Simon rode a motorcycle around the world in the seventies, when such a thing was unheard of. In four years he covered 78,000 miles through 45 count...
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Feb 01, 2009
Drew
rated it: 
Ewen McGregor: Hi I'm multi award winning Actor about town Ewan McGregor. I've got a totally original idea for a TV show.
ITV Exec: Oh Yeah...
Ewen: Yeah, Me and my mate Charlie Boorman, the world famous star of stage and screen, are going to ride round the world on our motorbikes. It'll be mega.
ITV Exec: But what about that guy in the 70's called Ted Simon who did all that but without all your money and good looks?
Ewen: WHAT!
ITV Exec: Look i'm sorry but it's all bee More...
ITV Exec: Oh Yeah...
Ewen: Yeah, Me and my mate Charlie Boorman, the world famous star of stage and screen, are going to ride round the world on our motorbikes. It'll be mega.
ITV Exec: But what about that guy in the 70's called Ted Simon who did all that but without all your money and good looks?
Ewen: WHAT!
ITV Exec: Look i'm sorry but it's all bee More...
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Mar 28, 2009
Lara
rated it: 
My father is an adventurer at heart. He rode a motorcycle through South America a decade before Che; he jumped out of airplanes at night and landed in Southeast Asian jungles; he spent 40 years fishing in Alaska, both off Kodiak and in the Bering Sea. Now, he and my mother are retired, and they spend a good deal of their time traveling still - on a motorcycle. They have a great set-up: a trailer packed with a beautiful tent and an air mattress; picnic goodies, bottles of gin. They tool aroun
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Feb 04, 2012
David
rated it:
Ted Simon may not be a household name for most people, in fact until I watched Charley Boorman and Ewan McGregor ride around the world in Long Way Round I had no idea who Mr. Simon was. He inspired their trip which became such a success. Simon rode around the world decades before them and in much smaller and un-sponsored style. Writing the occasional report for newspapers in England to partly pay for his adventure Simon rode and discovered the fragility of the traveler, especially one on two whe
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Jul 29, 2011
Sharon
rated it:
I was disappointed with this book. I had waited so long to get my hands on a copy, and when the chance came, greedily opened the book, looking forward to the adventure within.
While the adventure was there, and it was intresting to see how the world has changed since the book was originally written, I found it hard at times to get into the story.
I wasn't too keen on Ted Simon's style of writing, and at times I found his opinions rather off putting.
He seemed to gloss over some parts of the j More...
While the adventure was there, and it was intresting to see how the world has changed since the book was originally written, I found it hard at times to get into the story.
I wasn't too keen on Ted Simon's style of writing, and at times I found his opinions rather off putting.
He seemed to gloss over some parts of the j More...
Aug 23, 2009
Mark
rated it:
This is the remarkable story of Ted Simon, a man who rode a Triumph motorcycle around the world in the mid 1970s. Keep in mind, this is before the days of cell phones and GPS navigation that would have certainly come in handy. The mere fact that he survived is impressive. It is well written book that delves more into the 'meaning' of life and the nature of mankind than a technical description of a 60,000 mile motorcycle ride. At times, the author is a bit pompous, and the section describing his
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Jul 06, 2011
Ken
rated it:
This book follows our author as he travels the world for 4 years starting in Mid 1973.
It was....ok. I was expecting more of a travelogue, him explaining some of the sights he saw, and that was part of it. He spent a lot of time examining how he was feeling during the trip. That part didn't excite me to much. Maybe I am biased he also but it seemed he really didn't enjoy himself during the mid points in his trip. Basically South Africa all the way to India. I am sure that's not how he felt More...
It was....ok. I was expecting more of a travelogue, him explaining some of the sights he saw, and that was part of it. He spent a lot of time examining how he was feeling during the trip. That part didn't excite me to much. Maybe I am biased he also but it seemed he really didn't enjoy himself during the mid points in his trip. Basically South Africa all the way to India. I am sure that's not how he felt More...
Oct 05, 2009
Corri
rated it:
There is more to this man's journey than riding a motorcycle. This guy is a man of the mind. While riding atop his Triumph, he thinks a lot about the subconscious mind. On his journey on a ship through the Atlantic, from Africa, to Brazil, he mentions he read a book by Jung and his thinking got even more complex and dark as he rode through South and Central America. He shares his thoughts with his readers and takes them through the glories and turmoils of his own mind. I thought this book wa
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Dec 15, 2009
Gavin
rated it: 
Goddamn it!! How did I get tricked into reading another bullshit, transcendental 70's enlightenment novel??!! After Robert Pirsig's puddle of diaper filling, I swore I'd never read one of these things again! This was billed as a travel book...Curses!
*sigh*
On to the book. What a boring, self-indulgent novel. Ol' Ted decides to go slummin' through the third world in some misguided attempt to test himself. Once underway, his special brand of bitter negativity slowly sw More...
*sigh*
On to the book. What a boring, self-indulgent novel. Ol' Ted decides to go slummin' through the third world in some misguided attempt to test himself. Once underway, his special brand of bitter negativity slowly sw More...
