Listen free for 30 days
-
One Man's Wilderness
- An Alaskan Odyssey
- Narrated by: Norman Dietz
- Length: 6 hrs and 56 mins
- Categories: Biographies & Memoirs, Historical
People who bought this also bought...
-
The Way Home
- Tales from a Life Without Technology
- By: Mark Boyle
- Narrated by: Gerard Doyle
- Length: 8 hrs and 36 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
No running water, no car, no electricity or any of the things it powers: the internet, phone, washing machine, radio, or light bulb. Just a wooden cabin, on a smallholding, by the edge of a stand of spruce. The Way Home is a modern-day Walden - an honest and lyrical account of a remarkable life lived in nature without modern technology. Mark Boyle, author of The Moneyless Man, explores the hard-won joys of building a home with his bare hands, learning to make fire, collecting water from the stream, foraging, and fishing.
-
-
Life changing!
- By Kindle Customer on 22-08-19
-
Forty Years in the Wilderness
- One Woman’s Adventures and Struggles Homesteading in the Alaskan Wilderness
- By: Dolly Faulkner
- Narrated by: Janet Metzger
- Length: 12 hrs and 1 min
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Dolly Faulkner has many heart-stopping moments of terror and anxiety, living much of the time truly alone in the Alaskan wilderness. But she is not lonely, as the awesome space and beauty of the mountains fill her with appreciation of all things of nature. Dolly Faulkner came to Alaska as a young woman with the dream of living in the wilderness. Forty Years in the Wilderness is a true reality of carving out a homestead in the Kilbuck Mountains near a minor hotsprings that the regional Native corporation is now trying to claim.
-
-
Brilliant from start to finish.
- By oliver on 12-01-21
-
Cache Lake Country
- Or, Life in the North Woods
- By: John J. Rowlands
- Narrated by: Keith Sellon-Wright
- Length: 8 hrs and 7 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Over half a century ago, John Rowlands set out by canoe into the wilds of Canada to survey land for a timber company. After paddling alone for several days, he came upon "the lake of my boyhood dreams", which he named Cache Lake because there was stored the best that the north had to offer-timber for a cabin; fish, game, and berries to live on; and the peace and contentment he felt he could not live without.
-
-
As good as Proenneke's One man's Wilderness
- By Just a reader on 21-09-20
-
Alaskan Retreater's Notebook
- One Man's Journey into the Alaskan Wilderness
- By: Ray Ordorica
- Narrated by: Stephen Bel Davies
- Length: 6 hrs and 55 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In the fall of 1978, Ray Ordorica packed everything he thought he would need into his Toyota LandCruiser and drove north to Alaska. He came to a land he had never seen, to find something he wasn't even sure existed: a wilderness cabin he could use for a year or more to live, think, relax, read, and write. Ordorica found his cabin, fixed it up, and, although it was just an un-insulated 12- by 16-foot one-room log structure, he spent three winters in it in relative comfort.
-
-
Brilliant ! Very inspiring read. Very inspiring.
- By Lee Slater on 04-02-20
-
My Outdoor Life
- By: Ray Mears
- Narrated by: Ray Mears, Simon Shepherd
- Length: 10 hrs and 25 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Ray Mears is a household name through his television series Tracks, World of Survival, Bushcraft Survival, The Real Heroes of Telemark, and many more.
He is a private individual who shuns publicity whenever possible and would prefer to let his many skills tell their own tale - until now. In My Outdoor Life, Ray tells of his childhood and the formative years when he first developed a passion for both bushcraft and the martial arts skills that are central to his life.
-
-
Great book ... But
- By Matthew on 29-09-16
-
Into the Wild
- By: Jon Krakauer
- Narrated by: Philip Franklin
- Length: 7 hrs and 5 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In April 1992 a young man from a well-to-do family hitchhiked to Alaska and walked alone into the wilderness north of Mt. McKinley. His name was Christopher Johnson McCandless. He had given $25,000 in savings to charity, abandoned his car and most of his possessions, burned all the cash in his wallet, and invented a new life for himself.
-
-
Inspiring and cautionary.
