Outsider
An Old Man, a Mountain and the Search for a Hidden Past
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Outsider
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Narrated by:
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Brandon Massey
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Written by:
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Brett Popplewell
About this listen
NATIONAL BESTSELLER
Winner of the 2024 Edna Staebler Award for Creative Non-Fiction
Finalist for the Ottawa Books Awards
Into the Wild meets Born to Run meets The Stranger in the Woods in a fascinating true story of a marathon-running hermit and a journalist’s quest to solve the mystery at the core of the enigmatic man’s existence
When journalist Brett Popplewell first heard about Dag Aabye, an aging former stuntman who lived alone inside a school bus on a mountain, running day and night through blizzards and heat waves, he was intrigued and bewildered. Captivated by the seemingly implausible tale of a wild super-athlete aging more slowly than the rest of us, he was determined to meet the apocryphal white-haired man who was pushing the boundaries of the human mind and body beyond what anyone could dream was possible.
What Popplewell witnessed on a secluded mountain perch led him on a six-year odyssey to uncover the true story of the 81-year-old man.
Outsider takes listeners on a remarkable journey from Nazi-occupied Norway to Argentina and British Columbia. The book chronicles how a child born under mysterious circumstances during World War II finds his way onto the big screen in Goldfinger, is heralded as the world’s first extreme skier, and is later driven into the wilderness. Both joyful and tragic, Outsider presents a bold challenge to our notions of aging, belonging and human accomplishment.
©2023 Brett Popplewell (P)2023 HarperCollins PublishersYou may also enjoy...
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Unscrupulous: The book that's as honest as O. J.
- By Tony on 2019-09-26
Written by: Michael Finkel
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- Written by: Adam Shoalts
- Narrated by: Adam Shoalts
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 317
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 268
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 269
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What listeners say about Outsider
Average Customer RatingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Carsandgunns
- 2023-09-22
phenomenal! you will be surprised
absolutely amazing what this man did and how he lived! so interesting and lots to learn!
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Trevor Penney
- 2024-02-18
An amazing story and real depth and commitment from the author to write an unbiased and true story for a friend.
An amazing story and real depth and commitment from the author to write an unbiased and true story for a friend. must read.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Christina Ljungberg
- 2023-05-03
Great book! Recommend it!
Inspiring! Loved this book about Dag Aabye! His deep connection with nature and pushing forward through it all is well shared in this book!
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- BrW
- 2023-05-21
Captivating
The author takes you on an amazing journey of Dag’s life and origins. Makes you contemplate how our perception of our origins and who we think we are can limit us. Lessons on persistence too. Wonderful bits of philosophy from Dag along the way.
Narrator is excellent.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Gail Hamburger
- 2023-07-08
Such an intriguing story
I loved listening to this story of a man of mystery, an enigma. The winding path that leads back and forth between his past, his birth story and his present never disappoints!
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Donovan
- 2024-02-23
What an amazing story. We need a book two! 🍻
I loved this all the way through. What an amazing story. We need a book two!🍻
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Anonymous User
- 2023-05-11
Captivating story
Really enjoyed this! I felt very invested in Dag’s unconventional life and philosophy from start to finish.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Marino O.
- 2024-11-18
Fascinating true story
This was a great book to listen to. A true story of the life of an outcast. It is yet another reminder of how much things that happen to us when we are but children affect us as adults - we don't just get over it.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Jan
- 2023-06-02
Captivating Read
This man’s life was so captivating. It was very interesting how the author was eventually able to find out his family of origin which wasn’t an easy task and wasn’t what Dag originally believed it to be. His philosophy of life is something we all could learn from. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and highly recommend it. GREAT READ!!
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- LC
- 2023-11-07
A biography with a twist near the end
Loved how this book followed multiple storylines for the same individual/subject, and moved between them fluidly: his running/health, his birth story, and his relationship with his family. Also the author did a good job building in a "twist" near the end, which is hard to do with a biography.
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