A profound rumination on the concept of freedom from the bestselling author of The Perfect Storm

'Sebastian Junger bears witness to a hard-won and an uncertain new world, framed in vital and brilliant prose: a true and honest accounting of everything that underlies the frantic performance of life’ Philip Hoare, author of Albert and the Whale.

Humans have been driven by the quest for two cherished ideals: community and freedom, throughout history. The two don’t coexist easily: we value individuality and self-reliance yet are utterly dependent on the community for our most basic needs. In this intricately crafted and thought-provoking book, Sebastian Junger examines this tension at the heart of what it means to be human.

For much of a year, Junger and three friends―a conflict photographer and two Afghan war vets―walked the railroad lines of the east coast. It was an experiment in personal autonomy but also in interdependence. Dodging railroad cops, sleeping under bridges, cooking over fires and drinking from creeks and rivers, the four men forged a unique reliance on one another.

In Freedom, Junger weaves his account of this journey together with primatology and boxing strategy, the role of women in resistance movements and apache renegades, and the brutal reality of life on the Pennsylvania frontier. Written in exquisite, razor-sharp prose, the result is a powerful examination of the primary desire that defines us.