When did you give up on your dreams?
“Jean-Philippe’s life is like the ultimate ultra-marathon, where hope, perseverance, and grit determine the outcome.”
— Dean Karnazes, ultramarathoner and NY Times bestselling author
What is your childhood dream?
A fantasy you no longer believe in as you grow older, or the conviction that impossible goals can become a reality? It's for each of us to decide.
“I didn’t want my life to be an occasional adventure. I wanted adventure to be my life.”
— Jean-Philippe Soulé (Excerpt from I, Tarzan)
“Jean-Philippe’s life is like the ultimate ultra-marathon, where hope, perseverance, and grit determine the outcome.”
“ I, Tarzan: Against All Odds is his story of redemption and remembrance that inspires and energizes the reader to believe that far-reaching dreams can come true. Jean-Philippe proves that your attitude determines your altitude — and high he climbs in this must-read memoir!”
— Dean Karnazes, ultramarathoner and NY Times bestselling author
I, Tarzan: Against All Odds
An Inspiring Real-Life Story of Courage, Hope, and True Resilience
By age thirteen, I was an alcoholic—anything to numb myself from my world of emotional abuse.
That wasn’t who I wanted to be.
My dreams of adventure and exploration were so far out of reach. I’d never become Tarzan. I’d never become Jacques Cousteau.
But I was wrong.
This is my story . . .
Let me know where to send you the first chapters:
“A riveting, emotional memoir witnessing the evolution of an adventurer. Truly inspirational.”
“Marco Polo meets Tom Sawyer, I, Tarzan is the roller-coaster chronicle of Jean-Philippe Soule’s early life of challenge and adventure. He skillfully and candidly guides us through his journey of discovery, from the depths of emotional anguish to towering personal achievements. This is a story of success, wrought in the fires of despair and wrapped up in good old-fashioned storytelling.”
— Ian Adamson, author and world's most celebrated adventure racer
(X-Games Gold Medalist, 5-sport world champion, 6x world record holder)
I, Tarzan: Against All Odds is Jean-Philippe’s new book from the “Live Your Adventure” memoir series
“… the narrative authority shows us that we are in good hands: the hands of a survivor. This visceral experience whilst reading makes for an emotional memoir, and these feelings are heightened by the raw honesty of the work, the open-heartedness of the author himself, and the delicate placement of words to show how even in dark times, we can pick ourselves up and become who we want to truly be.”
—K.C. Finn (author), Readers’ Favorite: 5/5 stars
“The adventure begins as soon as we start dreaming it”
—Jean-Philippe, I, Tarzan: Against All Odds, 2021
From the award-winning author of Dancing with Death comes an epic memoir that will delight fans of The Glass Castle, Wild, and Unbroken, as well as Educated and Can’t Hurt Me. The gripping I, Tarzan is a deep journey into the author’s innermost secrets that will have you questioning your own self-understanding and life goals.
“I, Tarzan tears at the heartstrings and brings to remembrance every unfulfilled childhood dream. Jean-Philippe’s story lends us the courage to see them as future possibilities. His grit and determination inspire and electrify. An emotional journey of enduring accomplishment. I highly recommend it.”
— C. J. Anaya, USA Today bestselling and multi-award-winning author of The Healer series.
“I, Tarzan, simply put, is the most inspirational memoir of the year.”
– Chanticleer Reviews
I, Tarzan - Excerpts from the book
1968 - Jean-Philippe at age two. French Pyrenees.
“Jacques Cousteau did more than inspire me to attempt a record-breaking freedive in the bathtub. At four, I was already determined to live a life of great exploration and adventure.”
— Excerpt from I, Tarzan (age 4)
“It requires courage to fight back and defend yourself, and I had none. Each beating had further lowered my self-esteem, destroying every ounce of courage I’d ever possessed. Despite the imaginary justice I dished out in my perfect world in the woods, I didn’t believe I could defend myself in the real world, so I never tried.”
— Excerpt from I, Tarzan (age 9)
“The journey from A to B is well described, thoroughly engrossing, and makes this book an inspiration as well as an adventure that points the way to how others may achieve their dreams, however out of reach they may appear.”
— D. Donovan, Senior Reviewer, Midwest Book Review
“My life was now all about survival — and the only way I knew how to do that was by fighting. I didn’t care whether I lived or died. Dying would come as a relief. In every fight, a part of me hoped to be killed…
…Slipping into a criminal world, lacking guidance and support from my own family, I had lost my soul. I was on the surest path toward self-destruction.
But deep inside my heart, despite the pain and the doubts, there lived a breath of hope: a long-held dream. I can only attribute its endurance to its unfailing strength in my earlier childhood.
It was the only thing that kept me alive.”
— Excerpt from I, Tarzan (age 13)
1985 - Jean-Philippe at age eighteen.
“Let I, Tarzan: Against All Odds be the next book you read for motivation in your life.”
