16 Life-lessons from Surviving the Extreme

The Philosophy of an Explorer

** The North Pole: The History of an Obsession by Erling Kagge is out now ** 
 
'Erling Kagge transforms and consoles us' Alain de Botton 
____________________________ 
 
Surviving extreme conditions can teach us to lead a fulfilled life. No one knows this better than Erling Kagge, who was the first man in history to reach all of the Earth's poles by foot - the North, the South, and the summit of Everest. In Philosophy for Polar Explorers he brings together the wisdom and expertise he has gained from the expeditions that have taken him to the limits of the earth, and of human endurance. 
 
In sixteen meditative but practical lessons - from cultivating an optimistic outlook, to getting up at the right time, to learning to take pleasure in the small things and comfort in solitude - Erling Kagge reveals what survival in the most extreme conditions can teach us about how to lead a meaningful life. Wherever we may be headed. 
____________________________ 
 
'His wisdom will soothe and awaken' Fearne Cotton 
 
'A delightful book that explores the strange land between getting out of bed in the morning and reaching for the moon Tristan Gooley 
 
'A wonderfully deft Swiss army knife of a book' Dan Richards 
 
'As an explorer Erling Kagge is world class; as a writer he is equally gifted' Sir Ranulph Fiennes 
 
'Erling Kagge is a philosophical adventurer - or perhaps an adventurous philosopher' The New York Times 
 
'An author for our noisy times, full of a rare and deeply redemptive languor and perspective' Alain de Botton

An author for our noisy times, full of a rare and deeply redemptive languor and perspective

A wonderfully deft Swiss army knife of a book. One really feels the hard won wisdom at the book's heart, the graft and nouse of life lived in arctic extremis. Kagge's preternatural energy, warmth and sagacity shine - a cool-headed polar philosopher to treasure!

A delightful book that explores the strange land between getting out of bed in the morning and reaching for the moon

As an explorer Erling Kagge is world class; as a writer he is equally gifted

Essential survival and life lessons from polar explorer

Silence braces a space within which we can hear ourselves think. Quietly, wisely, it makes a case for dumbing the din of modern life, and learning to listen again. Drawing on the experiences of Kagge's extraordinary life in wild places, this is a book of great concentration

Surviving extreme conditions can teach us to lead a fulfilled life. No one knows this better than Erling Kagge, who was the first man in history to reach all of the Earth's poles by foot - the North, the South, and the summit of Everest. In Philosophy for Polar Explorers he brings together the wisdom and expertise he has gained from the expeditions that have taken him to the limits of the earth, and of human endurance. 
 
In sixteen meditative but practical lessons - from cultivating an optimistic outlook, to getting up at the right time, to learning to take pleasure in the small things and comfort in solitude - Erling Kagge reveals what survival in the most extreme conditions can teach us about how to lead a meaningful life. Wherever we may be headed.

One Step at a Time

Walking

** The North Pole: The History of an Obsession by Erling Kagge is out now ** 
 
AN ODE TO WALKING FROM ONE OF THE WORLD'S LEADING EXPLORERS AND THE BESTSELLING AUTHOR OF SILENCE 
 
'Erling Kagge is a philosophical adventurer - or perhaps an adventurous philosopher' New York Times 
____________________________________ 
 
'After having put my shoes on and let my thoughts wander, I am sure of one thing - to put one foot in front of the other is one of the most important things we do.' 
 
From those perilous first steps as a toddler, to great expeditions, from walking to work to trekking to the North Pole, Erling Kagge explains that he who walks goes further and lives better. 
 
Walking is a book about the love of exploration, the delight of discovery and the equilibrium that can be found in this most simple of activities. 
____________________________________ 
 
'If you are a walker this book will resonate with you, if you have seldom or never walked this book should be compulsory reading' Rosamund Young 
 
'A thought-proving and enjoyable book that revels in seeing the global in the local. Erling Kagge reveals new ways to view home and homo sapiens, and, as he travels leisurely, we grow slowly wiser' Tristan Gooley 
 
'Part rumination, part walking coach and companion . . . and one that might just do more for your health and happiness than your treadmill alone ever could' New York Journal of Books 
 
'A thoughtful book-length essay on a taken-for-granted human activity' Kirkus 
 
'[Walking is] much more subtle than a typical self-help . . . Erling Kagge uses his acquaintance with extreme environments to reflect on the mental and physical benefits of walking' Economist

A thought-proving and enjoyable book that revels in seeing the global in the local. Erling Kagge reveals new ways to view home and homo sapiens, and, as he travels leisurely, we grow slowly wiser.

Tristan Gooley, author of 'The Walker's Guide to Outdoor Clues and Signs'

'If you are a walker this book will resonate with you, if you have seldom or never walked this book should be compulsory reading'

Rosamund Young, author of 'The Secret Life of Cows'

Erling Kagge is a philosophical adventurer - or perhaps an adventurous philosopher

A thoughtful book-length essay on a taken-for-granted human activity.

