Against the Odds
FROM THE AUTHOR OF GREAT ADVENTURERS - WINNER OF THE EDWARD STANFORD CHILDREN'S TRAVEL BOOK OF THE YEAR 2019.
Sometimes adventure, like life, doesn't work out as you want it to. Even determined explorers make mistakes. Many of the greatest adventurers of all time have failed along the way...
Hand-picked by adventurer Alastair Humphreys, this compilation retells the extraordinary journeys undertaken by explorers who have tried, failed and succeeded against the odds. It features adventurers whose expeditions went desperately wrong, turning into struggles for survival. And adventurers who had to fight for their right to succeed in the face of discrimination or setbacks that threatened to squash their dreams. These are stories of self-belief, resilience, friendship, courage, determination and hope - against the odds.
Featuring explorers modern and ancient, from Zheng He to Joe Simpson, Jeanne Baret to Matthew Henson, these men and women ventured into space, oceans, deserts and jungles, and may inspire you to do the same.
"We often hold a very narrow ideas of what 'success' means. We think that if we don't reach a certain outcome, then we've failed and wasted our time. But in this book, you are going to read of changed plans leading to greater happiness, of personal disaster opening the door to wonderful experiences, of lessons learned from compromising, and even occasions when mere survival is triumph enough." - Alastair Humphreys
Alastair Humphreys is an English adventurer, author and motivational speaker. Over a four-year period he bicycled 46,000 miles around the world. He was a National Geographic Adventurer of the Year in 2012. He is responsible for the rise of the idea of the microadventure - short, local, accessible adventures. He has written several books including Alastair Humphreys' Great Adventurers, published by Big Picture Press, which won the Ordnance Survey Children's Travel Book Of The Year 2019.
Pola Mai (Illustrator)
Pola Mai is a Poland based illustrator. After finishing her studies, she started her professional career as a graphic designer but eventually decided to become an illustrator. Nowadays, she primarily creates illustrations for children and takes on commercial projects. She uses both traditional and digital tools for her work. She has a passion for black and white illustrations, ink, and printmaking techniques, although she doesn't limit herself to these and is always exploring and open to other techniques.