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Running on Empty: 18,000 Miles Down Africa with Parkinson’s
'An immense feat of endurance, a remarkable achievement, and a truly inspirational adventure filled with courage and hope' – Ranulph FiennesAt the age of sixty, and having lived with Parkinson’s disease for over ten years, Guy Deacon CBE set out on one last to drive solo from his home in the UK 18,000 miles and through twenty-five countries to Cape Town on the southern tip of Africa. This incredible journey, across Europe and down the full length of Africa, took the former British Army officer over twelve months. Along the way, he broke down five times, underwent one emergency evacuation, and took 3,650 prescription pills.
There are only a handful of vehicles each year which attempt this difficult journey; many never complete it. Ongoing conflicts in Libya, South Sudan, Mozambique and many other countries make any journey exceptionally dangerous. In central Africa, road conditions, particularly in the rainy season, often make the going treacherous. Further hazards include illegal checkpoints, extortion, contaminated fuel and a lack of services.
Guy drove, lived and slept in his VW Transporter, often in remote spots, hundreds of miles from the nearest village or town. Reliant on patchy GPS, he often got lost. His journey was, quite simply, an incredible feat by a man travelling alone with Stage 3 Parkinson’s disease, when simply putting on a pair of shoes can take half an hour.
But not only did Guy’s journey fulfil a childhood dream to drive the length of Africa, his mission was also to raise global awareness of Parkinson’s disease, for which there is currently still no cure.
There are only a handful of vehicles each year which attempt this difficult journey; many never complete it. Ongoing conflicts in Libya, South Sudan, Mozambique and many other countries make any journey exceptionally dangerous. In central Africa, road conditions, particularly in the rainy season, often make the going treacherous. Further hazards include illegal checkpoints, extortion, contaminated fuel and a lack of services.
Guy drove, lived and slept in his VW Transporter, often in remote spots, hundreds of miles from the nearest village or town. Reliant on patchy GPS, he often got lost. His journey was, quite simply, an incredible feat by a man travelling alone with Stage 3 Parkinson’s disease, when simply putting on a pair of shoes can take half an hour.
But not only did Guy’s journey fulfil a childhood dream to drive the length of Africa, his mission was also to raise global awareness of Parkinson’s disease, for which there is currently still no cure.
- GenresBiographyNonfiction
291 pages, Kindle Edition
Published April 11, 2024
16 people are currently reading
61 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews
August 4, 2024
Proof that an amazing achievement doesn’t necessarily make for an amazing book.
Guy Deacon - former British army officer (for those outside the U.K., this means he was recruited from the upper or upper-middle social classes in our class-ridden country) - gets diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease and becomes acutely symptomatic quite quickly. Obviously, this is a tragedy for him, his wife and his children. The author decides to have one last hurrah before the disease gets hold of him completely, doing an ‘expedition’ (such a patronising term) through Africa, where he been a member of several expeditions previously. His plan is to drive the entire length of Africa down the west coast, single handed while battling his illness. To rationalise this madness he decides to make the journey about raising awareness of Parkinson’s Disease wherever he goes (Parkinson’s can sometimes be associated with curses and witchcraft in sub-Saharan Africa. Even where it isn’t, sufferers rarely receive medical treatment).
I found the book rather predictable. Full of tales of difficulties with officials at border crossings, and lots of broken vehicle parts, with associated mercy missions involving people flying over from the U.K. with replacements. But he also met a surprising and reassuring number of good Samaritans along the way (many of them motor mechanics and lorry drivers), which made the book more enjoyable for me. The most moving part being when the author met someone whose mother had been locked in her house and left to starve to death from the disease, for fear her curse would spread if she was allowed out. Since then, this man has dedicated his life to making sure the same thing doesn’t happen to other people, and now runs a charity with that aim. A great person. Guy Deacon, on the other hand displays poor self-awareness during the journey, which is par for the course for British Army officers and their bloody ‘expeditions’. White saviour complex, and all that. But to repeat, what Guy Deacon achieves in the journey (at least for himself) is incredible. How someone who can take half an hour to exit a camper van and walk from one side of the vehicle to another around the outside, can also drive the length of Africa is beyond me. He’s bloody minded, at the very least.
