Anyone recommend any good books?

Cycle-touring, Expeditions, Adventures, Major cycle routes NOT LeJoG (see other special board)
dgibby
Posts: 137
Joined: 22 Feb 2007, 5:07pm

Re: Anyone recommend any good books?

Post by dgibby »

I've quite a collection of cycle travel books and agree with most posts to date. Al Humphreys are prob my favourite reads.

Another couple I enjoyed
Johnny Ginger's Last Ride by Tom Fremantle http://www.amazon.co.uk/Johnny-Gingers- ... +last+ride

Why don't you fly by Chris Smith http://www.amazon.co.uk/Dont-Back-Door- ... 7t+you+fly
Sooper8
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Joined: 20 Aug 2012, 7:53am

Re: Anyone recommend any good books?

Post by Sooper8 »

Squeezebox wrote:
Portland wrote:

^^^ very odd and oversensitive anti obscenity prog this forum has , I originally typred "take the p=== out of folk and the offending p word was replaced by, er "micturate"


and just looked it up - the word actually exists - the things you learn - can't wait to use it in conversation,


Micturate - Thanks for that ! Ive now gone and looked it up too..... :lol:


Would that be where 'taking the micky' comes from?
DaleFTW
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Re: Anyone recommend any good books?

Post by DaleFTW »

dgibby wrote:I've quite a collection of cycle travel books and agree with most posts to date. Al Humphreys are prob my favourite reads.

Another couple I enjoyed
Johnny Ginger's Last Ride by Tom Fremantle http://www.amazon.co.uk/Johnny-Gingers- ... +last+ride

Why don't you fly by Chris Smith http://www.amazon.co.uk/Dont-Back-Door- ... 7t+you+fly


He just unfollowed me on Twitter, [rude word removed] him.

I downloaded that Cycles, Tents and Two Young Gents before bed last night, that's alright so far.
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pedalsheep
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Re: Anyone recommend any good books?

Post by pedalsheep »

squeezebox wrote
Josie Dew - I personally think she is great! Ive read all she has written and her writing has been instrumental in getting me back on the saddle. The "slow coast home" just puts into context the nature of cycling in this country compared to the experiences she has had before. I also enjoyed her amazing character studies of the folk she shared a boat with on "Saddled at Sea", the book written about her journey on a container ship. Having read all her stuff over many years now, I noticed that she was doing a talk last June. Having had bad experience of meeting and seeing "live" some of the previous people who Ive read about, or are known in their various fields, it was with some trepidation that I went to see her. She was just fab....she was a real version of how she was in her books, not like others I will could mention. Really lovely lass, great humour and gentle down to earth person. It was great to see her pics for real and hear her describe the things I had read. So I recomend all her stuff, but maybe if you havnt read any, then read it in order and thus in context to her life and travels. She is still cycling with two lovely children and by now quite likely a third one as she was heavily pregnant when we met her in June. Josie is my heroine :D


Seconded. I was also at her talk in June. I was amazed that she remembered me from a couple of emails I'd sent her and despite being very busy she happily posed for photos with me. Unfortunately I had to leave before the second part of her talk as I needed to catch a train to meet a ferry.
'Why cycling for joy is not the most popular pastime on earth is still a mystery to me.'
Frank J Urry, Salute to Cycling, 1956.
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pedalsheep
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Re: Anyone recommend any good books?

Post by pedalsheep »

I love reading cycling travelogues and have got a whole book case full of them.
Most recent good reads are
Tom Allen 'Every Inch of the Way' edit Sorry that should be Tom Bruce. Tom Allen wrote 'Janapar' which is also worth a read.
Helen Lloyd 'Desert Snow'
Another vote for Mike Carter 'One Man and his Bike', excellent book, also Ellie Bennett's v. amusing account of LeJog 'Blood, Sweat and Gears', Tom Kevill-Davies 'The Hungry Cyclist', Scott Stoll 'Falling Uphill' (thought provoking), Stevie Smith 'Pedaling to Hawaii' (human powered journey round the world). That will do for the moment!
Tigger mentioned Bettina Selby's 'The Fragile Islands'. She did some amazing journeys back in the 80s and all her books are worth reading. My favourites are 'Riding the Desert Trail' her solo ride to the source of the Nile and 'Riding North One Summer' exploring northern England.
Last edited by pedalsheep on 5 Aug 2013, 3:12pm, edited 1 time in total.
'Why cycling for joy is not the most popular pastime on earth is still a mystery to me.'
Frank J Urry, Salute to Cycling, 1956.
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BeeKeeper
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Re: Anyone recommend any good books?