—Tammy Ruggles (author), Readers’ Favorite: 5/5 stars
1985 -Jean-Philippe at age eighteen (third man). French Mountain Commando.
"Between my eighteenth and twentieth birthday, I learned about death, but more importantly, I learned what it meant to be alive. It is in our toughest moments that we really discover who we are."
— Excerpt from I, Tarzan (age 20)
“I, Tarzan, a truly inspirational and powerful memoir, conveys an invaluable message: if one determines a goal and pursues it without compromise, one will succeed. Soulé transports readers onto the scene of his many adventures. We feel what he feels, experience what he does in the truest sense, and delight in the ultimate reward of witnessing his personal growth in self-esteem and accomplishment. I, Tarzan, simply put, is the most inspirational memoir of the year. ...An inspiring adventure memoir of one man's journey to live life to its fullest. Highly recommended.”
— Chanticleer Reviews
“After these experiences, I understood that life was extremely precious, and I had this epiphany. My childhood fantasies were not fantasies at all. I could be Tarzan and Jacques Cousteau if I wanted to. I could be whoever I wanted to be. I could achieve whatever I wanted because I was young, strong, and healthy. And most importantly because I understood the beauty of being alive. Life was too short not to live it to the fullest.”
— Excerpt from I, Tarzan (age 20)
1987 - Jean-Philippe at age twenty - Opening a new canyon, French Pyrenees.
“His memoir overwhelmed me in so many ways. …With I, Tarzan, he restored for me an historical and emotional integrity, easing my self-doubt. …This book is a gift to anyone looking for hope”
— Karine Lafouge, sister of author Jean-Philippe Soulé
1993 - J-Philippe at age twenty-six. With his friend, a Balliem chief from Irian-Jaya.
“Imagination is the source of all adventures, be they real or fiction. It was time for my fictional world to become reality. A permanent reality.
I didn’t want my life to be an occasional adventure. I wanted adventure to be my life.”
— Excerpt from I, Tarzan (age 26)
“What a story! I cannot recommend this read highly enough. Having read many books of courage and self-help over the years, it takes a lot to move me emotionally….”
—Grant Leishman (author), Readers’ Favorite: 5/5 stars
“This is a fantastic, well-written memoir that I suspect will be enjoyed by all who read it.”
—Jamie Michele (author), Readers’ Favorite: 5/5 stars
“Nothing ever comes easy. Some choices may require more effort or sacrifice than most people are willing to give or can even comprehend. Sometimes opportunities don’t exist; we have to create them. But we always have a choice. This is the Maze of Life. This is our life, and it’s never set in stone.
The adventure begins as soon as we start dreaming it.“
— Excerpt from I, Tarzan (age 26)
Don’t miss reading it. You’ll love it!
Sign up for alerts about new releases and a free download of A Taste of Adventure, which features excerpts from Dancing with Death, and of the first chapters of I, Tarzan: Against All Odds.
1993 - Jean-Philippe at age twenty-six. Nepal.
“...the inspiring message is clear: never let anybody tell you how to live your life. His life is both thrilling and inspiring. Upon finishing, I couldn't decide if I wanted to start reading the other book in Soulé's series, or put on my running shoes and spend the rest of the day sprinting up a mountain!”
— Frank Bouchard, Reedsy Discovery
What would you sacrifice to live YOUR life?
“It is in the toughest moments that we discover who we really are.”
A childhood of physical and emotional abuse will break you unless you recognize the possible amidst the impossible. I was determined to take what life threw at me and forge my own path, refusing to give up on my dreams. But can determination alone overcome all adversity?
I've discovered the journey is far more valuable than the destination, and with I, Tarzan, I invite you to join me on that journey…
— Jean-Philippe Soulé
“Any reader who believes that early adversity sets a life's course in stone should read I, Tarzan: Against All Odds.”
— D. Donovan, Senior Reviewer, Midwest Book Review
After the award-winning Dancing with Death,
Jean-Philippe’s new book I, Tarzan is receiving fabulous critics!
I, Tarzan
Against All Odds
Receive the first chapters free!
Anything is possible.
It’s a matter of how much you desire it!
Did you give up on your goals?
Do you dream of Travel,
Adventure or Sports?
This awe-inspiring book will touch your soul and have you reflect on your life.
The Author
Jean-Philippe Soulé
If there was only one word to describe Jean-Philippe, it would be passionate. Passion for people, travel, culture, mountains, oceans, jungles, the great outdoors, and life.
After a childhood filled with life-changing experiences and the pursuit of personal achievements, driven by his desire for adventure, his quest to discover new lands and culture, and his heartfelt interest in meeting diverse people, Jean-Philippe left France to travel the world.
Inspired by Jacques Cousteau and the great explorers before him, he became the well-traveled world adventurer he longed to be.
Jean-Philippe inspires people with his true-story books
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