All proceeds from sales of the book got to the author’s Parkinson’s charity. Perhaps buy it if only for this reason?
Guy Deacon - former British army officer (for those outside the U.K., this means he was recruited from the upper or upper-middle social classes in our class-ridden country) - gets diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease and becomes acutely symptomatic quite quickly. Obviously, this is a tragedy for him, his wife and his children. The author decides to have one last hurrah before the disease gets hold of him completely, doing an ‘expedition’ (such a patronising term) through Africa, where he been a member of several expeditions previously. His plan is to drive the entire length of Africa down the west coast, single handed while battling his illness. To rationalise this madness he decides to make the journey about raising awareness of Parkinson’s Disease wherever he goes (Parkinson’s can sometimes be associated with curses and witchcraft in sub-Saharan Africa. Even where it isn’t, sufferers rarely receive medical treatment).
I found the book rather predictable. Full of tales of difficulties with officials at border crossings, and lots of broken vehicle parts, with associated mercy missions involving people flying over from the U.K. with replacements. But he also met a surprising and reassuring number of good Samaritans along the way (many of them motor mechanics and lorry drivers), which made the book more enjoyable for me. The most moving part being when the author met someone whose mother had been locked in her house and left to starve to death from the disease, for fear her curse would spread if she was allowed out. Since then, this man has dedicated his life to making sure the same thing doesn’t happen to other people, and now runs a charity with that aim. A great person. Guy Deacon, on the other hand displays poor self-awareness during the journey, which is par for the course for British Army officers and their bloody ‘expeditions’. White saviour complex, and all that. But to repeat, what Guy Deacon achieves in the journey (at least for himself) is incredible. How someone who can take half an hour to exit a camper van and walk from one side of the vehicle to another around the outside, can also drive the length of Africa is beyond me. He’s bloody minded, at the very least.
All proceeds from sales of the book got to the author’s Parkinson’s charity. Perhaps buy it if only for this reason?
May 7, 2024
Inspiring autobiography
June 5, 2024
Very different style of writing to what I’m used to, it’s matter of fact, no embellishment and little description of the difficulties faced in his journey. The white, middle class privilege throughout is quite unpalatable, the instances of safety may have been very different for a woman doing the same expedition.
Overall a good read, but not left me feeling changed.
Overall a good read, but not left me feeling changed.
April 11, 2024
I am in awe of anyone who challenges themselves for the good of others and this intrepid journey across Africa by Guy Deacon shows the mettle of the man. His absolute strength of character shines through and whilst the journey was fraught with problems and discomfort Guy never lost track of his goal which was ultimately to raise awareness for Parkinson's Disease.
I enjoyed reading the first part of the book which details Guy's army career, this gave an insight into his personality and allowed a glimpse of his tenacity and strength of will so that the epic journey of 18,000 miles, 25 countries, 5 breakdowns, an emergency evacuation and 3650 prescription pills wasn't so out of character but of course, due to the debilitating nature of Parkinson's disease, it would prove to be a huge challenge.
The detail of his journey in his trusted VW Transporter was an eye popping mission and I enjoyed reading of Guy's 'adventures', the people he met en route, the incredible acts of kindness he encountered, along with elements of uncertainty and also of his unique connection to others who suffer from this illness and those doctors in Africa who are doing what they can to combat the disease. Accompanied occasionally by a documentary film maker, Guy's incredible journey will feature in a Channel 4 documentary which is due to air in Spring 2024.
As this is World Parkinson's Day I am delighted to have been asked to be part of this blog tour, to acknowledge Guy's remarkable achievement and also to raise awareness for this debilitating disease. Parkinson's Disease is a neurological condition for which there is no cure however, there are ways to control the condition with medication. Living with the illness is both challenging and frustrating and all credit to the author for raising awareness of this debilitating disease.
I enjoyed reading the first part of the book which details Guy's army career, this gave an insight into his personality and allowed a glimpse of his tenacity and strength of will so that the epic journey of 18,000 miles, 25 countries, 5 breakdowns, an emergency evacuation and 3650 prescription pills wasn't so out of character but of course, due to the debilitating nature of Parkinson's disease, it would prove to be a huge challenge.
