Adventure books pretty much always guarantee to tell a gripping story filled with action and danger. The good ones are often the ones you complete in one sitting because you’re eager to know the ending. But, picking the right non fiction adventure books isn’t always easy. That’s why we’re sharing our top 5 non fiction adventure books you won’t be able to put down.
Top Non Fiction Adventure Books
#1 Wind, Sand and Stars by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry
If you’re a fan of The Little Prince, you won’t want to miss Antoine de Saint-Exupery’s next best work. Wind, Sand and Stars is a memoir that recaps the author’s time spent flying airmail planes in the 1930s throughout Africa and South America. This non fiction adventure book is filled with disasters he underwent, his treacherous work as well as the beauty the author found while flying.
#2 Nothing Daunted: The Unexpected Education of Two Society Girls in the West by Dorothy Wickenden
Dorothy Wickenden shares this non fiction adventure book based on her grandmother, Dorothy Woodruff. Back in the early 1900s, young women were rarely able to travel across the country, but Dorothy Woodruff did in 1916. This book is based on her adventure traveling across the country as she left a small town in New York and headed to Colorado to begin teaching. Wickenden was able to write this story through letters and other sources her grandmother recorded.
#3 The Lost City of Z by David Grann
This book is not only a wonderful non fiction adventure book but a mystery as well. Based in 1920, this book tells the story of Percy Fawcett, also known as the last of the great Victorian explorers. He set off for the Amazon in search of a lost civilization called “Z.” However, he was never heard from again. This made many try to retrace his path and track evidence to see if he might be alive. David Grann did a wonderful job writing about the clues Fawcett left behind. He also told more about Fawcett’s story based on his research and even his own attempt to retrace his footsteps.
#4 10 Years a Nomad by Matt Kepnes
Nomadic Matt will be your single biggest inspiration in the world of travel. Not only is he the king of traveling on a budget, but he also lived ten years as a nomad. His story is intriguing, inspiring and quite the non fiction adventure book. This book will drive you to travel and will teach you how to travel on a budget!
#5 Endurance by Alfred Lansing
Set in 1914, this book tells the story of when Ernest Shackleton set sail to traverse the last uncharted territory on the globe – Antarctica. It’s adventurous because not everything goes as planned. This is a travel memoir, but also a story of resilience and survival in one of the harshest climates on our planet.
We hope you enjoy our list of non fiction adventure books! We know any book you choose from this list will keep you reading until the end.