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Long Way Round: Chasing Shadows Across the World

Ewan McGregor,

Charley Boorman,

Robert Uhlig (co-author)

3.95 · Rating details · 9,956 ratings · 472 reviews

It started as a daydream. Poring over a map of the world at home one quiet Saturday afternoon, Ewan McGregor - actor and self-confessed bike nut - noticed that it was possible to ride all the way round the world, with just one short hop across the Bering Strait from Russia to Alaska. It was a revelation he couldn't get out of his head. So he picked up the phone and called ...more

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Hardcover, 320 pages

Published October 1st 2004 by Atria Books (first published 2004)

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Mar 26, 2008 Brad rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: travel, faves

My love of Long Way Round is purely emotional. We are not talking about great literature here, nor should anyone expect it. After all, the book isn't written. It is spoken. But that adds to the charm.

As these two spoiled boys travel around the world from London to New York, cutting through places like Kazakhstan, Russia and Mongolia, it is the chattiness and comradeship of such close friends living a "Boys' Own" adventure that sucks us in. Whether they are shitting their pants when a Russian min ...more

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Jan 04, 2020 Diane in Australia rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: nonfiction-travel

Two actors travel around the world on BMW motorcyles. The book reads like a diary, with each actor writing alternating chapters. They get homesick. There are personality conflicts with their support crew, David, and Russ. They traverse some horrid off-road areas. They meet some locals. They are sometimes beset by paparazzi. They stay in hotels/motels, private homes/gers/shacks/etc., and when the need arises, they camp in the tents they have with them.

It's not stellar travel writing, it's more of ...more

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Apr 01, 2009 Shannon rated it it was ok

Shelves: adventure-travel-climbing, bookclub

This is a true story about two fairly well known people taking a trip across a vast distance. The A-List actor and a well-to-do buddy (d-list actor?) have a dream and try to put it into action. Some of their challenges are ones that most people would not have - e.g. having a director who does not want you riding a motorcycle to practice for the trip in case you injure yourself before your movie is complete. Some of the other challenges they thought were unique to their "star power" were likely c ...more

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May 28, 2020 W marked it as to-read

Shelves: travel

Review of the TV mini series (2004)

It is quite an adventure,Ewan McGregor and Charley Boorman ride their motorbikes from London to New York.Along the way they pass through several countries in Europe and Asia,alongwith Alaska.

For me,the most interesting part of the trip was when they passed through Mongolia's vast uninhabited landscape.There are few such open spaces left in the world now.

The motorcycles often malfunction and sometimes get bogged down in muddy and watery obstacles.There is also s ...more

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Nov 27, 2012 Kendal rated it really liked it

Shelves: ebook-challenge-2013, book-babes-and-booze

Long Way Round is a mentally and physically exhausting journey made by two friends who wanted a break. The book is comprised of Ewan McGregor and Charley Boorman’s daily diary entries that were written during the entire trip. By sharing both of their personal diaries you are able to get two very different perspectives of their overwhelming trip around the world.

In the beginning, I was a little irritated, especially with Ewan. He liked to name-drop quite a bit and, also, liked to mention which mo Long Way Round is a mentally and physically exhausting journey made by two friends who wanted a break. The book is comprised of Ewan McGregor and Charley Boorman’s daily diary entries that were written during the entire trip. By sharing both of their personal diaries you are able to get two very different perspectives of their overwhelming trip around the world.

In the beginning, I was a little irritated, especially with Ewan. He liked to name-drop quite a bit and, also, liked to mention which movies he was filming at the time. However, as I kept reading, I realized that Ewan’s journey was about leaving the film industry behind and discover new things about himself. I thought it was amazing how he and Charley were able to get on a pair of huge BMW bikes without an entourage and travel across some of the most difficult and dangerous roads in the world. They would stay with complete strangers and found out the true meaning of hospitality.

For Ewan and Charley, Mongolia was the highlight of their journey. They were able to, finally, leave behind their insecurities and obsessions of keeping their riding schedules. They started to absorb and enjoy the ride. At one part, they decided to take a quick dip in a nearby river.

