Nine Times I Nearly Died

By Author / Illustrator

Benedict Allen

Genre

Adventure

Age range(s)

Publisher

Walker Books

ISBN

9781529526820

Format

Paperback / softback

Published

04-06-2026

Synopsis

Benedict Allen decided he wanted to be an explorer aged 10. Since then he has visited parts of the planet that very few others have been to, learning about remote environments and communities - and facing danger at every turn.

In these real-life stories of his expeditions, travel with him as he capsizes his canoe, fleeing through the Amazon rainforest; gets separated from his huskies and is lost in an Arctic blizzard; and is shipwrecked on a shark-infested island without food or water!

Discover how the nine life-or-death situations that he found himself in called for him to use all his survival skills, friendships and courage to survive. Plus read Benedict's tips and life lessons for exploring the world around you.

"Nail-biting stories that will inspire your own adventures." ALASTAIR HUMPHREYS, adventurer and bestselling author. "Benedict Allen should not be alive to write such exciting books. But I'm very glad he is." TEDDY KEEN, bestselling author of The Lost Book of Adventure.

Reviews

Jacqueline

Benedict Allen is a real life explorer and Nine Times I Nearly Died charts some of his many, hair-raising adventures. From the Amazon to the Arctic, he has travelled to some very far flung places and got into difficulties in many of them.

The book has nine different adventures and also some amusing cartoons of factual information throughout. I was not certain this was my type of book, but this narrative non-fiction is so exciting and gripping, I found myself drawn in. I did think Benedict must be absolutely mad, particularly in the Arctic (cold is really not my favourite) but as I was reading and thinking how mad he was, I was also learning and enjoying the adventure vicariously. The thought of minus 40 fills me with utter horror, as does the snakes and all manner of poisonous creatures he encounters, and yet I could not help but enjoy the adventure!

The reader obviously knows from the title that nothing terrible happens and that Benedict Allen will make it out alive, but the tension is still nail-biting! I think this will be a very popular read among ages 9+ and I will certainly be promoting it as a read to some reluctant readers I know. This might be the book that gets them really interested in reading, and who knows, also inspire future explorers.