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Eat the Wind: Travels with Dictators, Mercenaries, and Queens
"Captivating ... Everything you could want in a travel memoir."—Kirkus Reviews
After graduating from Stanford, Dan Wake was on track for a lucrative partnership at a big Washington law firm until he gave it all up to put adventure over career in 1985. It wasn't the first time he'd rolled the dice to explore the world.
From hitchhiking in freewheeling Europe to riding buses through the Amazon jungle to roaming through Asia in the shadow of dictatorship, Wake embraced the unpredictability of the open road and developed a Forrest Gump-like knack for dropping into events making world headlines.
Whether he is charming his way through a royal jubilee in London, criss-crossing the Philippines during a bloody revolution, or simply finding remarkable people in remote places, Wake uses high adventure and keen humor to unveil the magic of unscripted travel before the internet changed the world. Eat the Wind vividly brings that enchantment alive and shows how it seduced a lifelong overachiever to risk his career for a chance to take the journey of a lifetime.
After graduating from Stanford, Dan Wake was on track for a lucrative partnership at a big Washington law firm until he gave it all up to put adventure over career in 1985. It wasn't the first time he'd rolled the dice to explore the world.
From hitchhiking in freewheeling Europe to riding buses through the Amazon jungle to roaming through Asia in the shadow of dictatorship, Wake embraced the unpredictability of the open road and developed a Forrest Gump-like knack for dropping into events making world headlines.
Whether he is charming his way through a royal jubilee in London, criss-crossing the Philippines during a bloody revolution, or simply finding remarkable people in remote places, Wake uses high adventure and keen humor to unveil the magic of unscripted travel before the internet changed the world. Eat the Wind vividly brings that enchantment alive and shows how it seduced a lifelong overachiever to risk his career for a chance to take the journey of a lifetime.
355 pages, Kindle Edition
Published September 15, 2026
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Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
This book, “Eat the Wind” by Dan Wake, was written by a friend of a friend of mine who asked me to read it since she knows I traveled a lot in my younger days. (I don’t know the author.) As a favor to my friend, I agreed to receive an advance review copy for free, and I’m leaving this review (and recommendation!) voluntarily.
It’s about the mostly solo world travels of a young man from Arizona, the author, from age 19 to 30, as he hitchhiked and backpacked his way around several continents mostly during the 1980s.
Since I too have had a few solo travel adventures, I enjoyed the author’s take on familiar experiences like having the wrong money as I bicycled from one European country to another—this was before the Euro, of course.
What I found fascinating though was the fact that as a male, his experiences were so different from mine in that he didn’t have to deal with the ever-present sexual danger young solo female travelers experienced. I was stalked, attacked, and almost raped, and spent a lot of time trying to politely fend off overly friendly men or figure out who among the helpful locals I could trust to aid me in my own vulnerable moments. Wake, on the other hand, as a strapping young man traveling alone, didn’t seem to have those kinds of concerns. But he had plenty of mishaps and close calls of his own.
The foundational adventure that started his lifelong love of wandering was a hitchhiking trip he took with his buddy back when he was 19. He experienced then the siren song of budget travel, adventure, and fun. After that, the lure of the open road just grew stronger and stronger.
The author kept detailed travel journals of all his adventures and apparently began writing this book years ago when his memories were still fresh, but for whatever reason, he abandoned the project, until, after a few decades, he dug out the manuscript and completed this book—which explains why it’s so richly detailed. Until he mentioned that, I wondered how he could possibly have remembered all these events so clearly this many years later. Travel journals, people! They’re worth it!
Though the book is written with astonishing detail—you feel like you’re experiencing each adventure with him—it also has a wistful quality given that he’s older now, looking back on his daring youthful exploits and realizing what a grand old time it all was, even the grungier, miserable bits. This adds a poignant quality to the book by calling attention to the shortness of life and how important it is to take stock every now and then and make sure your life choices are aligned with your dreams and your values.
The author is also fully aware of the contradictory sides of his nature, which helps you understand the push-pull he experienced between the safe, predictable, and hard-driving life he could have chosen vs. the unpredictable adventurous path he in fact took. Don’t be afraid to create the life you want, seems to be his message here, even though others may call you a fool. Give your older future self fewer regrets!
