My bro-in-law is off in Afghanistan teaching civvies how to fix Landrovers (or something) and we'd like to send him some good reads. He's not a reader in general (prefers spanners / rugby & enduro bikes), but I thought some interesting adventure touring motorbike stuff would be a good diversion whilst he's boiling in Bastion. I've got a copy of the long way round so he'll get that but some others would be great.
Any suggestions? (photo heavy would be cool!)
Thanks
Not 'touring' so much, but I read Charley Boorman's book on doing the Paris Dakar and thoroughly enjoyed it. Was fascinating how intense the whole thing is.
Can't remember what it was called mind.
double post
Long way down 😉
...or you could go for the inspiration for all motorbike travel books and Charley Boorman, namely "Jupiters travels" by Ted Simon
Mondo enduro and +1 for jupiters travels. Think he did a follow up too.
[url= http://www.advrider.com/Books/Books.html ]ADVrider has a good list[/url].
These Are the Days that Must Happen to You by Dan Walsh is on my "must read when I get around to it" list.
+1 for Jupiters travels. And Dan Walsh used to be top-notch when he wrote for Bike, so his book should be worth a look.
Sorry can't remember the name of book or writer, but it written by an american ex banker who took off round the world with his girlfriend, prob quite old now but well worth a read if someone on here can remember the names 😳
Ah monkey child got in there before I could.
The charley Boorman - Paris to Dakar is a very good bike and so is By Any Means
Another vote for Jupiters travels.
If he's access to the net & into overland motorcycle travel,there's a few blogs on here; http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/hubb/
Investment Biker: Around the World with Jim Rogers
Tis the one I was thinking of
The Motorcycle Diaries, I thought it was revolutionary 😀
Dan Walsh used to be top-notch when he wrote for Bike
I found his travel writing to be a load of self indulgent bollocks but others opinion may vary.
Jupiter's Travels is a superb book, if a little long winded in places.
Try also "Lois on the Loose" and "Red Tape and White Nuckles"
Both by Lois Pryce, who when she was told that a little 250 Yamaha was too small to go touring, went and did it anyway, on the cheap, and alone.
I've got the Dan Walsh book (These are the days that Must Happen to You) too but I've not read it yet. I liked him in Bike but it's hard work reading his stuff sometimes, so what the book is like I dare say I'll find out! 🙂
The Charley Boorman book was called [url= http://www.amazon.co.uk/Race-Dakar-Charley-Boorman/dp/0751538175/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1334505815&sr=8-2 ]Race to Dakar[/url]
[url= http://www.amazon.co.uk/Jupiters-Travels-Ted-Simon/dp/0140054103/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1334505859&sr=1-1 ]Jupiters Travels[/url] always gets recommended
[url= http://www.amazon.co.uk/Lois-Pryce/e/B001I9U6AG/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_1 ]Louis Pryce seems to get good reviews[/url]
I am just getting back to finishing [url= http://www.amazon.co.uk/Uneasy-Rider-Travels-Through-Mid-Life/dp/0091923263/ref=pd_cp_b_2 ]this[/url], I stopped reading it after a couple of chapters, he seemed to tail of a moan a bit, but then I realised that I do too so probably have more in common with him than I thought
First Overland.
Great book about driving from London to Singapore in a Landy - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oxford_and_Cambridge_Far_Eastern_Expedition
The book is this one:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/First-Overland-London-Singapore-Land-Rover/dp/1904955142
Cheers folks, lots of good examples there!
Relates to motorcycles, but not really travel / adventure:
http://www.amazon.com/Under-Alone-Undercover-Infiltrated-Motorcycle/dp/1400060842
Read it in the USA a few years ago. Bit of page turner, completely bonkers story!
+1 for These are the days that must happen to you. It's a bout his adventures in south America. Also Barry Sheen worth a read. Valentino Rossi book as well know there not all adventure but if your into bikes worth a read.
The long ride home by Nathan Millward. Rides from Oz to UK on a 110cc Scooter. Self published n available from his site.
WWW.thepostman.org.uk
http://www.thepostman.org.uk/2012/01/20/2592/#comment-41502
I'd definitely agree with the suggestion of Jupiters Travels as it's perhaps the best of the road the world type books I've read. The follow-up (when he re-did the route many years later) is also interesting but a bit sad due to the differences he encountered compared to the first time.
Lois on the Loose I also enjoyed and I also enjoyed These Are the Days that Must Happen to You by Dan Walsh although it'd difficult to argue with the description of it as "self-indulgent bollocks". I suspect a fair bit of it is probably pure fantasy but I always enjoyed his style of writing.
Investment Biker on the other hand I really couldn't get into.
I'd be tempted to also recommened the Adventure Motorcycle Handbook. It has practical advice but also has stories from travellers. Zen and The Art of Motorcycle Maintenance is also a good read.
The Dan Walsh one is excellent.
I ended up spending a pleasant drunken afternoon with him in a pub in Manchester a few years ago after bumping into him in town.
Very pleasant, funny, self depreciating bloke, knew a lot of the same Manchester motorcycle crowd as myself.
Definitely, absolutely not a fake.
Jupiters Travels is good because it was written in the late 70s(?) and so all his equipment seems ancient. Makes todays explorers look like they have it easy.
Jupiter's Travels.
Again.
But also send him A Short Walk in the Hindu Kush by Eric Newby; it's an excellent early travel book and I think he will find a lot there that resonates about the local people.
Jupiters Travels. Sorry, sound like a load of sheep but no travel book since has come up to it.
If you fancy something totally different, Irma Kurtz "Great American Bus Ride" is good.
The long way home by Nathan Millward. Fantastic bit of writing and pretty unknown.
http://www.thepostman.org.uk/the-book-2/
Bought it for a friend for Chirstmas and he loved it too.
there was a book by the lunatic who circumnavigated on a Triumph, reasonable read.
I would have thought this would be more useful to him
http://www.amazon.com/The-Complete-Homebrewing-Third-Edition/dp/0060531053
Sam Manicom has done a series of four books, all of which are a good read travelled Africa, Asia and South America, he is at a lot of the bike shows and always easy to chat too.