Ewan: “This is so liberating!” I screamed, running naked along the riverbank back to my bike. “Three nude men in the countryside. We should have some drums and bows and arrows.” The best part of the impromptu skinny-dip was that we had shaken off our obsession with keeping to the schedule…But we’d come to realize that keeping to planned mileage was pointless if we didn’t experience anything along the way.”

It was moments like that that made the book so entertainment; watching grown men run around like little boys enjoying their adventure.

However, there were times where the extreme demand on their minds and bodies was just too much. Charley wrote that “It was just so hard. More than once I thought: what the f—k am I doing here? Why am I doing this? Who thought this was a good idea? I just wanted to go home. For the first time, I really hit a low, my mood all the worse for not having eaten since breakfast.” When Charley would really let himself experience the land, he would lift himself out of his dark mood and journey on. Their extreme mood swings was prevalent throughout their journey. They had highs and lows. It really is amazing how they were able to fight through their emotions to meet their goal.

I really enjoyed this book. I experienced all the highs and lows with Ewan and Charley. You are left with such a respect for what these two accomplished. They left behind the comfort of their families and their privileged lifestyle to experience extreme off rode biking and other cultures. They came back changed men.
...more

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Apr 11, 2012 Melissa rated it did not like it

Shelves: notworthit, didnt-finish

I'm not even going to blame the fact that I interrupted reading this with a few much better books & coming back to it was torturous. Too much man whining, too much man bickering, too much "Oh but we miss our families so much!!" No one forced you to leave them & take this trip, did they? ...more

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May 08, 2009 Lindsey rated it really liked it

Shelves: favorites

Wow... I went into this book with very little expectations, firstly I know nothing about bikes, and secondly I thought that it may be some kind of shameless promotion on behalf of Ewan McGregor and Charlie Boorman but I was incredibly wrong.
I was amazed at the journey these men took, and especially amazed at the vast amount of emotion that they both experienced and described throughout the journey and especially at their homecoming.
This is a book for any travel lover, for those who wish to expe ...more

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Jan 21, 2013 Sarah rated it it was ok

Shelves: russia, non-fiction, memoir-and-bio, exploration-and-adventure, armchair-travel

I am a total sucker for armchair travel. I love reading about adventures and long distance travel, especially if done on a bike, foot or some other odd thing. I love reading about the details of what people ate, what gear they brought, funny stories of misunderstandings and the significance of meeting people on the road.
This book of Ewan McGregor and his buddy taking a motorcycle trip from London through Europe, into Kazakstan, Mongolia and Russia seemed initially to have all of those things. W ...more

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Apr 13, 2015 Shawnté Salabert rated it liked it

Shelves: international-travel, adventure

London to New York
A tale of two dudes on bikes
Friendship and folly

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Jun 07, 2012 Sian Kerr rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Shelves: a-z-of-authors, autobiographies, read-the-tv-programme

Author B in my A-Z was Charley Boorman although it says that Long Way Round was just written by Ewan McGregor.
I'm a fan of both actors but I've never seen the TV show so I went into this with a fresh mind not really knowing what to expect. And can I say it was the biggest disappointment.
Both authors moaned, whined and cried their way around the globe. I know it must be hard to miss those you live with constantly, but they were crying when they left and cried during a lot of the journey. When th ...more

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Aug 28, 2011 Amelia rated it it was ok

Shelves: non-fiction

I don't usually take the time to review books here, but this book was so poorly written and annoying to read that on several occasions i wanted to throw it out of a window. The amount of crying and whining that these two grown men did through out their trip, and the amount of pages taken up talking about how much they miss their wives...well...it really loses the essence of what a trip like that is all about. I can see that they attempted to convey some of the emotional trials and tribulation th ...more

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Mar 15, 2014 Rex Fuller added it · review of another edition

Disappointed. I wanted and expected to like this. There are pieces of it that I did like, such as the instances of interacting with Ukrainians and Mongolians. Those pieces, approximately 20% of the book, are lost in constant whining about the authors' disagreements with each other and their support crew members, not having enough privacy from media, missing their families, and generally what was going on inside their own heads. The authors show some writing talent and a stern editor who could ha ...more

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Jun 09, 2007 Robin Allen rated it it was ok

Shelves: litchicks

This book was kinda boring and whiny for a couple of rich dudes on bikes with a film crew following them around.

