50 Best Non-Fiction Adventure Books: The Essential Man's Library

This is a list of books compiled by The Art of Manliness; PLEASE DO NOT ADD BOOKS, feel free to vote on the ones listed though. (http://artofmanliness.com/2009/06/29/...)

The original author's description, "Following up on our recent look into the world of fictional adventure literature, we now turn to the true life tales of exploration, adventure, and survival against all odds that have inspired countless readers for generations. Unlike their fictional counterparts, these riveting tales of conquests and ill fated journeys are completely true, and stand as a testament to man’s unquenchable desire to seek out the unknown, often against all odds and in the face of unbelievable hardship.
This is not considered a complete list of all the great tales of true life adventure, so please take advantage of the comments section to share what other true life tales of adventure you recommend to your fellow men.

And now, to continue on in the world of high adventure…"

flag

All Votes Add Books To This List

1	Into Thin Air: A Personal Account of the Mount Everest Disaster by Jon Krakauer (Goodreads Author) 4.21 avg rating — 452,942 ratings score: 5,768, and 58 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
2	Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer (Goodreads Author) really liked it 4.00 avg rating — 996,466 ratings score: 4,639, and 47 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
3	Endurance: Shackleton's Incredible Voyage by Alfred Lansing 4.40 avg rating — 107,541 ratings score: 3,943, and 40 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
4	The Lost City of Z: A Tale of Deadly Obsession in the Amazon by David Grann 3.86 avg rating — 83,563 ratings score: 3,343, and 34 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
5	In the Heart of the Sea: The Tragedy of the Whaleship Essex by Nathaniel Philbrick (Goodreads Author) 4.13 avg rating — 99,682 ratings score: 2,645, and 27 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
6	Touching the Void: The True Story of One Man's Miraculous Survival by Joe Simpson 4.22 avg rating — 55,305 ratings score: 1,457, and 15 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
7	Undaunted Courage: The Pioneering First Mission to Explore America's Wild Frontier by Stephen E. Ambrose 4.19 avg rating — 58,262 ratings score: 1,365, and 14 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
8	Alive: The Story of the Andes Survivors by Piers Paul Read 4.11 avg rating — 71,236 ratings score: 1,352, and 14 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
9	Over the Edge of the World: Magellan's Terrifying Circumnavigation of the Globe by Laurence Bergreen 4.14 avg rating — 14,854 ratings score: 1,260, and 13 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
10	The Perfect Storm: A True Story of Men Against the Sea by Sebastian Junger (Goodreads Author) 4.10 avg rating — 109,538 ratings score: 1,247, and 13 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
11	Into Africa: The Epic Adventures of Stanley & Livingstone by Martin Dugard (Goodreads Author) 4.10 avg rating — 6,256 ratings score: 1,204, and 13 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
12	Skeletons on the Zahara: A True Story of Survival by Dean King (Goodreads Author) 4.06 avg rating — 10,496 ratings score: 1,153, and 12 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
13	Kon-Tiki by Thor Heyerdahl 4.14 avg rating — 21,506 ratings score: 1,122, and 12 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
14	The Man-Eaters of Tsavo by John Henry Patterson 3.93 avg rating — 3,528 ratings score: 963, and 10 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
15	In Harm's Way: The Sinking of the USS Indianapolis and the Extraordinary Story of Its Survivors by Doug Stanton 4.30 avg rating — 20,795 ratings score: 940, and 10 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
16	Between a Rock and a Hard Place by Aron Ralston 3.84 avg rating — 21,037 ratings score: 926, and 10 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
17	Adrift: Seventy-Six Days Lost at Sea by Steven Callahan 4.13 avg rating — 17,789 ratings score: 845, and 9 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
18	South: The Story of Shackleton's Last Expedition 1914-1917 by Ernest Shackleton 4.21 avg rating — 9,333 ratings score: 762, and 8 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
19	Annapurna by Maurice Herzog 4.08 avg rating — 8,865 ratings score: 735, and 8 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
20	Man-Eaters of Kumaon by Jim Corbett 4.31 avg rating — 4,921 ratings score: 716, and 8 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
21	Arabian Sands by Wilfred Thesiger 4.18 avg rating — 5,152 ratings score: 660, and 7 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
22	The Worst Journey in the World by Apsley Cherry-Garrard 4.18 avg rating — 6,996 ratings score: 623, and 7 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
23	The Innocents Abroad by Mark Twain 3.84 avg rating — 13,347 ratings score: 615, and 7 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