- By @Scattered_Laura on 17-09-12
-
The Way Home
- Tales from a Life Without Technology
- By: Mark Boyle
- Narrated by: Gerard Doyle
- Length: 8 hrs and 36 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
No running water, no car, no electricity or any of the things it powers: the internet, phone, washing machine, radio, or light bulb. Just a wooden cabin, on a smallholding, by the edge of a stand of spruce. The Way Home is a modern-day Walden - an honest and lyrical account of a remarkable life lived in nature without modern technology. Mark Boyle, author of The Moneyless Man, explores the hard-won joys of building a home with his bare hands, learning to make fire, collecting water from the stream, foraging, and fishing.
-
-
Life changing!
- By Kindle Customer on 22-08-19
-
Forty Years in the Wilderness
- One Woman’s Adventures and Struggles Homesteading in the Alaskan Wilderness
- By: Dolly Faulkner
- Narrated by: Janet Metzger
- Length: 12 hrs and 1 min
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Dolly Faulkner has many heart-stopping moments of terror and anxiety, living much of the time truly alone in the Alaskan wilderness. But she is not lonely, as the awesome space and beauty of the mountains fill her with appreciation of all things of nature. Dolly Faulkner came to Alaska as a young woman with the dream of living in the wilderness. Forty Years in the Wilderness is a true reality of carving out a homestead in the Kilbuck Mountains near a minor hotsprings that the regional Native corporation is now trying to claim.
-
-
Brilliant from start to finish.
- By oliver on 12-01-21
-
Cache Lake Country
- Or, Life in the North Woods
- By: John J. Rowlands
- Narrated by: Keith Sellon-Wright
- Length: 8 hrs and 7 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Over half a century ago, John Rowlands set out by canoe into the wilds of Canada to survey land for a timber company. After paddling alone for several days, he came upon "the lake of my boyhood dreams", which he named Cache Lake because there was stored the best that the north had to offer-timber for a cabin; fish, game, and berries to live on; and the peace and contentment he felt he could not live without.
-
-
As good as Proenneke's One man's Wilderness
- By Just a reader on 21-09-20
-
Alaskan Retreater's Notebook
- One Man's Journey into the Alaskan Wilderness
- By: Ray Ordorica
- Narrated by: Stephen Bel Davies
- Length: 6 hrs and 55 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In the fall of 1978, Ray Ordorica packed everything he thought he would need into his Toyota LandCruiser and drove north to Alaska. He came to a land he had never seen, to find something he wasn't even sure existed: a wilderness cabin he could use for a year or more to live, think, relax, read, and write. Ordorica found his cabin, fixed it up, and, although it was just an un-insulated 12- by 16-foot one-room log structure, he spent three winters in it in relative comfort.
-
-
Brilliant ! Very inspiring read. Very inspiring.
- By Lee Slater on 04-02-20
-
My Outdoor Life
- By: Ray Mears
- Narrated by: Ray Mears, Simon Shepherd
- Length: 10 hrs and 25 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Ray Mears is a household name through his television series Tracks, World of Survival, Bushcraft Survival, The Real Heroes of Telemark, and many more.
He is a private individual who shuns publicity whenever possible and would prefer to let his many skills tell their own tale - until now. In My Outdoor Life, Ray tells of his childhood and the formative years when he first developed a passion for both bushcraft and the martial arts skills that are central to his life.
-
-
Great book ... But
- By Matthew on 29-09-16
-
Into the Wild
- By: Jon Krakauer
- Narrated by: Philip Franklin
- Length: 7 hrs and 5 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In April 1992 a young man from a well-to-do family hitchhiked to Alaska and walked alone into the wilderness north of Mt. McKinley. His name was Christopher Johnson McCandless. He had given $25,000 in savings to charity, abandoned his car and most of his possessions, burned all the cash in his wallet, and invented a new life for himself.
-
-
Inspiring and cautionary.
- By @Scattered_Laura on 17-09-12
-
A Year of Living Simply
- The Joys of a Life Less Complicated
- By: Kate Humble
- Narrated by: Kate Humble
- Length: 8 hrs
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
If there is one thing that most of us aspire to, it is, simply, to be happy. And yet attaining happiness has become, it appears, anything but simple. Having stuff - the latest, the newest, the best yet - is all too often peddled as the surefire route to happiness. So why then, in our consumer-driven society, is depression, stress and anxiety ever more common, affecting every strata of society and every age, even, worryingly, the very young?
