In April 1992, Chris McCandless set off alone into the Alaskan wild. He had given his savings to charity, abandoned his car and his possessions, and burnt the money in his wallet, determined to live a life of independence. Four months later he was found, starved to death. In piecing together the final travels of this extraordinary young man´s life. Jon Krakauer writes about the heart of the wilderness, its terrible beauty and its unforgiving harshness. In so doing he has written a modern classic of travel literature that glitters dangerously with man´s desire for adventure and his self-destructive impulses.