Wake found his own balance between the structured routine of the sensible, successful lawyer he trained to be and the open-ended unconventional life of his vagabond alter ego who eschewed overly planned itineraries for journeys that left a lot of space for spontaneity and kismet.
So it’s a fun, lively read as Wake humorously describes the many challenges of traveling, whether it was losing his backpack (for a time) in Yugoslavia or searching for medication in a small Greek village to treat his gastric distress.
Most of his problems were inevitably solved by the kindness and generosity of strangers. The book proves this again and again—how most people the world over, so different in cultural habits or beliefs, nevertheless share a common humanity and basic decency that inspire them to reach out and help others. For his part, Wake was open-hearted, friendly, respectful, and genuinely interested in other people’s lives—and language—which did much to endear him to his foreign hosts. In fact, the book’s title, which I admit I found confusing until I read Wake’s explanation, highlights the curiosity and delight he found in his many daily discoveries learning about other cultures.
Through all his travels, the author maintained an optimistic spirit. Everywhere he went, he mingled with the locals, and time after time found himself in one “once in a lifetime” situation after another—in London for the queen’s Silver Jubilee, and in the Philippines during Cory Aquino’s stunning election win over longtime dictator Ferdinand Marcos, to name but two standout examples.
The author’s character sketches of the everyday people he met are so well drawn you think you’re reading a novel. His reports of the conversations he had with many individuals are all enlivened with humor, insightful asides, and specific details.
When I started the book, I feared it would be a tedious chronicle of disjointed experiences along the lines of “this happened to me here and then I went there and that happened,” etc., but I found myself getting drawn into the author’s life story and how he came to make the critical life-altering choices he did.
It’s crafted with just enough background information about each region and its history to enable you to understand something about the world he plunged himself into for each trip. He’s also a very close observer, so the many locations he visited and the people he met are well described and well written, which makes it easy to picture the many rollicking events he narrates.
You’ll probably find yourself searching online for exotic places to travel after reading this book, or at least wondering how the places he visited decades ago have changed—and if the people he met are still around.
If you like true adventures, travel literature, or you just want to know what it was like to be a young man backpacking around the world in the 1980s—you can’t go wrong with this highly enjoyable book.
It’s about the mostly solo world travels of a young man from Arizona, the author, from age 19 to 30, as he hitchhiked and backpacked his way around several continents mostly during the 1980s.
Since I too have had a few solo travel adventures, I enjoyed the author’s take on familiar experiences like having the wrong money as I bicycled from one European country to another—this was before the Euro, of course.
What I found fascinating though was the fact that as a male, his experiences were so different from mine in that he didn’t have to deal with the ever-present sexual danger young solo female travelers experienced. I was stalked, attacked, and almost raped, and spent a lot of time trying to politely fend off overly friendly men or figure out who among the helpful locals I could trust to aid me in my own vulnerable moments. Wake, on the other hand, as a strapping young man traveling alone, didn’t seem to have those kinds of concerns. But he had plenty of mishaps and close calls of his own.
The foundational adventure that started his lifelong love of wandering was a hitchhiking trip he took with his buddy back when he was 19. He experienced then the siren song of budget travel, adventure, and fun. After that, the lure of the open road just grew stronger and stronger.
The author kept detailed travel journals of all his adventures and apparently began writing this book years ago when his memories were still fresh, but for whatever reason, he abandoned the project, until, after a few decades, he dug out the manuscript and completed this book—which explains why it’s so richly detailed. Until he mentioned that, I wondered how he could possibly have remembered all these events so clearly this many years later. Travel journals, people! They’re worth it!
Though the book is written with astonishing detail—you feel like you’re experiencing each adventure with him—it also has a wistful quality given that he’s older now, looking back on his daring youthful exploits and realizing what a grand old time it all was, even the grungier, miserable bits. This adds a poignant quality to the book by calling attention to the shortness of life and how important it is to take stock every now and then and make sure your life choices are aligned with your dreams and your values.
