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Around Africa on My Bicycle
by
Riaan Manser
Cycling an average of 90km a day, often in extreme conditions on badly-maintained gravel and sand roads, being thrown into jail in Equatorial Guinea by aggressive and drunken border police, and facing possible death when taken hostage by drugged Liberian teenage rebels may not be a conventional idea of truly 'living', but, in November 2003, Riaan Manser rode out of Cape To...more
Paperback, 705 pages
Published
July 27th 2007
by Jonathan Ball Publishers
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The back flap reads:
“In a world first, almost incredibly, Riaan Manser rode a bicycle right around the continent of Africa. It took him two years, two months and fifteen days. He rode 36,500 km (22,500 miles) through 34 different countries.
In [this book] Manser tells the story of this epic journey. It is a story of blood sweat, toil and tears. It is a story of triumph and occasional disaster. Of nights out under the stars, of searing heat and rain, of endless miles of Africa ...more
“In a world first, almost incredibly, Riaan Manser rode a bicycle right around the continent of Africa. It took him two years, two months and fifteen days. He rode 36,500 km (22,500 miles) through 34 different countries.
In [this book] Manser tells the story of this epic journey. It is a story of blood sweat, toil and tears. It is a story of triumph and occasional disaster. Of nights out under the stars, of searing heat and rain, of endless miles of Africa ...more
This book was a great read. It struck the correct chord so to speak, as it was written at exactly the level I was expecting. The book portrays realistically the daily struggles encountered, fearful and dangerous situations and to a degree the amount of determination required. I say to a degree as I think it was under-played in typical humble Riaan Manser style.
Two things I think that were missing - a more detailed map to give a better idea of distances between stops and the degree of b...more
This book is fascinating but really, would some REAL editor please EDIT IT before they run the next round? There are over-used cliches galore, misspellings, and all sorts of bad (or no) punctuation. It was REALLY distracting. I think someone could make a really good drinking game out of just the number of times he uses the phrase "the penny dropped".
The author is also just a little bit too high & mighty and holier-than-thou for my liking. There's kind of a patronising g...more
The author is also just a little bit too high & mighty and holier-than-thou for my liking. There's kind of a patronising g...more
An interesting and colloquially written book, by an ordinary man who chose to do something extra-ordinary. His trip exposed him to a lifetime's worth of experiences - from the painful, dangerous and scary to the wildly joyful, and reading his story makes it clear that a person can choose to live an exceptional life.
One awesome read for someone interested in geography, travel and learning more about the continent we live on.
Some funny moments. And great photos.
Some funny moments. And great photos.
Douglas Stanley
added it
An admirable feat told in witty language.
I picked this book up while browing in a bookstore in Cape Town this past May. Really interesting testament to the capacity to endure and press past physical, emotional, and psychological obstacles. At first, I balked at the rather blunt speech of Riaan---including hypermasculinity, some fairly patronizing views of others, etc. But, as I read on, I saw that he was much more open and willing to engage with others than those who spout politically correct language.
Great book. An awesome insight into the humanity of africa and the determination of a the author to circumnavigate the whole african continent. Inspiring stuff!
unbelievable achievement - reading it did get a bit tedious though after about the 20th coountry
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