“A jolly good read – I highly recommend it” – Robin Hanbury-Tennison, Country live

“A delight to read and will inspire and educate enormously” – The Pennant, magazine of the Forces Pension Society

‘Without doubt JBS, as many know him, is one of the world’s most eminent explorers’
Sir Ranulph Fiennes, Bt. OBE

For over 60 years John Blashford-Snell has been exploring some of the planet’s most remote, inaccessible and dangerous places; his name is known globally for his daring adventures and intrepid journeys of discovery. Now, well into his eighties (and still planning future trips), he has gathered together in a single volume a collection of tales from Africa, Asia and the Americas, a mix of mostly new writing combined with some old favourites, extracts from some of the 100 or so expeditions he has led in pursuit of archaeological, anthropological, botanical, biological and zoological objectives.

From the Blue Nile to the Darien Gap, the Kalahari to Colombia, Blashford-Snell is one of the most experienced explorers in the world. He has met with royalty and presidents, worked with Clint Eastwood and Sean Connery, been on a quest to find a giant pachyderm in the forests of West Nepal, led investigations into Atlantis and even delivered a grand piano to a remote tribe in Guyana! Mountains, rivers, forests and jungle have been his domain and he has seen some of the most extraordinary places known to man.

If meetings with dangerous wildlife, stories of navigating rapid-filled rivers and tales of encounters with bandits are your thing, this new collection from a man who has become an institution in his own right is an essential read.

John Blashford-Snell is the founder of Operation Raleigh and of the Scientific Exploration Society. He has been awarded an MBE, OBE and CBE for exploration and has received multiple awards from countries and organisations around the world. For 20 years he chaired the British Chapter of the Explorers Club of America. Films of his expeditions have been broadcast worldwide.

John Blashford-Snell
Holder of almost all the top awards for exploration and three honours bestowed upon him by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, Colonel John Blashford-Snell is one of the most eminent and seasoned explorers. With the support of commerce, the British, US and other Armed Forces, he has organised and led over 100 expeditions to far corners of the world. The objectives of his challenging ventures have always included scientific exploration, wildlife conservation and aid to local communities. At the same time he has sought to develop leadership in young people through Operations Drake and Raleigh and assist the less privileged youth of urban areas.
Broadcaster, public speaker and author of 15 books, John Blashford-Snell is regarded as an authority and as President of the Scientific Exploration Society continues to explore today.

PART 1
Chapter 1-3 Blue Nile – Ethiopia
Chapter 4 Magdala and Dahlak Quests – S.Ethiopia
Chapter 5 Wildlife Quests – S. Ethiopia
Chapter 6 Desert Exploration – Libyan Sahara
Chapter 7 Kalahari Quest
Chapter 8 The Mighty Congo
Chapter 9 Gorilla Hunt and Adventures in Zimbabwe
PART 2
Chapter 10 The Darien Gap
Chapter 11 The Lost Scots Colony (Panama)
Chapter 12 Panama Expeditions
Chapter 13 Atlantis? And the path between the seas
Chapter 14-15 The Kota Mama Voyages
Chapter 16-18 The Wai-Wai and the Grand Piano
Chapter 19 Colombian Ventures
Chapter 20 With Amazon People
Chapter 21 Drake, Raleigh and HMS Wager
PART 3
Chapter 22 Mammoths and Tigers
Chapter 23 To the Abode of God (Tibet)
Chapter 24 Far NE India
Chapter 25 In Ghengis Khan’s Footprints
Chapter 26 Papua New Guinea
Chapter 27 Burma
Chapter 28 EPILOGUE