The author is also fully aware of the contradictory sides of his nature, which helps you understand the push-pull he experienced between the safe, predictable, and hard-driving life he could have chosen vs. the unpredictable adventurous path he in fact took. Don’t be afraid to create the life you want, seems to be his message here, even though others may call you a fool. Give your older future self fewer regrets!
Wake found his own balance between the structured routine of the sensible, successful lawyer he trained to be and the open-ended unconventional life of his vagabond alter ego who eschewed overly planned itineraries for journeys that left a lot of space for spontaneity and kismet.
So it’s a fun, lively read as Wake humorously describes the many challenges of traveling, whether it was losing his backpack (for a time) in Yugoslavia or searching for medication in a small Greek village to treat his gastric distress.
Most of his problems were inevitably solved by the kindness and generosity of strangers. The book proves this again and again—how most people the world over, so different in cultural habits or beliefs, nevertheless share a common humanity and basic decency that inspire them to reach out and help others. For his part, Wake was open-hearted, friendly, respectful, and genuinely interested in other people’s lives—and language—which did much to endear him to his foreign hosts. In fact, the book’s title, which I admit I found confusing until I read Wake’s explanation, highlights the curiosity and delight he found in his many daily discoveries learning about other cultures.
Through all his travels, the author maintained an optimistic spirit. Everywhere he went, he mingled with the locals, and time after time found himself in one “once in a lifetime” situation after another—in London for the queen’s Silver Jubilee, and in the Philippines during Cory Aquino’s stunning election win over longtime dictator Ferdinand Marcos, to name but two standout examples.
The author’s character sketches of the everyday people he met are so well drawn you think you’re reading a novel. His reports of the conversations he had with many individuals are all enlivened with humor, insightful asides, and specific details.
When I started the book, I feared it would be a tedious chronicle of disjointed experiences along the lines of “this happened to me here and then I went there and that happened,” etc., but I found myself getting drawn into the author’s life story and how he came to make the critical life-altering choices he did.
It’s crafted with just enough background information about each region and its history to enable you to understand something about the world he plunged himself into for each trip. He’s also a very close observer, so the many locations he visited and the people he met are well described and well written, which makes it easy to picture the many rollicking events he narrates.
You’ll probably find yourself searching online for exotic places to travel after reading this book, or at least wondering how the places he visited decades ago have changed—and if the people he met are still around.
If you like true adventures, travel literature, or you just want to know what it was like to be a young man backpacking around the world in the 1980s—you can’t go wrong with this highly enjoyable book.
August 30, 2026
A good travel book takes us to new places. A great one also brings us back to places we once knew, recalling memories and moments that we thought we had forgotten.
That is what happened when I read Dan Wake’s travel memoir, Eat the Wind: Travels with Dictators, Mercenaries, and Queens. As I followed his journey, my own travel memories came back. Some parts took me back to dusty roads, tense border crossings, long bus rides, chance encounters, and such moments when you find yourself in a new place and have to decide what to do next.
Wake writes about a kind of travel that now appears distant. Anyone who traveled in the 1980s will remember this world. Hitchhiking across Europe or Asia meant waiting by the road with your backpack, hoping the next car would pick you up. Money could run out fast, passport checks could get confusing, and train or bus schedules were often unreliable. But those tough moments often turned into our favorite stories. Back then, we held a paper map, asked people for directions, made plans as we went, and sometimes got lost.
Wake does not make unpredictable travel sound like a fairy tale where everything works out. Instead, he shares the tiredness and doubt, but also the humor, curiosity, and steadfastness to keep going. I especially liked his stories about traveling through the Amazon. His descriptions of noisy buses, tough journeys, heavy heat, and the challenge of getting anywhere made me feel like I was returning to my own adventures.
His writing feels more like relating stories alongside a friend over coffee than reading a polished travel book. It encouraged me to revisit choices from my journeys. Why did I follow that path? What made me press on? Why didn’t I stay just a little longer? We almost never realize which decisions will shape our stories as we make them. Years later, it is often those small, spontaneous choices that become the tales we retell the most.
The roads may have changed, but we still travel with interest, meet new people, try new foods, and if we let the journey surprise us, we always arrive with stories.
