Review: Robert Young Pelton's "The Adventurist"

For those who haven't heard of him, Robert Young Pelton is a throwback to a different era—a time when men sought adventure, embraced danger, wrote, drank, explored, designed, and built shit with their bare hands not because it was popular to do so, but because it was the only way.

Having communicated with the author in the past, I can only say that he's a man with apparently limitless energy; a sharp tongue; a lighthearted, surprisingly optimistic perspective on life; an affinity for telling the stories of those in distant lands; and a great moustache.

As a journalist who seldom labels himself as such, Pelton has an impressive track record: He's worked as a documentary filmmaker, bestselling novelist, and regular commentator when major news networks need a glimmer of intelligent insight to keep their viewers from lapsing into a coma.

As a reader, I find Pelton's work refreshing in its honesty. He's clearly very articulate, but isn't out to prove the expanse of his vocabulary. Instead, he drags the reader into his world of adventuring with short, tightly written chapters—like snapshots—illustrating exotic locales with vividly drawn descriptions of warlords, villagers, freedom fighters, locals, and foreigners he's met along the way.

This is really one of the most engaging autobiographies I've read. Pelton's resounding message proliferates this entire piece: Get out there and embrace a little danger; it's good for you.

"The Adventurist" is available at Amazon.

If you're an avid outdoorsman like myself, you might also enjoy the knives Pelton has designed.