[Walking is] much more subtle than a typical self-help . . . Erling Kagge uses his acquaintance with extreme environments to reflect on the mental and physical benefits of walking

Part rumination, part walking coach and companion . . . and one that might just do more for your health and happiness than your treadmill alone ever could

Drawing on the experiences of Kagge's extraordinary life in wild places, this is a book of great concentration

An Adventurer’s Guide to Surviving Winter

Philosophy for Polar Explorers

In the Age of Noise

Silence

** The North Pole: The History of an Obsession by Erling Kagge is out now ** 
 
From the Norwegian explorer, a stunning meditation on the power of embracing silence 
 
An author for our noisy times, full of a rare and deeply redemptive languor and perspective' Alain de Botton 
____________________________________________________________________ 
 
Behind a cacophony of traffic noise, iPhone alerts and our ever-spinning thoughts, an elusive notion - silence - lies in wait. But what really is silence? Where can it be found? And why is it more important now than ever? 
 
Erling Kagge, the Norwegian adventurer and polymath, once spent fifty days walking solo in Antarctica with a broken radio. In this meditative, charming and surprisingly powerful book, he explores the power of silence and the importance of shutting out the world. Whether you're in deep wilderness, taking a shower or on the dance floor, you can experience perfect stillness if you know where to look. And from it grows self-knowledge, gratitude, wonder and much more. 
 
Take a deep breath, and prepare to submerge yourself in Silence. Your own South Pole is out there, somewhere. 
 
____________________________________________________________________ 
 
'As an explorer Erling Kagge is world class; as a writer he is equally gifted. This breathtaking, inspiring little book teaches us how to find precious moments of silence - whether we are crossing the Antarctic, climbing Everest, or on the train at rush hour' - Sir Ranulph Fiennes 
 
'Silence braces a space within which we can hear ourselves think. Quietly, wisely, it makes a case for dumbing the din of modern life, and learning to listen again. Drawing on the experiences of Kagge's extraordinary life in wild places, this is a book of great concentration' - Robert Macfarlane 
 
'Erling Kagge is a philosophical adventurer - or perhaps an adventurous philosopher' - New York Times

As an explorer Erling Kagge is world class; as a writer he is equally gifted. This breathtaking, inspiring little book teaches us how to find precious moments of silence - whether we are crossing the Antarctic, climbing Everest, or on the train at rush hour

Silence braces a space within which we can hear ourselves think. Quietly, wisely, it makes a case for dumbing the din of modern life, and learning to listen again. Drawing on the experiences of Kagge's extraordinary life in wild places, this is a book of great concentration

Erling Kagge is a philosophical adventurer - or perhaps an adventurous philosopher

A breathtakingly beautiful, quietly life-changing book by the Norwegian explorer Erling Kagge, that shows us how to find perfect silence in our daily lives - however busy we are

Behind a cacophony of traffic noise, iPhone alerts and our ever-spinning thoughts, an elusive notion - silence - lies in wait. But what really is silence? Where can it be found? And why is it more important now than ever? 
 
Erling Kagge, the Norwegian adventurer and polymath, once spent fifty days walking solo in Antarctica with a broken radio. In this meditative, charming and surprisingly powerful book, he explores the power of silence and the importance of shutting out the world. Whether you're in deep wilderness, taking a shower or on the dance floor, you can experience perfect stillness if you know where to look. And from it grows self-knowledge, gratitude, wonder and much more. 
 
Take a deep breath, and prepare to submerge yourself in Silence. Your own South Pole is out there, somewhere.

Erling Kagge

Kari Dickson

An adventure that can’t be topped . . . Kagge journeys into the past to uncover the myths, politics and pure joy of the northernmost point on Earth . . . heart-catching . . . a big book of ripping yarns and existential angst . . . fabulous

Thrilling . . . a compelling mix of history, memoir and polar arcana . . . Coming to the end of this strange, often beautiful book, it becomes clear that The North Pole is in fact a love story, a record of an infatuation

An adventure-lusting Norwegian explorer vividly chronicles our obsession with the North Pole . . . Engaging . . . bracing . . . fascinating . . . Why go? That masochistic drive is captured with great verve, as are the beauty of the Arctic and its terrifying hazards

Absorbing from the start . . . it seems there’s nothing better than a fairly pointless journey into the middle of nowhere to tell us about ourselves . . . all these boreal goings-on are interlaced with Kagge’s own hard-won experience

Erling Kagge’s decades-long obsession with the North Pole has produced an extraordinary book that defies genre: an elegant travel account, a learned history and a psychological thriller wrapped in one

Erling Kagge is a deeply thoughtful writer who has a strong and very individual style. The North Pole proves to be the perfect subject for him

Kagge's achievement in this compelling, expansive book is to present the North Pole in all its aspects – not just as a geographical point sought by generations of explorers, but also as a dream, myth and mirror . . . gripping . . . epic

