Pure suspense, adventure, and inspiration. When Scott Jurek went into the woods to create his masterpiece, no one knew if he would make it back out again. He was America’s greatest ultra-athlete, a runner whose brains and singular intensity led him to years of extraordinary victories. But this time, Jurek was pushing himself into realms more dangerous than Death Valley, more treacherous than Mexican canyons, and only slightly less crazy than the time he chased after a wild bear. His story of plunging into the wilderness in pursuit of a dream is both heartwrenching and spellbinding.

Scott Jurek’s record-setting journey on the Appalachian Trail was the most punishing, most demanding, most gruelling feat I’ve ever personally witnessed. By mile 2,000, he was a hollowed-out, broken-down carapace of a person. And unless he found something, some way not just to keep going but to speed up, he was going to miss the record. Over those final 200 miles, I watched him dig deeper than I thought humanly possible: he not only claimed the fastest known time, but – most impressively – never failed to greet a fellow blaze-hiker with a smile and a cheery, “How far ya’ going?” Now, reading his immersive and engaging book, where he asks and pushes himself to find the answers to all of the ‘whys’, I almost don’t want his suffering to end, just so I can enjoy another chapter.

I’m a huge fan . . . North is tremendous.

Probably America’s greatest ever ultrarunner.

One of the greatest runners of all time.

The greatest ultrarunner of them all.

An ultramarathon legend.

One of the world’s most dominant ultramarathon runners.

An ultramarathon running god . . . Is he crazy? Or is he superhuman?

[Jurek has] accomplished feats that boggle the mind, showing the amazing things that can be accomplished by a determined athlete.

Widely regarded as one of the best ultrarunners of all-time.

Scott Jurek is a veritable demigod in the sport of ultrarunning.

An ultramarathon legend . . . An extraordinary athlete.

Scott Jurek is Exhibit A in the argument that man was meant to run.

Undoubtedly the greatest ultrarunner of his generation.

Jurek’s victories in punishing 100-mile races since the late 1990s – plus a starring role in the writer Christopher McDougall’s best seller, Born to Run – have made him a distance-running celebrity. But tackling the Appalachian Trail forced him to dig deeper than he ever had before . . . To hear Jurek tell it, forcing himself to the limit is purifying and transformational.

Ultrarunning legend Scott Jurek has a great tale of conquering the Appalachian Trail . . . If testing yourself to the max is your thing, you’ll love this story.

You lost me a whole night's work. This is a great read.

A beautiful ode to how nature can soothe and inspire hope with every step . . . this book is really special

Mesmerising. It is one of the most uplifting, inspiring books that I've ever read

Filled with wry humour, this is a wonderfully uplifting and touching book

This is a wonderful, heart-gladdening, life-affirming read. It will make you want to walk. What a gem.

Luminescent. A literary phenomenon

Utterly inspirational

The Salt Path broke my heart and put it back together again over and over. Beautiful writing, and such a sharp eye - both for nature and for people. It's hopeful and sad and honest and I LOVED it.

Harnesses the wildness of rock, sky and coastal walking in life-affirming prose

Radiant, soaring, heartstring-tugging

A remarkable account of the healing power of landscape and the resilience of the human spirit. I felt the rain on my face and heard the waves pounding on the sand.

Inspirational

The Salt Path pummelled me like Atlantic winds. It carried me along on a rain-soaked, sun-burnt, despair-infused, hope-driven walk. The writing is at times raw, poetic, funny, shocking. It is consistently honest, vulnerable, clear. I finished the book reminded of the importance of really hearing people's stories, of the healing power of the natural world, and of our individual and collective now.

A thoughtful, lyrical story of homelessness, strength and endurance

A moving true story

By turns inspirational and horrifying . . . [Winn] writes with a detail and a joy that tugs at the reader, lifting this beyond a mere travel memoir and all the privations and hardship to be something truly meaningful

Beautiful, sad, erudite and uplifting

An uplifting tale

Vivid . . .This is a book essentially about hope, but also about sheer gritty determination not to give in, to survive extreme discomfort, danger and sometimes disillusionment

An inspirational true story

It's a heart-warming, heart-wrenching story, told by Raynor in vivid yet plain prose. There are so many wonderful passages

Raynor's writing is beautiful. It's a heart-wrenching read at times, but you won't be able to put it down

We walk with Ray and Moth every step of the way, sharing the hunger, exhaustion, blazing heat and freezing rain in an account that is both lyrical and inspirational

An extraordinary memoir - moving, funny and uplifting

An inspirational and lyrically observed memoir on the regenerative power of walking in nature, as well as a reminder that material things are much less important than we sometimes think. If you love the landscape of the British coastline and are drawn to the philosophies of mindfulness and minimalism, this is a moving and reflective book to read during a break from your everyday life

Raynor Winn's glorious memoir tells the real-life story of her hike along the South West Coast Path, which she embarked upon with her husband after they lost their home. It's raw yet uplifting - and guaranteed to inspire your next adventure

A thoughtful reflection on ageing and infirmity, home and homelessness, hope and survival

A life-affirming story that examines grief and the power of nature

Poignant . . . It's far from a book without hope, and you'll be with Raynor and Moth every step of their walk along the South West Coast Path

A heart-wrenching, inspiring tale of one couple's enduring love for each other in the face of calamity and of their accidental odyssey along England's South West Coast Path

A love story of resilience and optimism, brimming with heart and humanity

A gripping domestic disaster story turned celebration of survival

A true story of hope in a dire situation