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Jan 29, 2021 Rod Lee rated it liked it · review of another edition

A very good companion piece to the show Long Way Round. It provided a deeper dive to the ride & the thoughts & emotions that Ewan & Charlie went through as they went around the world. At times though I found the boys a little whiney when going through some tough spots. That was balanced with the meditative insights they had when things picked up again. They definitely could not have done the ride without their large support team. Sure they had days without their support crew, but they were never ...more

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Nov 14, 2020 James Coyle rated it really liked it

An absolutely incredible read for an avid motorcyclist or adventurer. It gave me ideas of roads I want to ride and let me experience so many rides that ill probably never get to otherwise. A must read for two-wheeled adventurers.

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Nov 22, 2020 Kobus Engelbrecht rated it liked it

I rate the book 3.5 stars really; the trip was obviously full of action and adventure, but I did not feel that the authors relayed that to me as the reader and I was left slightly bored.

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Feb 26, 2014 Mitchell rated it liked it

Shelves: non-fiction, travel

Long Way Round is a fairly well-known TV series documenting the journey undertaken by actors Ewan McGregor and Charley Boorman in 2004, riding motorcycles all the way around the world from London to New York, across very remote and wild terrain in Kazakhstan, Mongolia and Siberia. McGregor was already quite a famous actor, appearing in Star Wars, Trainspotting and Big Fish; Boorman was considerably less well-known, in the shadow of both Ewan and his more famous father John Boorman (the director Long Way Round is a fairly well-known TV series documenting the journey undertaken by actors Ewan McGregor and Charley Boorman in 2004, riding motorcycles all the way around the world from London to New York, across very remote and wild terrain in Kazakhstan, Mongolia and Siberia. McGregor was already quite a famous actor, appearing in Star Wars, Trainspotting and Big Fish; Boorman was considerably less well-known, in the shadow of both Ewan and his more famous father John Boorman (the director of Deliverance). Long Way Round turned out to be the largest success story of both their careers.

I'd already greatly enjoyed the TV series, and since I have motorbikes on the brain at the moment, I recently rewatched it and then picked up the book, which is ostensibly written by both of them but is actually obviously ghostwritten. The style is a bit strange, actually - it regularly cuts between Charley and Ewan, prefacing their segments with their names, but there is no difference whatsoever in their writing style (because, of course, they didn't really write it) and the only way I could ever remember who was talking was to see whether it was "Charley and I" or "Ewan and I" doing something. I'm really not sure why they chose that style.

The book is related in a fairly conversational tone, as though the two adventurers are telling you stories at the pub, and the chronology jumps around quite a bit in the early stages, with flashbacks to the planning sections while they're already riding through Europe. It's a very easy and quick read, and one which I found very enjoyable, but I wouldn't recommend it to somebody who hadn't already watched the TV series.

For somebody who has watched the TV series, however, it's a fascinating in-depth look at the journey. There were a lot of things which happened to them that weren't featured in the series simply because they didn't catch them on film and therefore couldn't work them into the narrative; my favourite would have to be Charley pulling two people out of a car crash on the Road of Bones. There's a deeper insight into their relationship with their two producers, Russ and David, including a crucial confrontation in Prague; there's also a deeper insight into the two men themselves. Both Ewan and Charley are extremely honest about what they think about themselves and each other: their flaws, their strengths, the things they do that really piss each other off... and the fact that, at the end of the day, their positives outweigh their negatives and they're still best friends. There's also appendices detailing the exact mileage and destinations they covered on every day off the trip, and a full inventory of all the equipment they carried on the bikes and in the support vehicles.

