The Adventure Story Podcast: For lovers of Adventure, Archaeology, and Historical Mysteries.

What if the Garden of Eden was a real place and someone actually went looking for it? David Rohl is an Egyptologist, historian, and bestselling author who didn't just theorize about the location of Eden, he visited… seven times! Through Iran, across the Zagros Mountains, through seven mountain passes the ancients called the Gates of Heaven, following rivers, ancient texts, and Neolithic clues to a...

What happens when a story grabs you and won't let go? For writer and explorer Kim Frank, the answer meant years of return trips to the Eastern Himalayas, nights out in the field with wild elephants, and a close encounter with a male elephant in musth that she describes as life changing. The result? A book, a documentary, and a cause she now says she is responsible for the rest of her life to tell....

What did it really take to cross the world before modern travel? In this episode, I'm joined by adventure novelist Colin Falconer, whose book Silk Road follows a Templar knight, a sharp-tongued priest, and a Mongol princess on a journey where survival is never guaranteed. Colin has traveled much of the route himself and brings the 13th century vividly to life — the politics, the dangers, and the i...

What if adventure isn’t a luxury, but something we actually need? In this episode, I’m joined by explorer, author, and speaker Belinda Kirk to explore why adventure matters, not just the big, headline-grabbing kind, but the small moments of uncertainty and discovery that help us feel more alive. We explore what happens when adventure disappears from our lives, why modern routines can leave us feel...

What if some of the last unexplored places on Earth aren’t distant mountains or remote islands, but hidden deep beneath our feet? In this episode, I’m joined by world-renowned cave photographer Robbie Shone to explore vast, uncharted cave systems that stretch for miles through solid rock, many still unseen by human eyes. We talk about what it really means to go on an expedition into these environm...

This week on the Adventure Story Podcast, I'm chasing the stories of the women who took to the skies when the whole world expected them to stay firmly on the ground. They flew faster, higher, and further than anyone thought possible — and far too many of them were quietly written out of the history books. It's long past time we put them back in. Who you'll meet in this episode: Marina Raskova &amp...

What if entire cities once existed beneath our feet… and we still don’t fully understand why? In this episode, I’m joined by bestselling author Chris Fox to explore one of the most fascinating real-world mysteries: the vast underground cities of Cappadocia, Turkey. Hidden for centuries and capable of housing thousands of people, these subterranean worlds raise some big questions about our past. We...

Every place has a story. Sometimes it's hidden. Other times it's right there in the architecture, the statues, the streets — you can even feel it in the air. Riga was one of those places for me. I visited in 2020 during a brief break in the lockdowns, and the city stayed with me — shaped by empires, conflict, and culture, with history sitting just beneath the surface. It eventually became the sett...

What makes a city the perfect setting for an adventure story? Imagine a city where a spy could disappear into a medieval medina, where ancient ruins sit in the shadow of colonial mansions, and where two continents seem to tug at the air around you. That city is Tangier and in this episode, archaeologist and writer Sean McLachlan brings it to life. Sean has spent months at a time there researching...

In the forests west of Berlin, a hill rises above the treeline that shouldn't exist. It was built by hand from the rubble of 400,000 bombed buildings. Beneath it, entombed in concrete, lies an unfinished Nazi military college so solidly built that the Allies couldn't demolish it — so they buried it instead. On top of all of that, the stood one of the most important spy stations in the world. From...

Why do forgotten figures make such powerful stories? Some see Nikola Tesla as a genius. Others see a myth. But what if part of his story has been missing all along? In this episode, I’m joined by Patric Ryan, who has spent years uncovering not just Tesla’s work, but the people around him. Because Tesla didn’t work alone. We explore the experiments, the risks, and the ideas that shaped the modern w...

Why does the underwater world create such powerful stories? In this episode, I’m joined by bestselling author Nicholas Harvey to explore the unique tension, beauty, and danger of diving, and why it makes such a compelling backdrop for adventure fiction. Nicholas has spent years diving around the world, from coral reefs in the Caribbean to eerie shipwrecks and historic war graves. But what makes hi...

Why do we think adventure has to be big to count? In this episode, I’m joined by Alistair Humphreys, one of the world’s most well-known adventurers, to challenge that idea. Alistair has cycled around the world, rowed oceans, and crossed some of the toughest landscapes on earth… but it’s not those big expeditions that have shaped how he thinks about adventure today. We explore what adventure really...

What if the most meaningful journeys aren’t about how far you go, but how present you are when you get there? In this episode, I’m joined by Lynne Nieman, travel advisor, writer, and founder of Wander Your Way, to explore a different kind of adventure. One that isn’t about ticking off landmarks, but about slowing down, paying attention, and truly connecting with a place. We talk about what draws p...

Why do lost artifacts make such perfect fuel for adventure stories? In this episode, I’m joined by Kevin Tumlinson, creator of the Dan Kotler archaeological thriller series, to dig into exactly that. Kevin is one of those writers whose books sit right at the heart of this genre, ancient mysteries, buried secrets, relics with power… the kind of stories that make you want to turn just one more page....

Freemasonry has existed in the shadows of history for centuries. To some, it’s a charitable fraternity built on tradition, symbolism, and community. To others, it’s something far more secretive — a hidden network tied to power, knowledge, and influence. So what is it really? In this episode of the Adventure Story Podcast , I’m joined by returning guest Guy Anderson — a former Freemason who offers...

Come on the trail of the Knights Templar with us in Portugal. Tap here for info and to secure your spot. In 1314, the last Grand Master of the Knights Templar was burned at the stake in Paris. He cursed his executioners as the flames rose. Both the King of France and the Pope were dead within the year. But the order he led? They didn't die with him. In this episode, we follow the Knights Templar f...

Adventure stories rarely begin with pure imagination. More often, they start somewhere real. A forgotten road that once crossed the known world. A hidden city carved deep beneath the earth. A scientist attempting to harness lightning itself. Or the simple idea that adventure might be waiting just a few miles from home. In Season Two of the Adventure Story Podcast , author Luke Richardson explores...

What if we’ve been searching for Atlantis in the wrong place? In this episode, I take you with me into one of archaeology’s most intriguing possibilities: maybe Atlantis didn’t sink into the sea at all… maybe it vanished beneath the sands of the Sahara. At the center of this mystery sits one of the most striking formations on Earth — the Richat Structure in Mauritania. A perfect, 25-mile-wide bull...

What if the greatest archaeological discovery in human history has been hiding in plain sight for over 140 years—disguised as a Victorian novel? In 1876, a brilliant translator named George Smith reportedly died in the Syrian desert. But two years later, an anonymous manuscript surfaced in America… filled with knowledge no one should’ve had. Today, we’re following a trail of stolen tablets, faked...

From the icy edges of the Arctic to the roaring spectacle of the 1939 World’s Fair, James Richardson’s The Valhalla Key takes readers on a whirlwind ride through hidden history, Norse myth, and golden-age thrills. But how much of this epic is rooted in truth—and what inspired Richardson to set his story on the edge of war? In this episode, we sit down with the author-adventurer himself to explore...

What happens when an archaeologist sets sail across three oceans with her family in search of story and discovery? In this episode of The Adventure Fiction Podcast , I'm Joined by Nadine Slavinski, a woman who’s excavated ancient temples by land and sailed vast, unpredictable waters by sea. Her four-year sailing odyssey from the Mediterranean to Australia is more than a trip—it’s the kind of lived...

In this episode of The Adventure Story Podcast , I sit down with thriller author Andrew Warren to dive into one of the world’s most enthralling cities—Tokyo. We explore what makes Tokyo such a captivating backdrop for storytelling and how Andrew strikes the balance between cultural authenticity and fast-paced fiction. Andrew shares vivid memories from his time in Tokyo that shaped the novel, along...

What would you give to live forever? A lock of hair? A drop of blood? Your soul? In this spine-tingling episode, I plunge deep into one of history’s darkest and most enduring obsessions: the quest for immortality. Blending gripping fiction with chilling real-life accounts, I'll unraveling the strange, unsettling truths behind mankind’s age-old desire to cheat death. 🩸 From medieval castles to Sil...

In this episode of The Adventure Story Podcast , I'm joined by travel writing legend, Rolf Potts. We have an insightful conversation about the unpredictable magic of travel and storytelling—from jumping trains and sleeping in vans to drinking kava in Vanuatu and chasing the trans-Siberian express, Rolf shares the real stories behind his adventures, and how he shapes those moments into compelling n...