A beautiful book which is as much about our inner world as our outer one, a book that helps us find the vast calm empty spaces within us and returns us to a feeling of being at home in the world

A wonderful book about the sublime, eerie place known as the North Pole. A place that has doubled as a fertile dreamscape as much as a hard, inhospitable landscape for human beings over the centuries. This is the book of a lifetime, from a rare writer-adventurer whose obsession and passion for his subject know no bounds

Erling Kagge charts a wondrous way to the North Pole, exploring the marvel and complexity of a place that exists both in reality and in our symbolic imagination. A fascinating and richly detailed book

Paul Lynch, Booker Prize-winning author of Prophet Song

It's impossible to read Erling Kagge and not fall in love with the North Pole. His enthusiasm is infectious and his adventures are epic

Fascinating . . . an excellent guide to the strangest of terrain

The North Pole is an enchanting pursuit of a place that lies both far away at the top of our planet and deep within us all

It’s rare to find an author and a subject so perfectly matched . . . This book is full of extraordinary stories and wisdom earned through hard experience. “Think ahead, travel light, and leave your fears behind you," one explorer advises. Much like the place itself, The North Pole is memorable, inspiring, unsettling, and poetic

A dazzling book - soulful, awe-inspiring, and deeply thought-provoking. Erling Kagge takes readers on a journey they’ll never forget

Jonathan Eig, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of King: A Life

A philosophical adventurer or perhaps an adventurous philosopher

The concept of a meaningful life is something Kagge, it’s fair to say, is an authority on

The History of an Obsession

‘Extraordinary . . . an elegant travel account, a learned history and a psychological thriller wrapped in one’ ANNE APPLEBAUM 
 
‘Erling Kagge is a deeply thoughtful writer . . . The North Pole proves to be the perfect subject for him’ MICHAEL PALIN 
 
‘The book of a lifetime, from a rare writer-adventurer whose obsession and passion for his subject know no bounds’ ELIF SHAFAK 
 
‘A beautiful book’ ALAIN DE BOTTON 
 
Throughout recorded human time, few places on Earth have inspired as much fascination as the North Pole. This is an otherworldly place where the sun rises and stays aloft for six whole months before setting, plunging the expanse of ice and water into darkness for half a year. 
 
Foot-stepping alongside Erling Kagge, who ventured to the North Pole in the spring of 1990, we hear the story of the North Pole as never told before. From Herodotus who first wondered what the northernmost point of our planet might be like, to the intrepid early cartographers who mapped the world, and the legendary expeditions led by Fridtjof Nansen and Robert Peary – the first polar explorer global celebrities – who were in the grip of a dangerous obsession to get to the North Pole first. What emerges is a new history of the world, spanning thousands of years, as seen from the ‘silver-shining vacantness’ of the North Pole. 
 
Blending memories from Kagge’s own 1990 trip with this epic history, The North Pole is an adventure story, a book about enacting hidden human dreams, about difficult fathers and their difficult sons, and a psychological record of what it means to keep putting one foot in front of the other in the face of adversity. It is for anyone who’s gazed out at the horizon – and wondered what happens if you just keep walking. 
 
'As an explorer Erling Kagge is world class; as a writer he is equally gifted’ SIR RANULPH FIENNES

Erling Kagge

Praise for The North Pole

An adventure that can’t be topped . . . Kagge journeys into the past to uncover the myths, politics and pure joy of the northernmost point on Earth . . . heart-catching . . . a big book of ripping yarns an ...

Thrilling . . . a compelling mix of history, memoir and polar arcana . . . Coming to the end of this strange, often beautiful book, it becomes clear that The North Pole is in fact a love story, a re ...

An adventure-lusting Norwegian explorer vividly chronicles our obsession with the North Pole . . . Engaging . . . bracing . . . fascinating . . . Why go? That masochistic drive is captured wi ...

An adventure that can’t be topped . . . Kagge journeys into the past to uncover the myths, politics and pure joy of the northernmost point on Earth . . . heart-catching . . . a big book of ripping yarns an ...

Thrilling . . . a compelling mix of history, memoir and polar arcana . . . Coming to the end of this strange, often beautiful book, it becomes clear that The North Pole is in fact a love story, a re ...

An adventure-lusting Norwegian explorer vividly chronicles our obsession with the North Pole . . . Engaging . . . bracing . . . fascinating . . . Why go? That masochistic drive is captured wi ...

An adventure that can’t be topped . . . Kagge journeys into the past to uncover the myths, politics and pure joy of the northernmost point on Earth . . . heart-catching . . . a big book of ripping yarns an ...

Thrilling . . . a compelling mix of history, memoir and polar arcana . . . Coming to the end of this strange, often beautiful book, it becomes clear that The North Pole is in fact a love story, a re ...

An adventure-lusting Norwegian explorer vividly chronicles our obsession with the North Pole . . . Engaging . . . bracing . . . fascinating . . . Why go? That masochistic drive is captured wi ...

Books by Erling Kagge

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