Into the Wild: The true story of a fatal journey into the harsh Alaskan wilderness (Picador Collection)

Jon Krakauer's Into the Wild delves into the true story of Chris McCandless, a young man who left society behind to tread an uncharted path into the heart of the Alaskan wilderness.

'It may be nonfiction, but Into the Wild is a mystery of the highest order' – Entertainment Weekly

In April 1922, Chris McCandless set off alone into the Alaskan wilderness. He had given his savings to charity, abandoned all of his possessions and burnt the money in his wallet, determined to live a life of independence. Just four months later, Chris was found dead. An SOS note was taped to the abandoned bus he had been living in.

In piecing together the final months of this extraordinary young man's life, Krakauer writes about the heart of the wild, its terrible beauty and unrelenting harshness.

Into the Wild is a modern classic of travel writing and a riveting exploration of what drives some of us to risk more than we can afford to lose.

From the author of Under the Banner of Heaven and Into Thin Air . A film adaptation of Into the Wild was directed by Sean Penn and starred Emile Hirsch and Kristen Stewart.

'His account of 'Alex Supertramp' is powerfully dramatic' – Guardian