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Jan 18, 2011
Miss Bliss
rated it: 
Ted Simon sets off on his motorbike in the 70's. He has some money, a lot of stuff, time and the motivation to travel around the world. The book recounts his travels, his observations, the impact of the weather and the people he meets. It is a beautiful recollection and memoir of what is painted to be a fantastic journey. Ted's journey ends up not just being travel around the world, but inevitably he learns a lot about himself.
Jul 22, 2008
Ronnie
rated it:
I think I'm currently experiencing quite a severe bout of Wanderlust.
Simon's book tells of his mid-70s, four-year trip around the world on a Triumph motorcycle. From Southern Europe, through Africa, South and Central America, Australia, Asia and back through Eastern Europe, this is a long, arduous journey.
In parts, the pages fly by as he barely mentions the countries and locales he is visiting, but it is condensed in such a way that you feel you are speeding along the bi More...
Simon's book tells of his mid-70s, four-year trip around the world on a Triumph motorcycle. From Southern Europe, through Africa, South and Central America, Australia, Asia and back through Eastern Europe, this is a long, arduous journey.
In parts, the pages fly by as he barely mentions the countries and locales he is visiting, but it is condensed in such a way that you feel you are speeding along the bi More...
Feb 03, 2012
Spyder
rated it:
As a motorcyclist it was a good, fun book. As a traveler it was even better... the true value of this book lies in the humanity of the tale, after all... the point of the journey, is not to arrive.
Read on my iPad and Android phone via the Kindle app on and in toilets around the world during the 2011 Yellowcard World Tour.
Read on my iPad and Android phone via the Kindle app on and in toilets around the world during the 2011 Yellowcard World Tour.
Jan 25, 2010
Tamar
rated it:
This is a pretty remarkable tale about riding a motorcycle around the world. I liked the first half of the book better than the second half, perhaps because it's more interesting to read about his experiences as a novice, rather than when he is a more experienced traveler.
Dec 23, 2008
Nicholas
rated it:
If you like adventure writing and have even the smallest interest in motorcycles, you'll enjoy this. Very little is said about his motorcycle that I remember, I read this about two years ago, and what I do remember is the fantastic debacles and wonderful people that he met along the way. Recommended.
Nov 22, 2008
Marc
rated it:
Ted documents how he traveled around the world, the book it sort of like a journal. I really liked the first half when he traveled through Africa, although the second half is quite grim going.
Nov 19, 2007
Ben
rated it:
presently savoring the last hundred pages. book makes me all nostalgic for my own erratic wandering across the planet's nether regions, and wish to do it all again (but this time on a bike -- prob. not a triumph...). i picked the book up not expecting it to be so well written. the author's wonderfully humble and arrogant all at once, and dwells much on his expectations and moods as a filter for his experiences on the journey, which all feels just right. i find myself lamenting the way the wo
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Aug 01, 2011
Adam
rated it:
this is adventure travel before the days of the internet/comunication support network, no hi tech gortex heated gloves here, just a good old sheepskin jacket and a triumph bonneville.
Sep 10, 2009
DOC
rated it:
I really liked this book. It is inspiring. Get out and do the things you want to do. I want to get a motorcycle and ride around the Monterey coast, Fort Ord, Carmel Valley, Big Sur ....
Dec 24, 2009
Marc
rated it:
Awesome, if you enjoy travel writing. An amazing adventure and documentation of the times and cultures and a fascinating journey of self-discovery.
Jun 06, 2011
Andy
rated it:
This would be my Desert Island book.
Ted Simon's solo journey around the planet must be one of the greatest travel stories.
Ted Simon's solo journey around the planet must be one of the greatest travel stories.
Aug 09, 2009
Jason
rated it:
This book was fantastic, and between this and Ewan McGregor's doc about riding around the world I was inspired to take up riding.
May 04, 2009
Arthur
rated it:
Magnificent. And some of the most beautiful travel writing I've read. Yes, I'm partial to books about motorbikes, but this is so much more.
Mar 30, 2011
Betty
rated it: 
Attempted to read this book a second time and still couldn't get through it. It starts to fall apart about halfway through. It started out honest and unpretentious. He was humble and respectful enough. He attempted to see from different perspectives.
Then he gets tired of the traveling the people and the writing. It starts to get sloppy. He's not sure if he wants to stick with travel writing or writing about perseverance and his motorcycle. Maybe he would have fared better if he m More...
Then he gets tired of the traveling the people and the writing. It starts to get sloppy. He's not sure if he wants to stick with travel writing or writing about perseverance and his motorcycle. Maybe he would have fared better if he m More...
Dec 17, 2009
ba
rated it:
As the title indicates, Mr. Simon rode his Triumph around the world on a four year journey. The book could have been written better, but the adventures he experienced come through loud and clear. If you've seen "Long Way Round," Ian and Charlie meet MR. Simon at one point and thank him for inspiring their own journey. One thing that really struck me, is that he didn't stop to worry about who was at war with whom, or whether he was welcome. He just used his status as citizen of the plan
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Oct 06, 2010
Daniel
rated it:
The writing in the book is as bumpy as the roads the author traveled on, frequently crashing into a jumbled heap. His observations and caricature descriptions of different cultures seemed to be tied more to the weather than his personal interactions. The book's pacing is uneven with excessive detail in the beginning and some countries towards the end getting no more than a one line stereotypical summary. There are some well written vignettes scattered throughout the book but overall I'd give it
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