The Impossible Journey

'Never less than entertaining . . . the book really comes alive' Mail on Sunday

'A fascinating book . . . what it means to be human' Independent on Sunday

195 countries. Over a decade of travel. Not a single aeroplane in sight. This is the story of one man's journey to be the first to visit every country in the world without flight . . .

When Thor Pedersen set out on the adventure of a lifetime, he never dreamed of the people he'd meet and the places he could go. But embarking on this epic voyage took him to the brink of his sanity, wiped his funds and tested the relationships he held dear.

Over the years he encountered grave danger in the form of drunken armed men as well as the high seas, with giant waves crashing in over the ship from all sides. He has slept on the street and dined in the homes of billionaires. He visited countries stricken with war-zones, and once had to take an 11,919 km detour, revisiting seven countries, traversing Baluchistan in Pakistan escorted by armed guards because he was denied a visa while in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia. Life becomes unnecessarily complicated without the luxury of flying.

Yet after years of challenges and milestones, Thor achieves something no human has ever done. The Impossible Journey is a triumphant memoir as he invites the world to share in this once in a lifetime adventure, the lessons, stories and unique perspectives on humanity he learned along the way.