Wanderlust

“An engrossing and delightful new biography…Wanderlust skillfully evokes a time and place that feel impossibly romantic and epic compared to our own but also shot through with danger, hardship, and the grotesque….Drawing on historical records, interviews, and Freuchen’s own prodigious writing, Mitenbuler gives a lively and comprehensive history of Freuchen’s life and rapidly changing times.” — Washington Examiner”Writing with panache and insight, Reid Mitenbuler serves up the many faceted life of Peter Freuchen.” — Washington Post”An absolute joy…Wanderlust is a compelling introduction to one of the most charismatic explorers to ever cross the ice.” — New York Times Book Review”They don’t make ‘em like Peter Freuchen anymore. Something of a cross between Zelig and Dos Equis’ ‘Most Interesting Man in the World,’ he seemed a man out of myth, a peg-legged giant wandering from the frozen ends of the planet to Hollywood to Nazi-occupied Europe — showing unfathomable physical and moral courage in equal measure. The pleasure of reading Wanderlust is second only to hearing these tales by the fireside from Freuchen himself. Actually, probably better, because you can actually trust Reid Mitenbuler, whose assiduous research enriches his delectable prose. This is a book to get lost in.” — Julian Sancton, author of Madhouse at the End of the Earth”Peter Freuchen’s long and colorful life was so extraordinary it nearly defies belief. With great flair and flourish, Reid Mitenbuler captures all of Freuchen’s remarkable adventures—as an explorer in the Arctic; as a struggling writer in Hollywood; as a wartime resister and outspoken foe of fascism during World War II—in astonishing detail, and with a compelling series of scenes and surprises. If you’re interested in how to live a life without regret, you will not want to miss Wanderlust.” — Jon Gertner, author of The Ice at the End of the World“This adventure story is impossible to resist.”— Publishers Weekly“Drawing on thousands of pages of memoirs, diaries, letters, travelogues, and novels, journalist Mitenbuler creates a vivid portrait of Danish explorer, writer, anthropologist, and ethnographer Peter Freuchen (1886-1957)… A colorful, well-researched biography.” — Kirkus Reviews”Mitenbuler’s prose strikes just the right tone, easygoing but thrilling, filled with compelling detail.” — Star Tribune”This book oozes cold, hunger, and fear, but also joy, love, and triumph.” — The Times (UK)“Mitenbuler’s third nonfiction outing is stellar, bringing an eccentric personality back from the veil…Time and again, Freuchen would test his luck against the most unforgiving conditions on earth, harrowing moments that Mitenbuler depicts through his visceral descriptions, narrative flourishes and deft plotting around true-life events.“— Sacramento News and Review

Reid Mitenbuler is the author of Bourbon Empire: The Past and Future of America’s Whiskey and Wild Minds: The Artists and Rivalries That Inspired the Golden Age of Animation. His writing has appeared in Air Mail, The Atlantic, Slate, the Daily Beast, and Whisky Advocate, among other publications. He lives with his family in Los Angeles.

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