Status
Call number
Collections
Publication
Description
Biography & Autobiography. Sports & Recreations. Travel. Nonfiction. HTML:The remarkable true story of one man's quest to break the record for cycling around the world On the 15th of February 2008, Mark Beaumont had pedaled through the Arc de Triomphe in Paris�??194 days and 17 hours after setting off in an attempt to circumnavigate the world. His journey had taken him, alone and unsupported, through 18,297 miles, 4 continents, and numerous countries. From broken wheels and unforeseen obstacles in Europe, to stifling Middle Eastern deserts and deadly Australian spiders, to the highways and backroads of America, he�??d seen the best and worst that the world had to offer. He had also smashed the Guinness World Record by an astonishing 81 days. This is the story of how he did it. Told with honesty, humor, and wisdom, The Man Who Cycled the World is at once an unforgettable adventure, an insightful travel narrative, and an impassioned paean to the joys of the open… (more)
User reviews
Mark decided, very much on a kind of whim, to attempt to challenge the existing World record for cycling around the world. Guinness
Fortunately there are very few excerpts from the logbook, as those tended to be brief and stark, rather Mark has written with a gentle narrative style about his thoughts and encounters at the time. He's deeply honest about his reasons for gong, and just how close to the edge he got at a few times. It is these personal insights that make it such compelling reading. The descriptions of the landscape he passes through are sparse - mostly because Mark was often concentrating solely on the ride and road. However now and then there are flashes of just how varied the landscapes, and especially people he met, really were. Despite riding through what some may perceive as the least hospitable areas in the world - Iran or the Australian outback - Mark found that people really are human everywhere, and met some very touching examples of generosity.
One area that is definitely missing is technical appendix - what bike he rode, the gear he took with him, what worked and what failed. Also missing are any journey statistics other than total miles travelled and time taken. It is also a very upbeat account - very few negative people, or incidents - other than a couple of major ones. It does make the reader wonder if there has been some selective editing, or maybe just recall bias. There is a brief epilogue from his Mum about the hardships she endured as Base Camp organiser - surely the hardest job on such a ride! but this is too brief.
Fascinating reading, a real expose of life in different continents and a very memorable achievement from Mark.
Awards
Language
Original language
Physical description
ISBN
Similar in this library
DDC/MDS
910.4092 |