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  • Outsider

  • An Old Man, a Mountain and the Search for a Hidden Past
  • Written by: Brett Popplewell
  • Narrated by: Brandon Massey
  • Length: 8 hrs and 8 mins
  • 4.9 out of 5 stars (27 ratings)

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Outsider

Written by: Brett Popplewell
Narrated by: Brandon Massey
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Publisher's Summary

Into the Wild meets Born to Run meets The Stranger in the Woods in a fascinating true story of a marathon-running hermit and a journalist’s quest to solve the mystery at the core of the enigmatic man’s existence

When journalist Brett Popplewell first heard about Dag Aabye, an aging former stuntman who lived alone inside a school bus on a mountain, running day and night through blizzards and heat waves, he was intrigued and bewildered. Captivated by the seemingly implausible tale of a wild super-athlete aging more slowly than the rest of us, he was determined to meet the apocryphal white-haired man who was pushing the boundaries of the human mind and body beyond what anyone could dream was possible.

What Popplewell witnessed on a secluded mountain perch led him on a six-year odyssey to uncover the true story of the 81-year-old man.

Outsider takes listeners on a remarkable journey from Nazi-occupied Norway to Argentina and British Columbia. The book chronicles how a child born under mysterious circumstances during World War II finds his way onto the big screen in Goldfinger, is heralded as the world’s first extreme skier, and is later driven into the wilderness. Both joyful and tragic, Outsider presents a bold challenge to our notions of aging, belonging and human accomplishment.

©2023 Brett Popplewell (P)2023 HarperCollins Publishers

What listeners say about Outsider

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Captivating story

Really enjoyed this! I felt very invested in Dag’s unconventional life and philosophy from start to finish.

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phenomenal! you will be surprised

absolutely amazing what this man did and how he lived! so interesting and lots to learn!

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An amazing story and real depth and commitment from the author to write an unbiased and true story for a friend.

An amazing story and real depth and commitment from the author to write an unbiased and true story for a friend. must read.

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Great book! Recommend it!

Inspiring! Loved this book about Dag Aabye! His deep connection with nature and pushing forward through it all is well shared in this book!

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  • BrW
  • 2023-05-21

Captivating

The author takes you on an amazing journey of Dag’s life and origins. Makes you contemplate how our perception of our origins and who we think we are can limit us. Lessons on persistence too. Wonderful bits of philosophy from Dag along the way.

Narrator is excellent.

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Such an intriguing story

I loved listening to this story of a man of mystery, an enigma. The winding path that leads back and forth between his past, his birth story and his present never disappoints!

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What an amazing story. We need a book two! 🍻

I loved this all the way through. What an amazing story. We need a book two!🍻

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  • Jan
  • 2023-06-02

Captivating Read

This man’s life was so captivating. It was very interesting how the author was eventually able to find out his family of origin which wasn’t an easy task and wasn’t what Dag originally believed it to be. His philosophy of life is something we all could learn from. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and highly recommend it. GREAT READ!!

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  • LC
  • 2023-11-07

A biography with a twist near the end

Loved how this book followed multiple storylines for the same individual/subject, and moved between them fluidly: his running/health, his birth story, and his relationship with his family. Also the author did a good job building in a "twist" near the end, which is hard to do with a biography.

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Inspired

I am 76 and discovering how much exercise I can do. I found this well written book inspirational and helpful as I explore my limits .

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