24	Jungle: A Harrowing True Story of Survival by Yossi Ghinsberg really liked it 4.00 avg rating — 6,864 ratings score: 530, and 6 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
25	A Man on the Moon by Andrew Chaikin 4.48 avg rating — 6,420 ratings score: 529, and 6 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
26	Through the Brazilian Wilderness by Theodore Roosevelt 3.89 avg rating — 677 ratings score: 459, and 5 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
26	Wind, Sand and Stars by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry 4.12 avg rating — 16,421 ratings score: 459, and 5 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
28	Death in the Long Grass: A Big Game Hunter's Adventures in the African Bush by Peter Hathaway Capstick 4.40 avg rating — 1,970 ratings score: 449, and 5 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
29	The Marsh Arabs by Wilfred Thesiger 4.21 avg rating — 1,234 ratings score: 349, and 4 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
30	High Adventure: The True Story of the First Ascent of Everest by Edmund Hillary 4.13 avg rating — 1,308 ratings score: 343, and 4 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
31	The Travels by Marco Polo 3.57 avg rating — 6,205 ratings score: 331, and 4 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
32	Farther Than Any Man: The Rise and Fall of Captain James Cook by Martin Dugard (Goodreads Author) 4.29 avg rating — 1,616 ratings score: 293, and 3 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
33	High Exposure: An Enduring Passion for Everest and Unforgiving Places by David Breashears 3.92 avg rating — 3,525 ratings score: 261, and 3 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
34	The Exploration of the Colorado River and Its Canyons by John Wesley Powell 3.92 avg rating — 1,845 ratings score: 254, and 3 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
35	The Journals of Lewis and Clark by Meriwether Lewis 4.11 avg rating — 4,987 ratings score: 252, and 3 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
36	The Darkest Jungle: The True Story of the Darien Expedition and America's Ill-Fated Race to Connect the Seas by Todd Balf 3.59 avg rating — 430 ratings score: 218, and 3 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
37	The Vinland Sagas: The Norse Discovery of America by Unknown 3.82 avg rating — 1,455 ratings score: 211, and 3 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
38	Brazilian Adventure by Peter Fleming 3.87 avg rating — 346 ratings score: 206, and 3 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
39	K2, The Savage Mountain: The Classic True Story of Disaster and Survival on the World's Second Highest Mountain by Charles S. Houston 4.07 avg rating — 3,181 ratings score: 119, and 2 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
40	True North: Peary, Cook, and the Race to the Pole by Bruce Henderson (Goodreads Author) 4.05 avg rating — 321 ratings score: 113, and 2 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
41	Touching My Father's Soul: A Sherpa's Journey to the Top of Everest by Jamling Tenzing Norgay 3.97 avg rating — 2,441 ratings score: 111, and 2 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
42	The Four Voyages: Being His Own Log-Book, Letters and Dispatches with Connecting Narratives by Cristoforo Colombo 3.46 avg rating — 647 ratings score: 90, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
43	The Race for Timbuktu: In Search of Africa's City of Gold by Frank T. Kryza 3.84 avg rating — 449 ratings score: 66, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
44	Adventures in the Unknown Interior of America by Álvar Núñez Cabeza de Vaca 3.66 avg rating — 2,601 ratings score: 65, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
45	Mawson's Will: The Greatest Polar Survival Story Ever Written by Lennard Bickel 4.25 avg rating — 1,510 ratings score: 61, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
46	My Life as an Explorer by Sven Hedin 4.05 avg rating — 347 ratings score: 59, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
47	Of Whales and Men by Robert Blackwood Robertson 4.18 avg rating — 66 ratings score: 58, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
48	The Kid Who Climbed Everest: The Incredible Story of a 23-Year-Old's Summit of Mt. Everest by Bear Grylls 4.03 avg rating — 1,619 ratings score: 57, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
49	Trespassers on the Roof of the World: The Secret Exploration of Tibet by Peter Hopkirk 4.17 avg rating — 1,073 ratings score: 55, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
50	On Horseback Through Asia Minor by Frederick Burnaby 3.85 avg rating — 73 ratings score: 54, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

50 books · 223 voters · list created April 2nd, 2012 by Eric Moote (votes) .

Tags: adventure, art-of-manliness, best, essential, everest, journey, jungle, library, man, man-eaters, manliness, men, must-read, non-fiction, north-pole, young

206 likes · Like

Lists are re-scored approximately every 5 minutes.