That is what happened when I read Dan Wake’s travel memoir, Eat the Wind: Travels with Dictators, Mercenaries, and Queens. As I followed his journey, my own travel memories came back. Some parts took me back to dusty roads, tense border crossings, long bus rides, chance encounters, and such moments when you find yourself in a new place and have to decide what to do next.
Wake writes about a kind of travel that now appears distant. Anyone who traveled in the 1980s will remember this world. Hitchhiking across Europe or Asia meant waiting by the road with your backpack, hoping the next car would pick you up. Money could run out fast, passport checks could get confusing, and train or bus schedules were often unreliable. But those tough moments often turned into our favorite stories. Back then, we held a paper map, asked people for directions, made plans as we went, and sometimes got lost.
Wake does not make unpredictable travel sound like a fairy tale where everything works out. Instead, he shares the tiredness and doubt, but also the humor, curiosity, and steadfastness to keep going. I especially liked his stories about traveling through the Amazon. His descriptions of noisy buses, tough journeys, heavy heat, and the challenge of getting anywhere made me feel like I was returning to my own adventures.
His writing feels more like relating stories alongside a friend over coffee than reading a polished travel book. It encouraged me to revisit choices from my journeys. Why did I follow that path? What made me press on? Why didn’t I stay just a little longer? We almost never realize which decisions will shape our stories as we make them. Years later, it is often those small, spontaneous choices that become the tales we retell the most.
The roads may have changed, but we still travel with interest, meet new people, try new foods, and if we let the journey surprise us, we always arrive with stories.
August 30, 2026
If someone had said to me Eat the Wind by Dan Wake is a magical journey about chaotic times and ceremonial times, encounters with crazies and genuinely kind human beings, unexpected obstacles and open doors/open hearts … I would have said “No way – it’s a memoir.” But this memoir is a journey that required courage under fire, taking risks when logical options simply were not possible, plus the author deciding he was definitely not experienced at civil disobedience. And there were so many unexpecteds: the generosity of strangers, soldiers yelling at him, trains leaving (yes, without him), taking illegal photos, dodging bullets and tear gas, and so … so much more.
It’s as if I had hitched a ride inside Dan Wake’s back pack and got to live his adventures (and close calls) with him. Mr. Wake’s down to earth language gives us picture perfect moments, such as the peninsula in Spain “that hooks out into the Bay of Biscay like a bent thumb”. His descriptions are simple but also vivid and put me in each location as if the memories were mine. Wake has an incredible gift for word-painting the folks from different cultures, and a knack for building tension laced with humor. Although I’ve barely noted some of the memorable moments and challenging encounters, I would absolutely have to agree Eat the Wind is magical. I’ll definitely be reading it again. https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2...
~ Constance Patrick, Author: Stories to Die For, Patterns, Filling the Pondering Pool
It’s as if I had hitched a ride inside Dan Wake’s back pack and got to live his adventures (and close calls) with him. Mr. Wake’s down to earth language gives us picture perfect moments, such as the peninsula in Spain “that hooks out into the Bay of Biscay like a bent thumb”. His descriptions are simple but also vivid and put me in each location as if the memories were mine. Wake has an incredible gift for word-painting the folks from different cultures, and a knack for building tension laced with humor. Although I’ve barely noted some of the memorable moments and challenging encounters, I would absolutely have to agree Eat the Wind is magical. I’ll definitely be reading it again. https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2...
~ Constance Patrick, Author: Stories to Die For, Patterns, Filling the Pondering Pool
August 26, 2026
Eat the Wind, a travel memoir by Dan Wake takes the reader along on his hitchhiking adventures in the 1970s/80s, before cell phones and the internet. The author “never went anywhere as a kid”, but with a backpack and his thumb he sets out to find a larger world. A couple of college summer adventures whet his appetite for more.
The book is an engaging recount of the people he meets and the scenes and predicaments he encounters, sometimes on purpose, at other times inadvertently. Using wit, guile, logic, politeness, patience, and a sixth sense that something is about to happen the author always jumps in.