Post by BeeKeeper »

The long distance cycling book I've enjoyed reading most recently was "You've gone too far this time Sir" by Danny Bent. It is written by a teacher who accepts a teaching job in a remote village in India and decides, if he is to live up to his Green credentials he will need to cycle there. The main thing about this book, apart from being quite amusing is it is very well written and is not a travelogue of the "got up, ate breakfast, cycled all day, fell into bed exhausted" sort. It won't give you insights into the sort of gear to take but it is a very good read and you can get the Kindle version for peanuts.
chris3vic
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Joined: 25 Mar 2011, 9:00pm

Re: Anyone recommend any good books?

Post by chris3vic »

Loads of good recommendations here. Thanks very much.

A couple bought on Amazon already, so I'll update you on what I think when I've read 'em
Big T
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Re: Anyone recommend any good books?

Post by Big T »

I've read Al Humphreys Moods of Future Joys and couldn't get on with it. He seems to write from memory and doesn't keep a diary, so misses out huge chunks of the journey (whole countries sometimes). I've still got Thunder and Sunshine waiting to be read.

I'd also recommend Mike Carter's book. I'd recommend:

Bernie Friend's Cycling back to Happiness
Anthing by Bettina Selby, if you can still get any of her books.
Anne Mustoe's "A Bike Ride"
Tim Moore's French Revolutions
Mark Beaumont's books.
My JOGLE blog:
http://www.jogler2009.blogspot.com
twitter: @bikingtrev
takeonafrica
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Re: Anyone recommend any good books?

Post by takeonafrica »

Best cycle-travel book I've read is Dervla Murphy's Full Tilt. Not so sure about the others of hers I've read though.
Also quite liked Anne Mustoe's book.
Another fairly recent cycle-tour book is Janapar by Tom Allen.
An old but good one is Wheels of Chance by HG Wells.
And it'd be wrong not to mention Desert Snow :) (now discounted on Kindle btw)
It all depends what sort of stuff you like!
http://www.helenstakeon.com
Books: Desert Snow and A Siberian Winter's Tale
clanton
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Joined: 14 Feb 2011, 11:15am

Re: Anyone recommend any good books?

Post by clanton »

My favourite is "Round the World on a Wheel" by John Foster Fraser. Written in 1888! I like it as much for the world it reveals - and their attitudes to the world - as for the actual cycling stories. From a modern viewpoint some of their attitudes will seem very anachronistic - even distasteful to some - but I found it fascinating.
chris3vic
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Re: Anyone recommend any good books?

Post by chris3vic »

clanton wrote:My favourite is "Round the World on a Wheel" by John Foster Fraser. Written in 1888! I like it as much for the world it reveals - and their attitudes to the world - as for the actual cycling stories. From a modern viewpoint some of their attitudes will seem very anachronistic - even distasteful to some - but I found it fascinating.


I'll have to check that one out it sounds like it would be pretty interesting
Squeezebox
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Re: Anyone recommend any good books?

Post by Squeezebox »

DaleFTW wrote:
dgibby wrote:I've quite a collection of cycle travel books and agree with most posts to date. Al Humphreys are prob my favourite reads.

Another couple I enjoyed
Johnny Ginger's Last Ride by Tom Fremantle http://www.amazon.co.uk/Johnny-Gingers- ... +last+ride

Why don't you fly by Chris Smith http://www.amazon.co.uk/Dont-Back-Door- ... 7t+you+fly


He just unfollowed me on Twitter, <i>[rude word removed]</i> him.

I downloaded that Cycles, Tents and Two Young Gents before bed last night, that's alright so far.

Who unfollowed you ?
cjwdrw
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Re: Anyone recommend any good books?

Post by cjwdrw »

The retired headmistress referred to is Anne Mustoe. She was a classic history teacher who cycled alone around the world. We found the book fascinating, although a bit of a history lesson in parts. She wrote several books, one on the Hindu religion, whilst touring the religious sites in India was a bit heavy going for us, but interesting. I'm sure I read recently that she died from a chest infection whilst touring in India on her trusty Condor bicycle. She was certainly inspirational to me an my wife.
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BeeKeeper
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Re: Anyone recommend any good books?

Post by BeeKeeper »

Anne Mustoe sounds an interesting lady. Must look for her books. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/obituar ... ustoe.html
TonyR
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Re: Anyone recommend any good books?

Post by TonyR »

Haven't spotted any mention of Nick Crane who's written some really good books on cycle touring e.g The Great Bicycle Adventure.

Also quite liked You've Gone Too Far This Time Sir by Danny Bent. Josie Dew is good but its more about the people she meets. I find Anne Mustoe with all her history references a bit schoolteacher-ish but then she was.

Or if you want cycling fiction you could always read something by Lance Armstrong :wink:
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