The detail of his journey in his trusted VW Transporter was an eye popping mission and I enjoyed reading of Guy's 'adventures', the people he met en route, the incredible acts of kindness he encountered, along with elements of uncertainty and also of his unique connection to others who suffer from this illness and those doctors in Africa who are doing what they can to combat the disease. Accompanied occasionally by a documentary film maker, Guy's incredible journey will feature in a Channel 4 documentary which is due to air in Spring 2024.
As this is World Parkinson's Day I am delighted to have been asked to be part of this blog tour, to acknowledge Guy's remarkable achievement and also to raise awareness for this debilitating disease. Parkinson's Disease is a neurological condition for which there is no cure however, there are ways to control the condition with medication. Living with the illness is both challenging and frustrating and all credit to the author for raising awareness of this debilitating disease.
June 15, 2024
Despite the ravages of increasingly debilitating Parkinson’s disease, Guy Deacon takes on a phenomenally challenging drive across a significant chunk of Africa, both as a personal, two fingered salute to his illness but also to raise awareness among people who until recently - and in some circumstances, still - shun Parkinson’s sufferers with suspicion and fear.
The poignancy of this story is underlined when one contrasts Guy’s current struggle with Parkinson’s with his former life as a physically fit, immensely active and relatively successful Army Officer. One can understand his frustration and annoyance at his inability to undertake simple physical tasks without his medication and one can only admire his drive and determination to support the research that might, one day, find a cure for this terrible disease, in order that others might not suffer as he is doing.
So, a tale of courage and determination. An inspiring book written from the heart and with altruistic intent. In some respects, therefore, it is a shame that his copy editor didn’t do a slightly better job and temper Guy’s enthusiasm by removing some of the repetition and generally tidying up the flow of the narrative.
4 stars.
The poignancy of this story is underlined when one contrasts Guy’s current struggle with Parkinson’s with his former life as a physically fit, immensely active and relatively successful Army Officer. One can understand his frustration and annoyance at his inability to undertake simple physical tasks without his medication and one can only admire his drive and determination to support the research that might, one day, find a cure for this terrible disease, in order that others might not suffer as he is doing.
So, a tale of courage and determination. An inspiring book written from the heart and with altruistic intent. In some respects, therefore, it is a shame that his copy editor didn’t do a slightly better job and temper Guy’s enthusiasm by removing some of the repetition and generally tidying up the flow of the narrative.
4 stars.
June 7, 2025
Guy Deacon is a retired British Army Officer and has always wanted to travel the length of Africa. However in 2010 he was diagnosed with Parkinson's Disease. This did not stop his ambitions of travel, in fact it gave him more purpose and desire. He now wanted to connect with people in Africa who have Parkinson's and raise awareness of it so people can be prepared and understand it.
His journey took him from Dorset in the UK to Cape Town in South Africa. It was a journey full of challenges, hardships, near misses and lots of hard decision making. Meeting people along the way, some old friends, some local people, some members of British embassies and lots of other people that would often turn out to be a massive help in his quest.
It is a story of a man on a mission, something a retired British Army Officer would know all about. But this time Guy has advanced Parkinson's so the stakes were high and time was of the essence.
A thoroughly interesting read and getting to hear of all the issues with Parkinson's in Africa. A story of passion, strength and determination. The last chapter brought tears to my eyes. An excellent read of a man's journey to do good in the world.
His journey took him from Dorset in the UK to Cape Town in South Africa. It was a journey full of challenges, hardships, near misses and lots of hard decision making. Meeting people along the way, some old friends, some local people, some members of British embassies and lots of other people that would often turn out to be a massive help in his quest.
It is a story of a man on a mission, something a retired British Army Officer would know all about. But this time Guy has advanced Parkinson's so the stakes were high and time was of the essence.
A thoroughly interesting read and getting to hear of all the issues with Parkinson's in Africa. A story of passion, strength and determination. The last chapter brought tears to my eyes. An excellent read of a man's journey to do good in the world.