From a larger perspective, it is interesting to follow him as he makes life choices between career and travel; high income job vs. low-budget, everything-you-own-is-on-your-back solo adventuring for months at a time. It is a highly recommended read to witness one person’s authentic, venturesome life journey prior to the internet age of travel.
The book is an engaging recount of the people he meets and the scenes and predicaments he encounters, sometimes on purpose, at other times inadvertently. Using wit, guile, logic, politeness, patience, and a sixth sense that something is about to happen the author always jumps in.
From a larger perspective, it is interesting to follow him as he makes life choices between career and travel; high income job vs. low-budget, everything-you-own-is-on-your-back solo adventuring for months at a time. It is a highly recommended read to witness one person’s authentic, venturesome life journey prior to the internet age of travel.
August 27, 2026
Thanks to Dan Wake for writing an adventure tailored to those who have wanderlust in their hearts, but practicality in their heads and wallets. From the Chapter 1 of Eat the Wind, I was intrigue by Dan's descriptions and details of his travels, the people he met and the kindnesses shown to him. He made us believe it really is a good world we live in with much more grace than evil.
I enjoyed reading about the agriculture and architecture of the places he visited, the culture and the political challenges being faced in some parts of the world, but most of all about the people who were real, honest depictions of humanity. Be sure to pick this up! It will stay with me for awhile.
Joan McGarry, Colorado, USA
I enjoyed reading about the agriculture and architecture of the places he visited, the culture and the political challenges being faced in some parts of the world, but most of all about the people who were real, honest depictions of humanity. Be sure to pick this up! It will stay with me for awhile.
Joan McGarry, Colorado, USA
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
While I have read a ton of travel/adventure books written by and about women, this is pretty much my first by a man. Turns out, I really enjoyed it! I am a woman "of a certain age" that can most definitely relate to the age no cellphones or google maps. Parts of the book are super funny, others are richly educational in culture and history and still others are scary as hell; you want to scream "Get out of the country! Are you crazy?"
The book is a fast read and Wake is a great story teller. It doesn't make me want to travel particularly, but it does make me interested in reading more travel memoirs--even by men!
The book is a fast read and Wake is a great story teller. It doesn't make me want to travel particularly, but it does make me interested in reading more travel memoirs--even by men!
Review of advance copy received from Author
I began reading Dan's book as a favor to a good friend-- and finished the book feeling excited to write an enthusiastic review. About half-way through the book, I began to imagine what an engaging, poignant, and crack-up funny film could evolve from this nonfiction novel.
This book also provides insightful reports of significant moments in history, serendipitously discovered.
At the close of one of the travel accounts, I spontaneously started laughing out loud. Three or four more runs of laughter erupted before being able to return to reading.
My thought for you? Definitely purchase or reserve Eat the Wind on Libby!
This book also provides insightful reports of significant moments in history, serendipitously discovered.
At the close of one of the travel accounts, I spontaneously started laughing out loud. Three or four more runs of laughter erupted before being able to return to reading.
My thought for you? Definitely purchase or reserve Eat the Wind on Libby!
August 19, 2026
Eat The Wind is a whirlwind ride through nostalgia—life without the internet, the pursuit of youthful dreams, and quite simply, freedom. Dan Wake’s writing provides a fun, entertaining, and somewhat magical story that almost seems hard to believe. No doubt it’s true, but wow—what experiences he’s had!
It makes this reader wish she could go back in time and seek more adventure, more danger, more…well, basically, to have lived bigger!
But Eat The Wind is more than the whimsical wanderings of a young man. It is also a glimpse into history in the making, new cultures, and the overwhelming goodness and kindness of the people he met along the way.
It makes this reader wish she could go back in time and seek more adventure, more danger, more…well, basically, to have lived bigger!
But Eat The Wind is more than the whimsical wanderings of a young man. It is also a glimpse into history in the making, new cultures, and the overwhelming goodness and kindness of the people he met along the way.
Review of advance copy received from Author
Reading Dan Wakeʻs Eat the Wind brought back my own younger days as a traveler in the pre-internet age. I wish Iʻd had Dan as a travel companion back then to piggy-back on his sense of adventure, resourcefulness, and open-hearted curiosity. The next best thing is getting to read his rendition of life on the road, full of surprising details, memorable characters, and his own humble, self-deprecating voice. Eat the Wind is a great armchair travel for anyone, whether theyʻve been around the world themselves or are just a curious homebody.
