Today is World Book Day, so we thought it was the perfect time to share some of our favourites with you. you will notice that most are based on either Adventure or Sustainability (I’m sure you are surprised!) but they also tell great stories about the drive, skill and sheer determination of many amazing people. 🌄 🌊 ⛰️ 🌲

1. The World’s Toughest Races

This book is enough to inspire anyone to pull a pair of trainers on and head out the door for a jog. From the famous Marathon des Sables to races across Iceland and the South American rainforests, there are some very serious bucket-list races in here. You can pick it up second hand HERE.

2. Blue Mind

For any Ocean lover or anyone interested in the complexities of human happiness, this book explains why so many of us are continuously drawn back to the Ocean. It analyses that feeling of total relaxation and wonder that we get when by the Sea and unpicks the science behind it. You can pick it up second hand HERE.

3. Ill Met By Moonlight

In 1944, 2 young Army Officers parachuted into Crete in the middle of the night with the mission of crossing the island, blending in with the locals and capturing a German General. This is a day-by-day diary of W. S. Moss as he embarked on this crazy adventure. We won’t give too much away, but go out and get this one now. You will love it. You can pick it up second hand HERE.

4. What We Need To Do Now

Many countries, including the UK have signed up to being entirely Carbon Neutral by 2050. Many people know what this means, but how exactly do we do that? Chris explains, sector by sector, what will need to happen in the UK in order to meet this political statement. It is a serious but uplifting read. The general theme is that it is entirely possible, from shipping and aviation through to farming. We just need to get moving now and must be prepared to commit the necessary funds to doing it. You can pick it up second hand HERE.

5. Surfing The World

A great gift for any surfer, Surfing The World gives you a literary tour of the best 80 waves on the planet. It goes into detail about the surfing culture in different places, great tips about local places to stay and about other places to explore along the way. Just a great book if you want some surf-related travel inspiration (stunning photographs too!). Pick it up secondhand HERE.

6. Deep Survival

This is about Adventurers around the world getting on the wrong side of nature. It goes into why some accidents prove to be fatal whereas others are not. It is a really interesting insight into the human potential to survive as well as the importance of being prepared and having the right amount of experience. It looks at the risks that certain people took, why they should never have taken them and then what the awful results were. A great way to learn, we certainly took a lot of tips from this, particularly when skiing and climbing at high altitudes. A great read for any adventurer. Pick it up secondhand HERE.

7. Rewilding The Sea

After spending more than 20 years as the Environment Editor at The Daily Telegraph, Charles Clover co-founded Blue Marine Foundation, an impactful and influential marine conservation charity. This book highlights many of the incredible results that Rewilding has had around The British Isles, in the Caribbean and the Indian Ocean. Rewilding is about not just protecting a species but protecting entire areas and allowing nature to recover. It not only has remarkable benefits for biodiversity but also allows the ocean to perform far better at removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and helping reduce the impacts of climate change. Pick it up secondhand HERE.

8. Let My People Go Surfing

The famous philosophy of Yvon Chouinard and Patagonia Inc. This was never intended to be published as a book but was meant to be a hand rail for employees to fully understand and embrace what their company stood for. It was a way of getting the values of Patagonia through to everyone that worked for the company. This book teaches us many great lessons, not just about the need to care for the environment and build responsible products but also to really look after our people. Patagonia have been at the heart of so many people-first policies like being the first US company to implement maternity leave, bring kids into work and “let their people go surfing” whenever the swell was in. This was the beginning of flexible working. Pick it up secondhand HERE.

9. Training For The New Alpinism

Anyone interested in getting fit for mountain sports needs to get this mannual. It is more of a text book than anything and is filled with science about exactly how to get yourself in alpine shape! So much of this is about aerobic capacity building and being able to maintain a low heart rate for longer – as soon as your heart rate increases you breathe more intensely and work up a sweat (2 things you want to try and minimise when high up and in sub-zero temperatures). You can pick it up second hand HERE.

10. Mountains Of The Gods

A beautiful coffee-table book about the history and geology of the wonderful Himalayan Mountains. It goes into great detail around how the range was formed and what makes the peaks so formidable and attractive to climbers. It later goes into some of the earliest exploration in the area. This would be a great gift for any climber, mountaineer, geologist or historian. You can pick it up second hand HERE.