April 11, 2024
I fancied something a little different from my usual reads and came across this book. I have to say it is a must read. Guy has Parkinson's but is not letting it take over from his life. In this incredible story he decides that for one last time he will do something that he knows he can achieve come hell or high water and that is to go on adventure by himself and drive all the way from his house to the end tip of Africa. There is a lot he goes through on his way and at times I thought would he give up and go home but he has pure determination and does not let anything stop him or get in his way. I am not sure why but I felt as though he was my dad and I was spurring him on in this lengthy journey of his. I felt super protective and proud of him. Guy is a true inspiration to everyone and I am so glad I got to go on his last adventure with him. I felt as though I learnt things about my person and how to deal with certain situations in the future. Thank you Guy for writing such an inspiring book.
April 11, 2024
Running on Empty by Guy Deacon.
18,000 miles down Africa with parkinson's.
At the age of sixty, and having lived with Parkinson’s disease for over ten years, Guy Deacon CBE set out on one last adventure: to drive solo from his home in the UK 18,000 miles and through twenty-five countries to Cape Town on the southern tip of Africa. This incredible journey, across Europe and down the full length of Africa, took the former British Army officer over twelve months. Along the way, he broke down five times, underwent one emergency evacuation, and took 3,650 prescription pills.
This was a good and interesting read. I was surprised he could stay in the army. The chapters were short and I got into it straight away. I read in two sittings. I did like the assistant who helped him get his phone and lock his car. She did deserve employee of the year. I did like that the royalties made from this book will go to parkinson's charity. He had an interesting adventure. 4*.
18,000 miles down Africa with parkinson's.
At the age of sixty, and having lived with Parkinson’s disease for over ten years, Guy Deacon CBE set out on one last adventure: to drive solo from his home in the UK 18,000 miles and through twenty-five countries to Cape Town on the southern tip of Africa. This incredible journey, across Europe and down the full length of Africa, took the former British Army officer over twelve months. Along the way, he broke down five times, underwent one emergency evacuation, and took 3,650 prescription pills.
This was a good and interesting read. I was surprised he could stay in the army. The chapters were short and I got into it straight away. I read in two sittings. I did like the assistant who helped him get his phone and lock his car. She did deserve employee of the year. I did like that the royalties made from this book will go to parkinson's charity. He had an interesting adventure. 4*.
April 22, 2024
Guy Deacon has retired from a life of military service and is living with a fairly recent diagnosis of Parkinson’s Disease. Guy decides that he wants to revisit Africa, a continent he served in and loved and he not only wants to visit….he wants to drive through all of Africa alone and visit every country in his hardy little 4X4 wagon. This is a rough road for a team, let alone a man with an illness that is complicated by stress, heat, dehydration, lack of sleep, and missed medications. Guy experiences all of these, along with car trouble and no access to parts, con artists, scary checkpoints, bribery demands and many more hazards. He is blessed with encounters of people who go far out of their way to help him and to further the cause to help people living with Parkinson’s Disease. Guy’s roadtrip was a brave undertaking and many were inspired. Well done, Mr. Deacon. #netgalley #RunningOnEmpty
September 5, 2025
I was around 58 when my thumb started giving me problems. As time passed, I had other symptoms: hand tremors, restless sleep, muscle weakness, cognitive decline, voice spasms, and a stiff, achy right arm and ankle. At 60 I was diagnosed with PARKINSON’S DISEASE. I was on Carbidopa and Pramipexole for two years; they helped a lot but not for long. As the disease progressed, my symptoms worsened. With my neurologist's guidance, I started on PD-5 treatment from U.H.C. (Uinehealth Centre). The treatment worked very effectively; my severe symptoms, especially the tremors, simply vanished. I feel better now than I have ever felt, and I can feel my strength again. Visit Uinehealthcentre. net. My neurologist was very open when looking at alternative medicines and procedures; this PD-5 treatment is a breakthrough.
June 30, 2024
Wanting a book of adventure, impossibilities, courage, hope, determination and not giving up along with a dash if unput downable??
Then look no further
Guy has gone from Army life working his way up to Colonel to finding himself travelling around Africa, mostly on his own with help from known friends and strangers all while dealing with the daily life of Parkinson’s and trying to raise awareness of this illness at the same time.
A book on true life events with adventures along the way! An amazing book from start to finish!
Then look no further
Guy has gone from Army life working his way up to Colonel to finding himself travelling around Africa, mostly on his own with help from known friends and strangers all while dealing with the daily life of Parkinson’s and trying to raise awareness of this illness at the same time.
