Outpost: A Journey To The Wild Ends Of The Earth By Dan Richards

Rating: 3 / 5 Stars

Publication Date: 8/11/2020

** Thank you to Netgalley, Canongate Books, and of course, Dan Richards, for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.


I am a travel addict, and with 2020, I've found that I have to resort to travel writing and travelogues in order to get my fix. So when it came time to review Dan Richards’ book of far-flung places in the wilderness and remote locations, I was sold.

Dan’s writing perfectly encompasses his experiences. You feel you are visiting them with him, crossing the mountains, and on the hunt for remote villages. I would say, 80% of these locations have not been on my list before reading this book, but they are now.

My issue was the idea that Dan didn’t reach his argument fully. I felt the book to be slightly unsatisfying in that way. Yet, at the same time, travel is unique to everyone and in his mind, he did reach it! I also found the flow of reading to be a bit broken up with the word choice.

I still recommend for any travel lover!

I love travelogues. No armchair yet, but it’s how I seem to travel most. Not all are created equal, but then again there are so many variants, and frankly a lot less variants in armchair travel than the real deal, so…This book promised to take its readers to the wild ends of the Earth. And it did. From Scotland to Japan to Norway and more the author deliberately went after the remotest, difficult to reach corners of the world seemingly specifically meant for solitude and quiet contemplation. It isn’t surprising to find out some of these outposts have been used by writers to creates their best works. You’re thinking Walden, of course, the famous association. But also, Dahl and Kerouac. Also, the author himself, most notably in a peculiarly designed Swiss writing colony. The isolation must help, the writing in this book is very good, the nature descriptions are excellent and I enjoyed the occasional humorous interjections. There was actually a lot of great things about this travelogue, so I’m surprised it didn’t quite work for me. Let’s say objectively it’s good, really good. And subjectively, I seem to prefer travels immersed in more historical and sociopolitical context and this was more along the lines of observational and meditative. I didn’t think I learned enough from this book, it was more of a mood read, if that explanation works. Still enjoyable, certainly. The locations were interesting to visit, there were even photos, which was great. In a world as loud and as busy as it is, it’s nice to contemplate such serene (though wildly inhospitable to casual visits) quiet. After all, everyone needs their fortress of solitude. Thanks Netgalley.

I love to travel, but even more than that I love the planning, researching, and digging into everything about the area. Dan Richards' writing flows so smoothly in this book about his travels to far off the beaten path places, the characters he meets, and his many crazy adventures! He's a natural storyteller and it helped at least a little of my wanderlust cravings while being stuck at home! I'd definitely read more books from this author.

In every single chapter, author Dan Richards describes a journey taken to some distant location far and away from the hustle and bustle of humanity. These travels take him across the globe to an array of environments and locations, from arctic Nordic archipelagoes to remote Shino shrines to a Mars-esque landscape in the middle of Utah. He describes his various little journeys are done in an informative but also sort of meandering style, which makes sense given the consistent themes of visiting these isolated spots - not to rush through for any traveling glory, but to find somewhere peaceful to explore and maybe find some inspiration. I will admit that not every location covered here held my interest. However, it never was too long until I found myself in a new chapter and in a new place miles and miles away from civilization, where I had the potential to become just as absorbed in the particular spot as Richards did. So while something of a hit and miss reading experience, the hits were very much wonderfully welcome little escapes.

A densely written yet highly readable account of adventure seeking at the ends of the map.

Richards does a great job of mixing narration with dialogue that keeps the perspective fresh and moving quickly.

The shorter chapters and sections back for a fast paced, yet still deeply written account of his adventures.

How to resist a book which begins with an e-mail from my favorite director Werner Herzog? I for one could not, and I don't regret it, even though there is no mention of Herzog any more in the whole story ;-) It was a very interesting adventure, some parts were just wonderful (Iceland and Svalbard), some had too many references which didn't resonate with me enough (Kerouac), but every one had beautiful, surprising language and many funny moments. I am sure that I will look forward for new books from this author.

Thanks to the publisher, Canongate, and NetGalley for the advance copy of this book.

This is a beautifully written book that takes you to the ends of the Earth and lets you travel while we are all stuck at home.
This book is full of discovery and adventure and I liked learning about these different remote areas and how they inspire creativity and peace in us.
All these landscapes have these tiny places of refuge in common and it is these places that have inspired all sorts of people to write and make art and to seek their peace with our planet!

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC!

I ended up liking this book more than I was to start. In seeking the remote places of our world, our author ignores the remoteness potential in the human mind and heads off to look at the mountain refuge system of Iceland. He's seen hiking huts across Europe, and these are novel – to the extent he can talk about everything as well as the buildings, which was always going to be the point. But as to the next chapter, of some dodgy "modern art" – well, that frustrated me for never seeming on topic. Slowly, though, whether hiking through Japanese holy mountainscapes, seeing Svalbard gain a nascent safari industry, or hopping about Scotland looking for the bothies there that act as refuge for walkers in the remote areas, the book did come to do what I'd hoped. It's the architecture of the buildings at such remove, and the mental architecture of the people who populate them, or put them there in the first place. I was almost gladdened by the end, however, that there was a building so remote in one sense it was almost invalid for these pages – a building he could have got to, given enough time and money and effort, but yet was not allowed to. The final plea towards 'slow travel', of taking in what we have and not speeding to or through any remotenesses for the sake of it, is also welcome, as we have to accept such places at times are just not going to survive our getting to them. So this was by no means perfect, but when it did get round to showing us what one might find at the end of a long walk, was worth the effort. Four stars might be a smidge generous, but not overly so.

Thank you for the advanced copy. I enjoy travel books and found myself on a ride with this one.
Each area beautifully described, I thoroughly enjoyed reading this especially as I am still in shielding.

I received a copy of this book through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I really liked the concept of this book, but the execution wasn't as appealing as the premise for me.

It reminded me sort of like a travel show, but with quite a bit of meandering and admiring places with the occasional picture. I was hoping for more specifics and the author answering the questions proposed in the description.

Overall it's not the travel book I expected.

Our new reality means little or no travel, and if you’re like me, that’s enough to make you a little crazy. That’s why Richards’s book was critical in my mental health. He takes readers along on a ride to some of the most remote places on earth from Svalbard to Iceland to a lighthouse in the middle of the Atlantic, Richards’ explores places far off the beaten path, taking readers along on a vicarious thrill ride during a time when we are all literally stranded