Letters from the Edge: Stories of Curiosity, Bravery, and Discovery

by The Explorers Club

An exhilarating collection of letters and stories from the world-renowned Explorers Club, featuring firsthand accounts of crossing boundaries and making history over the past century

For centuries, explorers from all over the globe have traveled the far reaches of what the world has to offer, helping us expand the map, learn about other cultures, and move the needle of human knowledge. But an explorer’s work isn’t finished when they reach a new destination or make a discovery; they need to somehow tell the tale.

Letters from the Edge compiles letters, email exchanges, and field journals from explorers who have joined the esteemed and longstanding organization The Explorers Club. They share their thoughts as they stood at the edge of their research, risking life and tempting death as they penned their dispatches from afar; enduring the proximity of active lava-spewing volcanos in Australia; suffering starvation and isolation in the harsh tundra of the Arctic; rescuing trapped kids in hazardous caves in Thailand; plunging into the depths of the North Atlantic Ocean to excavate the history of the Titanic; communicating with the other side of the galaxy; and so much more, all to quench the insatiable curiosity of humanity—and still, humanity strives to discover more.

Using the source material and interviews with the explorers, Letters from the Edge offers a path to understanding the edge of our knowledge, and ultimately, to understanding ourselves.

Genres: Nonfiction, Outdoors

320 pages, Hardcover

Published October 28, 2025

Reviews

[Katie · Rating 5 out of 5]

great stories of the explorers club. this will take you around the world into lesser known expeditions. my favorite is the indigenous woman's facial tattoos.

[Jasminegalsreadinglog · Rating 5 out of 5]

The word I chose to define from "Letters From the Edge" is 'Edge. Edge means the outermost limit of an object, area, or surface; the place farthest from center. And what would our world look like without those who live their lives on edge? So much would remain unknown without these explorers.

This book gathers their discoveries through letters, email exchanges, and field journals from members of The Explorers Club. From Arctic expeditions to Oppy, the Mars rover, each entry pulled me into a different world. I didn’t just read, I entered.

The format is raw, varied, and deeply personal. The author writes, “our universe has no edges,” and that line stayed with me. It felt like permission to expand, to question boundaries.

As a woman, I felt a deep respect for the pioneers who fought for their right to explore. Their courage, voice, and choices didn’t just shift their own paths but they gave others permission to dream. My admiration for them has grown tenfold.

Thank you to Crown Publishing Group for the physical copy.

[Ula Tardigrade · Rating 5 out of 5]

A real treat for fans of exploration, perfect for reading on a comfy couch or under a starry sky.

While it's challenging to fit so many stories and characters into one book, I'm impressed with the execution. Despite the very short chapters, each one offers a snapshot of a fascinating life. You'll find yourself wanting to read the next one and the next. You will find kidnappings, active volcanoes, wild animals, psychedelics, and submersibles, as well as a whole other category of challenges, such as paperwork, delayed flights, eating instant noodles for a month, and sleeping in a tent full of mating, buzzing flies. After all, as the author writes,

„The reality is that most expeditions aren’t gripping tales of life and death. (If that were the case, The Explorers Club would be doing something very, very wrong.) And the day-to-day grind of fieldwork is something that usually gets overlooked, even if it’s the backbone of exploration”.
Somehow, he made these mundane stories as fascinating as extreme adventures. This was partly thanks to his decision to give voice to the explorers themselves, as seen in this quote:

“Ulla [Lohmann] notes that for fellow members of The Explorers Club, it’s totally normal to enjoy a muddy and freezing expedition for a month, with no showers or hot food. “We’re happy being cold and miserable,” she says. Most of humanity, however, is not wired that way”.

The eponymous "edge" can have many meanings, and the "letters" can take different forms. They can be classic correspondence, emails, voice messages, or field notes made on an iPhone app – like in the chapter about environmental filmmaker Mariah Wilson:

“The BATÉKÉ PLATEAU, REPUBLIC OF CONGO—2017
Here we go again.
A) We came all this way to see … pigeons eating shit. I could have seen that in New York. This is all we filmed today on the clearings. Ugh.
B) To be fair, they are eating elephant shit. So that’s a bit different. Also a hopeful sign for elephants being nearby.…”

I could go on and on, but I think you get the idea ;-) Highly recommended!

Thanks to the publisher, Crown, and NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book.

[Rich Dennison · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thanks to the Explorers Club for the advanced copy. A must read for any fan of exploration.

[Lloyd Fassett]

11/16/25 found it browsing at Dudleys in Bend