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The Impossible Journey

An incredible voyage through every country in the world without flying

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The Impossible Journey

By: Thor Pedersen
Narrated by: Kim Gjersøe
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About this listen

 'Never less than entertaining ... the book really comes alive' Mail on Sunday

'A fascinating book ... what it means to be human' Independent on Sunday

203 countries. A decade of travel. Not a single plane in sight. This is the story of one man's journey to be the first to visit every country in the world without flight.

When Thor Pedersen set out on the adventure of a lifetime, he couldn't have imagined the people he'd meet and the experiences he'd encounter along the way. But embarking on this epic voyage took him to the brink of his sanity, wiped his funds and tested the relationships he held dear.

Over the years he faced grave danger, from encounters with drunken armed soldiers to life-threatening illness and even traversing the high seas, with wild waves destabilising the cargo ship he'd hitched a ride on. He'd sleep on the street one night and dine in the homes of billionaires the next. He visited countries stricken with war-zones, and once had to take an 11,919 km detour, revisiting seven countries, traversing Baluchistan in Pakistan escorted by armed guards because he was denied a visa while in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia. Life becomes complicated without the luxury of flying.

Yet after years of challenges and milestones, Thor achieved something no other human ever has. The Impossible Journey is a triumphant memoir as he invites the world to share in this once in a lifetime adventure. He imparts the lessons, stories and unique perspectives on humanity he learned along the way.©2025 Red Sand Solutions Adventurers, Explorers & Survival Sailing
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Thor’s journey, the personal challenge that he set himself, resonates with my wanderlust and fascination in logistics. Thoroughly enjoyed his story, although I would have happily listened through the entire 10 year journey! His experience of the pandemic, and the challenges faced as the world opened up (slowly) was particularly interesting. I power-listened this in two days as soon as it was released and highly recommend it!

A phenomenal and inspirational achievement

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Met Thor during his travels when we lived in Tanzania and Dubai, and I’m so proud of him — for 10 years he kept going on this unbelievable journey, a true testament to determination and resilience, and I’m in awe of his inspiring story!!

Absolutely incredible Thor

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First of all, I must tip my proverbial hat to Thor for an unsurpassed achievement which is beyond the entire population of the world. For this, I would give him 10 stars if I could.

However listening to the book I had mixed emotions. I wanted to hear more about each country, but a small percentage of countries got most of the story. I wanted to hear about his experiences in North Korea, Iran, Iraq, Afghanistan - the places which usually cannot be visited by tourists, but these were barely mentioned (as was the entire continent of North America to a large extent).

Throw in the constant discussion about border issues (I’m sure they were a consistent major issue, but it did get a bit repetitive) and a clear left-wing viewpoint which at times got a little on the preachy side, I was a little disappointed with how a truly incredible achievement was relayed.

Amazing achievement but not enough detail

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The journey, the storytelling, the descriptions of Thor’s ups and downs is so gripping that I consumed it in just two days.

And the performance/production is also second to none.

What a remarkable book

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Enjoyed listening to Thor on his journey to visit every country without flying. What an incredible achievement. Challenging at times and full of wonderful travel stories to spark inspiration. Well done on your achievement. Would recommend the listen.

What an adventure!

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