Swimming With Crocodiles: A True Story of Adventure and Survival

by Will Chaffey

Book Overview

In the tradition of Into the Wild , here is the riveting story of a young man seeking his own truth and finding adventure in the awesome, unforgiving power of nature. Will Chaffey is eighteen when he... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1559709022
• Release Date: April 2009
• Publisher: Arcade Publishing
• Length: 312 Pages
• Weight: 1.35 lbs.
• Dimensions: 9.4" x 1.0" x 6.3"

Customer Reviews

A modern day Lewis & Clark tale

Chaffey tells a beautiful story of his outback adventure in the spirit of "Undaunted Courage" (Ambrose) and "In the Heart of the Sea" (Philbrick). In the era of satellite phones and GPS it requires equal parts daring and stupidity to put yourself in Chaffey's position miles from nowhere with only the determination to survive as your safety net. Chaffey's descriptions of the land, plants and animals let you know he never really felt as threatened by his environment as he did by loneliness, isolation and depression. If you're going to get lost, it's good to be young. This is a story about growing up by testing your capacity. OK, so the book should include a map. But not having a map forced me to look up Cascade Creek and Prince Regent River, Australia on Google Earth. The satellite view of Chaffey's predicament still gives me a chill. If you want a thrill from the safety of your arm chair, read this book!

Excellent Telling Of An Outback Adventure

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I already had a strong interest in Australia at the time I bought this book...having visited the Northern Territory of Australia less than a year ago. This is an excellent book, retelling the adventures and travels of the author as he experiences the beauty and dangers of the Kimberley region. I recommend this book for anyone interested in wilderness adventure.

Awesome story of adventure.

Awesome book on adventure and living life. The story brings the reader into the moment, and is very well written. Will Chaffey's story, should be a manual on how to have an adventure and make a life time of memories for any age of adventurer. Jeff who is Will's traveling partner, really brings the story together. With Jeff's extensive knowledge of Australia, reptiles and native plants, you feel as if you are being professionally guided through the Outback of Australia. If you love adventure, this is a must read book.

Great story, well told

I enjoyed reading this immensely, and highly recommend it. Chaffey's book is a successful combination of an unpretentious coming-of-age story and a great adventure. We follow Chaffey, a young man at loose ends, with an unhappily concluded New England prep-school education, who lands in Australia hoping to find purpose in life and some fun along the way. After months of working odd jobs he winds up walking with one companion - and as it turns out, not nearly enough food - across the beautiful but unimaginably desolate northern part of Western Australia. With straightforward style and a generous twist of humor Chaffey takes us through the almost random turns of fate that lead him to this journey, and then through the life-and-death decision-making that characterize the hike itself. Meanwhile we are treated to his glimpses of Aboriginal life, some fascinating pinches of herpetology, botany, and Australian and American history, and his growing perception of the beauty of life and the natural world. It's a great read!

A wild ride....

The perfect escape! This story is so adventuresome, so surreal you almost question the likelihood, however the authors genuine tone and natural, easy going writing style add rugged authenticity to the tale. An excellent chance to escape the ordinary and experience a fantastic adventure in outback Australia.