Wanderlust: An Eccentric Explorer, an Epic Journey, a Lost Age Paperback - 2024

"If you're interested in how to live a life without regret, you will not want to miss Wanderlust." -- Jon Gertner, author of The Ice at the End of the World

This mesmerizing, larger-than-life adventure biography tells the tale of an eccentric adventurer who traversed some of the greatest frontiers of the twentieth century, from the awe-inspiring terrain of Greenland to the uncharted Arctic wastelands to the underground resistance networks of World War II.

"An absolute joy...Wanderlust is a compelling introduction to one of the most charismatic explorers to ever cross the ice."--New York Times Book Review

Deep in the Arctic wilderness, Peter Freuchen awoke to find himself buried alive under the snow. During a sudden blizzard the night before, he had taken shelter underneath his dogsled and become trapped there while he slept. Now, as feeling drained from his body, he managed to claw a hole through the ice only to find himself in even greater danger: his beard, wet with condensation from his struggling breath, had frozen to his sled runners and lashed his head in place, exposing it to icy winds that needed only a few minutes to kill him... But if Freuchen could escape that, he could escape anything.

Freuchen's incredible survival story seemed ripped from the pages of an adventure novel--and provided fodder for many books of his own. A wildly eccentric Dane with an out-of-nowhere sense of humor, his insatiable curiosity drove him from the twilight years of Arctic exploration to the Golden Age of Hollywood, and from the burgeoning field of climate research in Greenland to the Danish underground during World War II. He conducted jaw-dropping expeditions, survived a Nazi prison camp, and overcame a devastating injury that robbed him of his foot and very nearly his life. Through it all, he was guided not only by restlessness but also by ideals that were remarkably ahead of his time, championing Indigenous communities, environmental stewardship, and starting conversations that continue today.

Meticulously researched and grippingly written, Wanderlust is an unforgettable work of historical nonfiction, an inspiring portrait of restlessness and grit, and a powerful meditation on our relationship to the planet and our fellow human beings. Reid Mitenbuler's exquisite book restores a heroic giant of the last century back into public view.

How did one man survive the arctic, escape the Nazis, and champion ideals far ahead of his time?

• Arctic Survival: From being buried alive under a blizzard to freeing his own head from a frozen beard, Freuchen's encounters with the deadly cold are the stuff of legend.
• WWII Resistance: A look into his time in the Danish underground, his defiance of the Nazis, and his incredible survival of a prison camp.
• A Life of Adventure: Journey from the uncharted frontiers of Greenland to the Golden Age of Hollywood with a man whose curiosity knew no bounds.
• Ahead of His Time: Discover Freuchen's progressive vision as he championed Indigenous communities and advocated for environmental stewardship long before they became global conversations.