Alone Against the North
An Expedition into the Unknown
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Alone Against the North
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Narrated by:
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Adam Shoalts
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Written by:
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Adam Shoalts
About this listen
Winner of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario's 2016 Young Authors Award
Winner of the 2017 Louise de Kiriline Award for Nonfiction
The age of exploration is not over.
When Adam Shoalts ventured into the largest unexplored wilderness on the planet, he hoped to set foot where no one had ever gone before. What he discovered surprised even him.
Shoalts was no stranger to the wilderness. He had hacked his way through jungles and swamp, had stared down polar bears and climbed mountains. But one spot on the map called out to him irresistibly: the Hudson Bay Lowlands, a trackless expanse of muskeg and lonely rivers, caribou and wolf - an Amazon of the north, parts of which to this day remain unexplored.
Cutting through this forbidding landscape is a river no explorer, trapper, or canoeist had left any record of paddling. It was this river that Shoalts was obsessively determined to explore.
It took him several attempts, and years of research. But finally, alone, he found the headwaters of the mysterious river. He believed he had discovered what he had set out to find. But the adventure had just begun. Unexpected dangers awaited him downstream.
Gripping and often poetic, Alone Against the North is a classic adventure story of single-minded obsession, physical hardship, and the restless sense of wonder that every explorer has in common.
But what does exploration mean in an age when satellite imagery of even the remotest corner of the planet is available to anyone with a phone? Is there anything left to explore?
What Shoalts discovered as he paddled downriver was a series of unmapped waterfalls that could easily have killed him. Just as astonishing was the media reaction when he got back to civilization. He was crowned “Canada’s Indiana Jones” and appeared on morning television. He was feted by the Royal Canadian Geographical Society and congratulated by the Governor General. People were enthralled by Shoalts’s proof that the world is bigger than we think.
Shoalts’s story makes it clear that the world can become known only by getting out of our cars and armchairs, and setting out into the unknown, where every step is different from the one before, and something you may never have imagined lies around the next curve in the river.
©2016 Adam Shoalts (P)2019 Penguin Random House CanadaWhat the critics say
Legislative Assembly of Ontario - Young Authors Award: Winner
2017 Louise de Kiriline Lawrence Award for English Non-Fiction: Winner
“Adam Shoalts is Canada’s Indiana Jones—portaging in the north, dodging scary rapids, plunging into darkness, and surviving to tell the tale.” —Toronto Star
“While the book is a nail-biting chronicle of polar-bear encounters, brutal swarms of black flies and surprise tumbles down waterfalls, Shoalts also vividly describes an area of the country most of us will never witness.” —Metro (Toronto)
"Explorer Adam Shoalts's remarkable solo foray into the quietly dangerous and mysterious Hudson Bay Lowlands is the kind of incredible effort that fosters legends." —The Winnipeg Free Press
What listeners say about Alone Against the North
Average Customer RatingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Barry
- 2020-09-28
a brave modern undertaking
definitely a remarkable feat. the writing lacks dramatic detail that really gets you into the story. However, the author and I are kindred spirits with the solitude thing. Tha narrator was great.
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Wade Robertson
- 2020-08-18
Adventurous, whimsical and informative
Adam Shoalts does a great job at narrating his enthralling experience with the Again river. The only reason I am giving it 4 stars overall, is because of the (albeit true to the story) F-bombs that are used as expletives. That was the only thing that kept me from listening to this account with my children (that and some gruesome details surrounding grim suicides of explorers).
Thanks Adam for undertaking an adventure of this type for all of us who can’t :)
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2 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Margot McCann
- 2022-12-27
Alone against the North
A very enjoyable read! I loved the story it was entertaining, inspiring and also informative. I will definitely read more from this author.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Paul Galbraith
- 2021-08-17
Really exceeded my expectations
if a weekend canoe trip in Algonquin is about the limit of hardship that you're willing to ensure to satisfy your love of the outdoors, this wonderfully told story is a great way to vicariously live the life of a true adventurer.
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Jeremy Post
- 2019-10-28
Loved every moment
if you love outdoor adventure, Adam Shoalts' exploits are sure to inspire. You can feel his unadulterated passion for exploration and sincere admiration for the natural world. By the end of the book, I wanted to grab my pack and launch my canoe into the nearest river and never look back.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Wendy
- 2020-06-02
Impressive
This book contains an interesting progression of adventures. The author does a great job in gathering information about past explorers and includes thought provoking quotes and perspectives. Additional information about wildlife and natural features makes this book a complete package. I hope this is one of many as he continues to explore the untamed and "untracked" wilderness
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- J Dave
- 2020-06-13
Great Adventurer
A great read by a true adventurer.
So many times this trip could have turned fatal.
Thanks for sharing your wonderful story.
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story3 out of 5 stars
- Amazon Customer
- 2021-07-27
Inspirational but needs rounding out
I enjoyed this book - and I realize the author is the adventurer. This book has great story potential, but I thought the main story points could have been rounded out more.
Either way - I thought this was a greatly inspiring book showing perseverance and dedication to his passion. I'll list to this a second time and encourage anyone else to listen to it as well
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Nandini
- 2022-08-10
I am a fan Adam
Fantastic journey and experience. Very thoroughly written.
I can only imagine and have goosebumps. What a life you live. What a journey you had and having !!
I have a long flight journey coming. Planning to get few others from you.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Anonymous User
- 2023-05-05
Fantastic listen
Great book! What an educational and inspiring adventure. Especially growing up in Ontario myself. If you love the outdoors, it's a fantastic read.
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