-
-
Interesting
- By lin on 25-10-20
-
Lost in the Wild
- Danger and Survival in the North Woods
- By: Cary J. Griffith
- Narrated by: Roger Wayne
- Length: 7 hrs and 47 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
On a beautiful summer afternoon in 1998, Dan Stephens, a 22-year-old canoeist, was leading a trip deep into Ontario's Quetico Provincial Park. He stepped into a gap among cedar trees to look for the next portage - and did not return. More than four hours later, Dan awakened from a fall with a lump on his head and stumbled deeper into the woods, confused. Three years later, Jason Rasmussen, a third-year medical student who loved the forest's solitude, walked alone into the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness on a crisp fall day.
-
-
not great
- By Stuart A. on 05-02-19
-
The Walker's Guide to Outdoor Clues and Signs
- By: Tristan Gooley
- Narrated by: Tristan Gooley
- Length: 9 hrs and 35 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The ultimate guide to what the land, sun, moon, stars, trees, plants, animals, sky and clouds can reveal - when you know what to look for. This top 10 best seller is the result of Tristan Gooley's two decades of pioneering outdoors experience and six years of instructing, researching and writing. It includes lots of outdoor clues and signs that will not be found in any other book in the world.
-
-
Fantastic book!
- By Trevor Ford on 29-07-20
-
The Journey of Crazy Horse
- A Lakota History
- By: Joseph M. Marshall III
- Narrated by: Joseph M. Marshall III
- Length: 10 hrs and 56 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Most of the world remembers Crazy Horse as a peerless warrior who brought the U.S. Army to its knees at the Battle of Little Bighorn. But to his fellow Lakota Indians, he was a dutiful son and humble fighting man who, with valor, spirit, respect, and unparalleled leadership, fought for his people's land, livelihood, and honor. In this fascinating biography, Joseph Marshall, himself a Lakota Indian, creates a vibrant portrait of the man, his times, and his legacy.
-
-
Incredible story and narrator
- By Dog in a Flat Cap on 15-04-15
-
Notes From a Big Country
- By: Bill Bryson
- Narrated by: William Roberts
- Length: 9 hrs and 19 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
After moving back to the States, Bryson started to write a column for The Mail on Sunday Night and Day magazine. This is a collection of these column entries. Bryson writes about everything from everyday chores, to suing people, the beach, TV, movies, air conditioners, college, Americana, injury dangers, wasting resources, and holiday seasons.
-
-
Bryson is simply brilliant...
- By Salter on 13-09-18
-
Adventures for a Lifetime
- By: Ed Stafford, Ranulph Fiennes
- Narrated by: Ed Stafford, Peter Noble
- Length: 6 hrs and 7 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
An inspiring selection of hand-picked adventures, chosen by Ed Stafford. For those who don’t mind a bit of discomfort in order to experience the wilder side of our amazing planet. Open your mind and reboot your soul with these unforgettable adventures.
-
-
Interesting adventures
- By Chris on 03-09-19
-
Jupiter's Travels
- By: Ted Simon
- Narrated by: Rupert Degas, Ted Simon
- Length: 16 hrs and 51 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
On October 6, 1973, Ted Simon knew there was no going back. He loaded up his 500cc Triumph Tiger in the pouring rain and said good-bye to London. Over four years he rode 64,000 miles round the world. Breakdowns, revolutions, war, a spell in prison, and a Californian commune were all part of his experience, which was colored variously by utter despair and unimaginable joy. He was treated as a spy, a god, a welcome stranger and a curiosity
-
-
Makes me want to travel further.
- By RoadKingScot on 26-07-19
-
AWOL on the Appalachian Trail
- By: David Miller
- Narrated by: Christopher Lane
- Length: 10 hrs and 35 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In 2003, software engineer David Miller left his job, family, and friends to hike 2,172 miles of the Appalachian Trail. AWOL on the Appalachian Trail is Miller’s account of this thru-hike from Georgia to Maine. Listeners are treated to rich descriptions of the Appalachian Mountains, the isolation and reverie, the inspiration that fueled his quest, and the rewards of taking a less conventional path through life. While this book abounds with introspection and perseverance, it also provides useful passages about hiking gear and planning.
-
-
excellent story, easy to listen to.
- By Aisling O'Halloran on 10-05-17
-
Step by Step
- The Life in My Journeys
- By: Simon Reeve
- Narrated by: Simon Reeve
- Length: 10 hrs and 26 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
TV documentary maker Simon Reeve has dodged bullets on frontlines, hunted with the Bushmen of the Kalahari, dived with manta rays, seals and sharks, survived malaria, walked through minefields, tracked lions on foot, been taught to fish by the President of Moldova, and detained for spying by the KGB.
-
-
A “ must read”
- By Liz Mitchinson on 17-09-18
-
The Adventures of the Mountain Men
- True Tales of Hunting, Trapping, Fighting, and Survival
- By: Stephen Brennan
- Narrated by: Kevin Stillwell
- Length: 12 hrs and 17 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The “mountain men” were the hunters and trappers who fiercely strode the Rocky Mountains in the early to mid-1800s. They braved the elements in search of the skins of beavers and other wild animals, to sell or barter for goods. The lifestyle of the mountain men could be harsh, existing as they did among animals, and spending most of their days and nights living and camping out in the great unexplored wilds of the Rockies.
-
-
A MUST FOR ALL ADVENTURE LOVERS!!
- By Jenna in Spain on 08-07-13
-
Touching the Void
- By: Joe Simpson
- Narrated by: Andrew Wincott, Daniel Weyman
- Length: 6 hrs and 52 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Joe Simpson, with just his partner, Simon Yates, tackled the unclimbed West Face of the remote 21,000-foot Siula Grande in the Peruvian Andes in June of 1995. But before they reached the summit, disaster struck. A few days later, Simon staggered into Base Camp, exhausted and frostbitten, to tell their non-climbing companion that Joe was dead. For three days he wrestled with guilt as they prepared to return home. Then a cry in the night took them out with torches, where they found Joe, badly injured.
-
-
Fantastic listen/read
- By Blair Ferguson on 13-04-13
-
Woodsman
- By: Ben Law
- Narrated by: Ben Law
- Length: 4 hrs and 7 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Ben Law has lived as a woodsman in Prickly Nut Wood for over 20 years. His authentic, incredible sense of the land and the wildlife, and his respect for age-old traditions and how to sustain them offers a wonderful, inviting insight into the life and character of Prickly Nut Wood. Having travelled to Papua New Guinea and the Amazon, observing age-old techniques for living in, working in and preserving forests and woodland, Ben Law felt compelled to return home and apply his learning to a 400-year-old plot of woodland near where he grew up.
-
-
How can a book be so fascinating and yet so awful at the same time?
- By Rose on 15-07-18
Summary
To live in a pristine land unchanged by man... to roam a wilderness through which few other humans have passed... to choose an idyllic site, cut trees and build a log cabin... to be a self-sufficient craftsman, making what is needed from materials available... to be not at odds with the world but content with one's own thoughts and company.
Thousands have had such dreams, but Richard Proenneke lived them. He found a place, built a cabin, and stayed to become part of the country. One Man's Wilderness is a simple account of the day-to-day explorations and activities he carried out alone, and the constant chain of nature's events that kept him company. From Proenneke's journals, and with first-hand knowledge of his subject and the setting, Sam Keith has woven a tribute to a man who carved his masterpiece out of the beyond.
Critic reviews
More from the same
What listeners say about One Man's Wilderness
Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Louis
- 18-08-18
loved it
loved it. reminded me of a true story of a man doing what is just being a man.
1 person found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Bike buyer
- 04-09-16
Quit now?
Within a couple of chapters I was wondering whether the simple clean life experienced by Proenneke out there in Alaska might be more appealing in the big scheme of things than chasing promotions and worrying over pension pots.
1 person found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- robert houghton
- 04-03-16
Wonderful Book
A quiet simple story about an extraordinary man. Just a pleasant read and if you look for photos on google it all makes sense.
1 person found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- idris
- 13-08-20
Transporting
Loved this book, excellent narration, made me want to slip away from civilisation and go live in the woods
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Pamela M.
- 10-10-14
Wonderful Alaskan Read!
A couple years ago I watched a PBS documentary on Richard Proenneke and was blown away by his story. He followed his dream by giving it all up to live in the Alaskan Bush.
The book is written as a journal, yet very captivating. I enjoyed his outlook on nature and found it interesting how he built his cabin with hand tools. He was a true adventurer.
I fell in love with this man as well as his book, story and lifestyle. I know I will revisited this book many times in years to come. A true classic, must read!
11 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- HS mom
- 19-02-13
Favorite listen. Gifted it to a friend to enjoy!
My husband and I loved this one so much we gifted it to our friends to enjoy. Listening was like going on a retreat!
10 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Reuben
- 09-03-13
Fantastic
There's little to say, listen for yourself, probably the most enjoyable book I have listened to. The book is well written, the story brilliant, and the narration excellent.
13 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Jan
- 28-07-13
Thank you Richard Proenneke
This was offered as a bonus buy book for me... so glad I gave it a try. In 1998 at age 50 Richard Proenneke retired to the solitude of Twin Lakes in Alaska. This book follows his first 18 months living there alone... as he builds his $40 cabin. His work ethic, creativity and true love of nature is revealed in the journal entries. I love his voice, descriptions and point of view. There is no plot... just daily accomplishments, interactions with the animals and joy in a handful of blueberries or pot of beans. So if you are looking for an amazing Alaskan adventure book this isn't it... if you truly love nature and are content to let the rabbits eat the pea plants in your garden because they were here first. You will love it!. He lived in the cabin for 30 years and it is now a Park Service historic monument... his nature films have been combined to make two PBS specials. I loved the pictures of his cabin I found on the internet. My only complaint was - it's way too short, I wanted more and first introduction chapter is kinda boring... his voice and journal starts in chapter 2.
12 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Calle
- 07-08-18
Refreshing
Makes you long for your own adventure. I've now listened to this book about five times. Once a year since I found it.
4 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Joey
- 20-08-13
Makes you want to build your own cabin
I enjoyed this story very much. I love to listen to stories about people carving their own place in nature and their adventures, successes, and problems. The story made me want to move to Alaska and try my own hand at building a cabin... until I remembered I'm more a car-camping type of person. I have two criticisms: 1. I didn't love the narrator, but he was okay, it's not something that detracted from my enjoyment, I just think there could be someone better. 2. I'd like to see ALL Audible books that have photo sections come with a pdf of the photos the way Bossypants and some others do. It's frustrating to know there are photos out there, but have to search on the web and hope you're finding the right ones.
9 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- raancdhyel
- 07-01-16
Get it. Listen to it.
You won't regret it. If you want to be transported to Alaska and live vicariously through one man's gratifying story of carving a life in the bush, get this book.
3 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Schmidt happens
- 23-03-15
a great story
this is one of those audible books that a person could sit and listen to over and over again. need I day more than thank you?
3 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Auzboy
- 19-07-14
Wonderful story. Exquisite narration.
Would you listen to One Man's Wilderness again? Why?
Absolutely. In fact, I have already listened to this audiobook three times.
What other book might you compare One Man's Wilderness to and why?
I am still raking through Audible books to find similar real-life stories.
Which scene was your favorite?
Just about every scene energised my soul and refreshed my senses. Notwithstanding this is a true story of a man who wanted to be close to nature and live his life to fullness, the vivid descriptions of this pristine wilderness, perhaps the last few places on earth, is a shot in the arm for anyone who is a bit tired of city life and yearn for something different.
Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?
I have never felt a greater contrast between what I see and observe during my commuting hours in a major modern city and what I hear through my earbuds! It's certainly left me with awe and a ting of jealousy!
Any additional comments?
This man's story is mesmerising, captivating, stimulating, and food for soul for nature lovers. Life is short and it's worth living it out like Richard Proenneke. For me, this may well be as close getting to these spectacular places as I ever can. I hope not.
3 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Lisa
- 23-12-13
An Absolute Gem
If you love stories about escaping to the wilderness and living a totally self-sufficient life with only the wildlife for company, you'll love this.
But what I loved most was Richards' unfailing cheerful, practical, philosophical attitude to everything that happened to him and everything he had to do. This is a guy who gets dropped off in the middle of nowhere and cheerfully sets about building a log cabin from scratch, making every piece of furniture; hunting, fishing and growing food, exploring the surrounding mountains - all of it with no help or company, except for the occasional supply drop and the local friendly wildlife.
There's no angst or hardship, no preachy-ness, just a genuine appreciation and love for his surroundings, and uncomplaining embracing of the fact that anything you want done, you've got to work out a way to do it yourself.
It's entertaining, moves at a steady pace, and the overall effect is totally uplifting and inspiring. Makes you want to go live in the mountains and build a log cabin yourself, even if you'd never thought about it before.
Hard to avoid the cliché - they don't make many like Richard anymore but you so wish they did.
3 people found this helpful