with a plan: He would carry a little, yellow canoe on his shoulders for 313 miles as part of a suicide prevention awareness campaign called, “Portage for a Purpose.”

Based on diary entries, news articles, published sources, interviews, and personal memories from the author and other family members, Crossing the Yellowstone: The Saga of a Montana Ranch Family is a classic American drama of challenges met and legacies left. In 1894, Andy Mercer journeyed on horseback from Missouri to the Great Plains, with plans to homestead in the West.

Sie war ein Wunschkind und hatte scheinbar die besten Voraussetzungen für ein glückliches Leben. Trotzdem tauchen bei ihr immer wieder schwerwiegende körperliche und psychische Symptome auf, die sie sich lange nicht erklären konnte und die sie stark beeinträchtigten: Sie war seit ihrer Jugend depressiv, litt unter schlimmen Schmerzen oder war in heftige Unfälle verwickelt, hatte Beziehungsschwierigkeiten, stieß schnell an ihre Belastungsgrenze, erlebte Todesangst.

This is my story of survival during and after Hurricane Helene in Burnsville, North Carolina. It was a time when there was no power, water, cell phones, or outside communication at all. We were trapped in a seven-mile radius. All the roads to leave were destroyed.

My Beautiful Black Butterfly is a gripping and heartfelt memoir of survival, resilience, and hope. From enduring the unthinkable to finding the courage to reclaim her life, the author takes listeners on a deeply personal journey through years of abuse, trauma, and self-discovery.

In The Sailor’s Compass, listeners are invited to chart the remarkable journey of Michael Moore—a dedicated hospital corpsman whose life reflects courage, sacrifice, and resilience. From his modest beginnings in a small-town community where hard work and family values were paramount, to his transformative years serving in the Navy during the Vietnam War, Michael’s story is one of unwavering dedication and grit.