People Who Voted On This List (223)

Eric 893 books
94 friends

Kim 2156 books
80 friends

JW 983 books
32 friends

Karen 1022 books
2 friends

Nicole 1540 books
257 friends

Sandra 889 books
70 friends

Donwanavan 361 books
1 friend

Mörður 180 books
25 friends

More voters…

Post a comment »
Comments Showing 1-8 of 8 (8 new)

date

newest »

message 1: by ╟ ♫ Tima ♪ ╣ ♥ (new)

Jun 24, 2012 08:16PM

Removed 25 titles not belonging on the list:

Born to Run: A Hidden Tribe, Superath... by Christopher McDougall
Farthest North by Fridtjof Nansen
Murder in the High Himalaya: Loyalty,...by Jonathan Green
Miracle in The Andes by Nando Parrado
In Cold Blood by Truman Capote
Under the Banner of Heaven: A Story of Violent Faith by Jon Krakauer
Long Way Round: Chasing Shadows Across the World by Ewan McGregor
Where Men Win Glory: The Odyssey of Pat Tillman by Jon Krakauer
War by Sebastian Junger
Long Way Down by Ewan McGregor
Blood River: A Journey to Africa's Broken Heart by Tim Butcher
Jupiter's Travels by Ted Simon
Seven Years in Tibet by Heinrich Harrer
War by Sebastion Junger
The Bookseller of Kabul by Åsne Seierstad
A Hundred and One Days: A Baghdad Journal by Åsne Seierstad
The Angel of Grozny: Orphans of a Forgotten War by Åsne Seierstad
The Lost Men: The Harrowing Saga of Shackleton's Ross Sea Party by Kelly Tyler-Lewis
Three Men In A Raft: An Improbable Journey Down The Amazon by Ben Kozel
Mad, Bad & Dangerous to Know: The Autobiography by Ranulph Fiennes
Mutiny on the Bounty by Charles Bernard Nordhoff
A Voyage for Madmen by Peter Nichols
Attention All Shipping A Journey Round the Shipping Forecast by Charlie Connelly
Exiles by Cary Groner
Blind Descent: The Quest to Discover the Deepest Cave on Earth by James M. Tabor

reply | flag

message 2: by Stephen (new)

Nov 29, 2012 08:36AM

Might I suggest The Last Viking: The Life of Roald Amundsen for the list. This is the first English language biography of the greatest Polar explorer, that includes all of Amundsen's adventures - the first sailing of the Northwest Passage, the first to reach the South Pole, navigating the Northeast Passage, pioneering airplanes to fly to the North Pole (from Alaska and then from Spitsbergen but kept crashing) and finally a giant dirigible that crossed from Spitsbergen to Alaska in 1926. He then died in 1928 in an airplane crash during a daring rescue mission. He was fifty-six. Incredible adventure non-stop for his entire life. The Last Viking is my latest book.

reply | flag

message 3: by Lauren (new)

Sep 03, 2014 03:34PM

A 2013 book to consider adding to the list is The Emerald Mile: The Epic Story of the Fastest Ride in History Through the Heart of the Grand Canyon

reply | flag

message 4: by Anne (new)

Sep 29, 2015 07:53PM

Just throwing this out there in a friendly way: nothing about this list should've made you think it was geared toward men. I've read at least half of the first dozen books, and one of my favorite books of all time clocks in at second place on this list. For adventurers? Sure. Travelers? Absolutely. Outdoor enthusiasts? Definitely. But there's no reason to call this "The Essential Man's Library." Maybe it's just essential to your idea of what it means to be a man. But I'm a woman. A woman who scrolled through all 106 book, and I didn't see one title I haven't either read or would want to read. Careful with those stereotypes, please.

reply | flag

message 5: by Dawn (new)

Oct 12, 2015 03:39PM

reply | flag

message 6: by BookLovingLady (last edited Jan 17, 2017 05:43AM) (new)

Jan 17, 2017 05:43AM

Odd, the description clearly says 'PLEASE DO NOT ADD BOOKS", yet there are far more than 50 books on this list....

reply | flag

message 7: by Michael (last edited May 09, 2021 12:17PM) (new)

May 09, 2021 12:14PM

Anne wrote: "Just throwing this out there in a friendly way: nothing about this list should've made you think it was geared toward men. I've read at least half of the first dozen books, and one of my favorite b..."

Blow it out your ass. Do you feel so insignificant you need to address a description that this genre is generally aimed at men.
One comfortable in their own skin wouldn’t be so easily provoked.

reply | flag

message 8: by BookLovingLady (last edited May 09, 2021 02:21PM) (new)

May 09, 2021 02:05PM

We are back to 50 books again, as the creator of this list intented. (It says clearly "50 Best Non-Fiction Adventure Books: The Essential Man's Library")

╟ ♫ Tima ♪ ╣ ♥ had already removed several in June 2012 and now I removed some 60-odd books...

Please, please, please, don't add anymore books!!!

reply | flag