Overall, Long Way Round is an excellent supplement to its televised brother, but probably wouldn't work as a stand-alone book. ...more

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Mar 14, 2016 Mikayla Gray rated it it was amazing

Shelves: made-me-cry, real-life, made-me-laugh, 5-star-read, uplifting, travel, daydreaming, affirmation

Having adored the Long Way Round TV series, where actors Ewan McGregor and Charley Boorman biked from London to New York "the long way round", it was only a matter of time before I picked up the book. I met Charley Boorman a few years ago and we swapped travel stories (his were far better than mine!), leaving me in awe of the adventures he and Ewan had been on. So when I found Long Way Round and the Scotland to South Africa adventure Long Way Down in a charity shop for pennies each, there was no Having adored the Long Way Round TV series, where actors Ewan McGregor and Charley Boorman biked from London to New York "the long way round", it was only a matter of time before I picked up the book. I met Charley Boorman a few years ago and we swapped travel stories (his were far better than mine!), leaving me in awe of the adventures he and Ewan had been on. So when I found Long Way Round and the Scotland to South Africa adventure Long Way Down in a charity shop for pennies each, there was no excuse for me not to finally read them.

If you haven't seen the series, the book is a dual pov sort of travel diary from Ewan and Charlie as they hop on a pair of donated BMW motorbikes and travel across Europe, Asia and North America to reach New York, crossing 12 countries and 20,000 miles in 119 days. It's meandering, a little self indulgent at times with more than a little navel gazing, but it's also inspiring and uplifting. The guys bicker and argue, clash with their road crew and tv sponsors, but for every breakdown or day of riding on unpaved, dangerous roads completely alone, there's a Mongolian sunset or encounter with locals that makes it worthwhile. An encounter with Eastern European gangsters is simultaneously laugh out loud funny and genuinely a bit scary, while a surprise visit from Ewan's dad on the road enough to make me well up. I skim read the opening chapters which covered the set up and logistics, keen for the guys to get on the road, but the book gives great insight into the effort and physical and emotional toll that the trip took on everyone involved, especially Ewan and Charley. If you're hoping for a juicy read riddled with schadenfreude about a Hollywood A-lister forced to rough it in the wilderness, you'll be sorely disappointed. Both guys dive headfirst into their journey, embracing everything that comes with it, good and bad.

I've been reading this book on and off for nearly three months. It's certainly not unputdownable, more of a lazy Sunday afternoon read that you can dip in and out of. If you're a travel fanatic like me, you should definitely give it a go. Long Way Round is an absolute must read for anyone who dreams of leaving it all behind and chasing their shadow across the world. ...more

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Aug 10, 2012 Sundeep Supertramp rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: favourites, my-kind, adventure, travel, pikachu

About the authors:
Ewan McGregor, the author. Does that name ring some bells? Yeah, he is the same guy from the movies Star Wars, The Impossible (2012), The Island (2005), Big Fish (2003).

It is claimed that the other author, Charley Boorman, is also an actor. Though I've not noticed in any movie, as I far I could remember, here are a few movies which starred him. Travellers (2011), Deliverance (1972), Excalibur (1981), The Serpent's Kiss (1997).

Plot:
The whole idea of the book is to cirucum-naviga ...more

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Jul 24, 2015 Redfox5 rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: kazakhstan, england, non-fiction, russia, travel, usa, adventure, canada, germany, mongolia

I wasn't sure that I was going to like this book. Although I think bikes are nice to look at, as a car driver, anything on two wheels on the road annoys the hell out of me. So the idea of going around the world on a bike wasn't particularly appealing. I thought it would be dull. I was wrong and I flew through this in two days.

I love Ewan Mcgregor and this book allows you to see a different side of him to his movie star personality. I have no idea who Charley is but I enjoyed his point of view n ...more

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Sep 05, 2016 Katja rated it it was ok

Okay...two guys on bikes around the world. Sounds pretty awesome, right? Well...wrong! I expected no professional writing, but I've read loads of diaries from non-writers as well as travel literature and in my opinion that's not how things are done. Too much whining, too fast on changing countries and usually I never had the feeling they were even there. You know, t h e r e. When you travel, you stop, breathe in, soak in...whatever it is that makes traveling traveling. It's a journey. And I neve ...more

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Sep 12, 2010 Wendy Blansett rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Great book. This book is not necessarily all about the bikes and blokes that ride them, but it is more about the places, the people, and the moments. Ewan and Charlie travel through some of the most remote and poorest regions of the world, but wherever they go, the people are gracious and kind, offering what little they have, including food, liquor, and shelter.