Review of advance copy
Eat the Wind is a smart, witty and charming read of Dan Wake’s adventures as a world traveler. I couldn’t put it down, wanting to hear
more stories of politics, history and humanness. You could feel the sadness, anger, fear and delight Wake experienced
on his many journeys. It brings us baby boomers back to our personal world adventures of our younger days, which may even include hitchhiking! I loved it!
more stories of politics, history and humanness. You could feel the sadness, anger, fear and delight Wake experienced
on his many journeys. It brings us baby boomers back to our personal world adventures of our younger days, which may even include hitchhiking! I loved it!
Read
July 30, 2026I thoroughly enjoyed “Eat the Wind” as it so accurately captured the whimsical experiences and emotional ups and downs of hitchhiking in the US and Europe in the 70’s and 80’s. His writing style is funny, honest, and insightful and his third-world adventures through South America and Asia make for a captivating travel log with ‘Forest Gump’ like chance encounters that bring historical perspective.
Steve Sargent
(I reviewed a free copy, and I am voluntarily leaving this review.)
Steve Sargent
(I reviewed a free copy, and I am voluntarily leaving this review.)
August 31, 2026
Start to finish, Eat the Wind is an exciting memoir that took me on a roller coaster of adventure. With humor and honesty, Dan takes us along for the ride.
Often surprising, it celebrates the life-changing power of exploring the world through its cultures and people. It often reads like a novel with a historical perspective. I honestly couldn’t put it down.
If you have traveled, it will remind you of what you love about travel and if you haven’t, it will make you want to!
Often surprising, it celebrates the life-changing power of exploring the world through its cultures and people. It often reads like a novel with a historical perspective. I honestly couldn’t put it down.
If you have traveled, it will remind you of what you love about travel and if you haven’t, it will make you want to!
September 21, 2026
I’m not a travel memoir reader, so I was a bit surprised by how much I liked the book. Within the first few pages it became apparent that Dan’s writing was engaging, funny, and full of amazing stories of worldwide travel. The guy happened to be in the right place at the right time A LOT! I also ended up learning some history of these far-flung places in a way that was actually entertaining. Highly recommend.
Read
August 25, 2026This book is very readable and entertaining. The author makes you feel like his personal travelling companion as he explores various corners of the world. His adventures along the way are engaging, intriguing, amusing, and refreshing. Interesting experiences and extraordinary people are discovered at every stop. This book inspires me to step out of my comfort zone the next time that I travel.
Review of advance copy received from Author
This is a very interesting and entertaining easy read. Many people think about doing this type of travel, but few are willing to take the risk of traveling alone in foreign countries while putting their career on hold.
Read
September 2, 2026Dan had me at "from riches to rags."
His selection of stories illustrates this trajectory in a fun and engaging way. Some moments had me biting my nails. Others had me cheering him on. Mostly, I laughed and laughed.
His selection of stories illustrates this trajectory in a fun and engaging way. Some moments had me biting my nails. Others had me cheering him on. Mostly, I laughed and laughed.
September 16, 2026
Fascinating travel memoir with a collection of stories delivered as true page turners. Interesting read for those of us in younger generations, because his travel experiences are so different from the way travel happens today.
November 6, 2026
Some of the authors adventures kept me on the edge of my seat! Traveling alone proved to be the best way to integrate into the counties and cultures in which the author traveled back in the 70s and 80s. Lots of travel lessons learned and he wasn’t afraid to share them. A fun and suspenseful read.
September 7, 2026
What a thoroughly fun book to read. Im not a world traveler, but this book made me feel like one. I can still laugh just thinking about some of Dan's adventures.
September 8, 2026
FANTASTIC READ! Dan takes you with him on all his journeys, never read a book like this in my life!
September 18, 2026
Loved this book!
A real page turner!
Really happy to see it’s now available in the UK
A real page turner!
Really happy to see it’s now available in the UK
Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews