The Impossible Journey
10 Years. 203 Countries. No Flights.
Will be published approx. on 16. July 2026
Book
Paperback/Softback
320 pages
978-1-4721-4979-4 (ISBN)
Description
'Never less than entertaining . . . the book really comes alive' Mail on Sunday
'A fascinating book . . . what it means to be human' Independent on Sunday
203 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.
'A fascinating book . . . what it means to be human' Independent on Sunday
203 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.
More details
Language
English
Place of publication
London
United Kingdom
Publishing group
Little, Brown Book Group
Dimensions
Height: 198 mm
Width: 126 mm
Thickness: 22 mm
ISBN-13
978-1-4721-4979-4 (9781472149794)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Person
Thor Pedersen is the only person in history to have reached every country in the world completely without flying! The project, named Once Upon A Saga, was initially planned to take just four years but ended up taking nearly a decade due to unforeseen challenges such as visa issues, political unrest, and the COVID-19 pandemic. On May 23rd 2023, Pedersen reached the final country, Maldives, completing the project and claiming world history. Find out more at: https://thorpedersen.dk/#the-impossible-journey