Explorer Benedict Allen has nearly died nine times. Not a bad boast to add to your CV!
With more than 30 years under his belt, discovering the world, Benedict knows a thing or two about surviving and taking risks.
The aptly named Explorer book allows the reader to discover Benedict’s “quest for adventure and the great unknown.’’
Launched on Benedict’s birthday, it tells the story of what first led Benedict to head for the farthest reaches of our planet, at a time when there were still valleys and ranges, known only to the remote communities who inhabited them.
And it reaches deep into Benedict’s mind and reveals why he is still as keen to explore 30 years on from his first adventure.
Tales and extracts from his diaries, include a journey back to the clouded mountain in New Guinea to find a man called Korsal, who had once been a friend and to fulfil a promise made as a young man. It is also an insight into what it is to be lost and found.
The book is honest, sensitive and gives a brilliant look at a world most of us just dream about. It shows just how hard Benedict works when he plans and goes on his expeditions and the real joy he gets from what he sees, from the communities he has encountered and spent so much of his life immersed in.
Benedict said:
“To me personally, exploration isn’t about planting flags, conquering nature, or going somewhere In order to make a mark, it’s about the opposite. It’s about opening yourself up, allowing yourself to be vulnerable, and letting the place and people make their mark on you.’’
Benedict is a remarkable man who learned his trade after reading Environmental Science at the University of East Anglia and he is a former member of the Council of the Royal Geographical Society and patron of the Environmental Justice Foundation, the Tony Foundation and Save the Rhino Trust.
Publication date: 3rd March 2022
UK Price: £18.99 for hardback, £15.99 for Ebook and £25 for the audiobook
ISBN: 9781786896230
Format: Hardback, portrait
Explorer – The Quest for Adventure and the Great Unknown
By Benedict Allen
Published by Canongate Books Ltd
For more information and to purchase a copy of the book, please visit: https://canongate.co.uk and www.benedictallen.com.
Rebecca Hay is an experienced travel writer and member of The British Guild of Travel Writers. Follow her adventures with her family on Twitter and Instagram @emojiadventurer and on Facebook via EmojiAdventurers2.
Images courtesy of Canongate Books
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