THE WOMAN WHO RODE A SHARK

You've heard of Columbus and Hillary, Drake and Scott, Marco Polo – and even Bear Grylls. But how about Stark? Londonderry? Shiraishi or Werner?

From Australian teenager Jade Hameister, who had skied to both the North and South Poles by the time she was sixteen years old, to freediving spearfishing champion Kimi Werner, who once hitched a ride on the back of a Great White Shark, first-time author Ailsa Ross presents the stories of 50 daring pioneers who roamed the world – and beyond – from 231 BCE right up to the present day.

Vividly illustrated with a combination of portraits and hand-drawn maps by artist Amy Blackwell, readers will trace the transatlantic flights of aviators Amelia Earhart and Beryl Markham, follow Isabella Bird's expedition up the Yangtze river, and learn about the exploits of ancient pirate queen Teuta, dancer and World War II spy Josephine Baker, Nepalese ultrarunner Mira Rai, and more. Perfect for fans of Goodnight Stories for Rebel Girls and Women in Science, The Woman Who Rode A Shark tells the inspiring stories of women who were warriors, scientists, artists and athletes, explorers – and, above all, adventurers.

AILSA ROSS is a Scottish journalist and illustrator based in the Canadian Rockies. A contributor to BBC History, Outside Online, National Geographic Travel, Time Out, and Atlas Obscura – where she initiated the popular Kickass Women series – Ailsa studied law at university in Edinburgh and Copenhagen where she specialized in women's and human rights. On graduating cum laude, she worked on yachts in the Greek islands, picked apples in Israel, and taught English to middle schoolers in Seoul. Since 2014, she has worked for Matador Network (nine million unique monthly visitors) where she is senior editor and part of the branded content team.