Ewan rarely plays his "Obi-Wan" card - only when it's a must. For most of the journey people have no idea who he is. He is just a guy ri ...more

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May 26, 2020 Sonia Almeida Dias rated it it was ok

Shelves: travel-and-places

Let's do a drinking game. Every time either Ewan or Charley say they miss their family you drink a shot.
Seriously, don't do it, you'll die.
It was a fantastic idea, to go from London to New York the long way round on motorbike, however most of the time they were unable to enjoy it because they were too homesick. Or tired of the journey. Or complaining about camping/not camping. Or complaining about something else.
Then at the last chapter they keep saying how much they will miss being on the roa ...more

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May 06, 2015 Gavin rated it really liked it

Granted, this is right up my alley, but it's a solid book regardless of your love of motorcycles and adventures.

The series is good, and the book is a nice companion to it. I actually rewatched the show simultaneously with the book, not a bad way to do it. Gaps in the book are filled in by the show and vice versa. At the end of the day, I just found myself wishing I could have gone along with them on their trip. I looked like an amazing time. ...more

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Aug 12, 2012 Tony rated it it was ok

I really wanted to like this book but couldn't. It could have been so much better. It could have been a tale of hardship, adventure, discovery, humananity, etc. Instead it was a story of two middle aged men moaning about how their GPS and iPod didn't work on their luxury BMW motorbikes. Get over it. ...more

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Dec 27, 2010 Rudy Kong rated it it was ok

One of the most disappointing travel books I've read. They went on a pretty cool adventure but Charlie's chapters drove me nuts. They sounded like whiners to me. And what's with driving across Canada from North to South and not making mention of it except for a car accident? ...more

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Sep 20, 2012 Diana S rated it liked it

Shelves: read-in-2012

Wow! What an amazing trip! Ewan McGregor and his best friend, Charley Boorman, both bike nuts, traveled around the world on their motorcycles. It took them 4 months traveling 20,000 miles. I'm glad they took the time to documented their fantastic trip. Great Photos! I give this book 3.5 stars***. ...more

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Jan 29, 2020 Tara rated it really liked it

I read this years ago, I think in middle school? My love for Ewan McGregor developed during my obsession with the Star Wars prequel trilogy. lol To be fair I don't remember much, but I think this was my first non-fiction book! ...more

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Nov 28, 2017 Kerry rated it really liked it

Shelves: non-fiction, travel, audio-read

This book is ok. Skip the book and see the series on DVD. Really enjoyed their journey.

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Sep 13, 2011 Heather rated it liked it

Full disclosure:
1. I love Ewan McGregor and would enjoy doing naughty things to him. Preferably while he talked in his Scottish accent.
2. I watched this TV series.
3. I am reading this book not because of #1 and 2 so much as the fact that someone said that she'd read in this book (or sadly the subsequent one) that he and his wife had an open marriage and I became determined to get to the bottom of this. Which I suppose does relate to #1 if not exactly #2. This is not embarrassing to admit at all. ...more

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About Ewan McGregor

Ewan McGregor

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Ewan McGregor first came to notice in the film Shallow Grave. Since then he has appeared in more than thirty films, playing Renton in Trainspotting and Obi-Wan Kenobi in Star Wars episodes one to three. Other films include: Velvet Goldmine, Little Voice, Moulin Rouge!, Black Hawk Down, Young Adam and Big Fish. Ewan has also appeared on stage in London, tracked polar bears in the Canadian High Arct ...more

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“We'll get there!” — 0 likes

“Era difícil não comparar aquela região com a Mongólia. Assim como os pastores mongóis, as tribos de peles-vermelhas das Grandes Planícies tinham sido nómadas, vivendo em tendas e seguindo as manadas de búfalos para encontrar pastagens para os seus animais. A única diferença era que esse estilo de vida ainda existe na Mongólia enquanto que aqui os brancos tinham impedido os índios de o fazer.” — 0 likes

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