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

SHORTLISTED FOR THE WILLIAM HILL SPORTS BOOK OF THE YEAR 2017

Part social history, part memoir, Swell shines a light on the ‘swimming suffragettes’.

These days, swimming may seem like an egalitarian pastime, open to anyone with a swimsuit – but this wasn’t always the case. In the 19th century, swimming was almost exclusively the domain of men. Women were (barely) allowed to swim in the sea, but even into the 20th century they could be arrested if they dared dive into a lake. It wasn’t until the 1930s that women were reluctantly granted equal access. This is the story of the swimming suffragettes who made that possible; women who took on the status quo, and won.

Swell celebrates some amazing achievements, some ridiculous outfits and some fantastic swimmers who challenge the stereotypes of what women are capable of. It’s also the story of how Jenny eventually came to be a keen swimmer herself.

This book is a joyful hymn to the sport and an exploration of why swimming attracts so many women. It is dedicated to our brilliant swimming foremothers who collectively made it possible for any woman to plunge in however and wherever we choose.

Shortlisted for the Rubery Book Award 2020

Do you know how it feels to run for 1,900 miles? Or to look down at the earth from a space station? Or to swim alongside a hungry shark?

Fantastic Female Adventurers by Lily Dyu is a collection of fourteen exciting and inspirational stories about the women that do. Follow them on their incredible journeys around the globe.

Ski to the North Pole with Ann Daniels while watching out for polar bears and lethal cracks in the ice. Feel the air beneath your feet as you climb high on a cliff face with Gwen Moffat. Experience the thrill of racing down rocky Himalayan trails with champion runner Mira Rai. Sail the oceans with Ellen MacArthur, the girl who saved up her lunch money to buy her first boat. You’ll even fly into space with Britain’s first astronaut, Helen Sharman. And join Lily on other awesome adventures with Anna McNuff, Sarah Outen, Misba Khan and more taking you from Everest to the South Pole and all the places in between.

Beautifully illustrated by artist and adventurer Chellie Carroll, Fantastic Female Adventurers will leave you thinking: I can do that, too!