A book on true life events with adventures along the way! An amazing book from start to finish!
May 8, 2024
What an amazing story about an amazing man!
The travel story follows Guy Deacon as he travels down Africa in a campervan, raising awareness of Parkinson's disease which he himself has.
The story makes you laugh and cry and is written very well.
The start of the book explains about Guy's earlier life as a military man, and all the places he was stationed.
The book is very interesting and I learnt a lot about Africa, Parkinson's and also camper vans and what can break will break on them!
The travel story follows Guy Deacon as he travels down Africa in a campervan, raising awareness of Parkinson's disease which he himself has.
The story makes you laugh and cry and is written very well.
The start of the book explains about Guy's earlier life as a military man, and all the places he was stationed.
The book is very interesting and I learnt a lot about Africa, Parkinson's and also camper vans and what can break will break on them!
November 17, 2024
I thought this was an inspiring story of grit and determination in the face of illness, but shied away from being a 4* the face of ever so slight unrecognised privilege at points. Like, yes of course it’s amazing he got the opportunity to do these things but if I, as a woman, tried to hop between African countries I’d probably be raped/murdered. I don’t think there was an overly great recognition of this especially when talking about how safe and lovely the whole of Africa was.
April 22, 2024
This was one of the most astonishing books I’ve read. Although I know of some of African politics, I had no idea that overlanding Africa was still so complex and difficult. The first half of the book is about his life which is also fascinating. I couldn’t put it down. It has just been published and I hope this book gets the attention it deserves.
April 28, 2024
This is an incredible read! I am amazed by Guy’s determination to raise awareness and carry out such a difficult journey across Africa. I learnt so much about Parkinson’s Disease from this book.
I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to NetGalley and Ad Lib Publishers!
I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to NetGalley and Ad Lib Publishers!
July 21, 2024
Some books make you pause and take an assessment of what you are doing with your life…this is one of them. At the age of sixty, living with Parkinson’s, Guy Deacon set off to drive from his home in the UK to the southern tip of Africa. I have nothing but admiration for the author undertaking this adventure and utilising the opportunity to raise awareness of this pernicious disease.
October 22, 2024
It was an interesting book. I liked learning about his journey and difficulties. He was really resilient and that was amazing. But I was missing more descriptions. Sometimes I felt he was just pushing names. He was really privilege to be able to go through that type of travel as a white man and that was a bit bothering me. It was entertaining overall.
October 25, 2024
I received a free copy via Netgalley.
The first half of the story covering his early years and career was entertaining.
Unfortunately the second half felt like he was selling how good he was to have been able to travel through Africa.
Although this is taken nothing away from the fact that to travel through Africa with Parkinsons is a huge achievement.
Still worth a read.
The first half of the story covering his early years and career was entertaining.
Unfortunately the second half felt like he was selling how good he was to have been able to travel through Africa.
Although this is taken nothing away from the fact that to travel through Africa with Parkinsons is a huge achievement.
Still worth a read.
July 13, 2025
Loved the heart of this book, usually I avoid tales about the military but it’s heartwarming to see it spoken about with fondness and intrigue. Love the nuggets of facts about Africa and it’s really a great book for those who don’t know much about Africa and want to start understanding the continent a bit more.
April 12, 2024
When I was given the chance to read Running on Empty by Guy Deacon I didn’t have to think twice about it. Although it is not my usual type of read as soon as I saw what it was about it made me think of a good friend who has just found out that her dad has been struck down by the same illness and even though I will never know what it means to her and her family there was something about this book that gave me just that little bit of hope that she may still have time to enjoy her time with him, however long that may be, before it truly takes hold and changes everything.
When Guy Deacon received the diagnosis that he had Parkinsons, it finally gave him answers to some of the things he had been experiencing but at the same time made him realise that his life was going to change and that he didn’t want it to define him. After a successful career in the army, he wanted to do something he had always thought about whilst also raising awareness about the disease. Now for most people it would mean some charity events close to home but for Guy it meant packing up his VW campervan and travelling (quite often alone) across Africa.
The book does not just cover this time but also his life before and during the Army, giving the reader a true sense of who Guy Deacon is and just what drove him to take on this very challenging journey. The early years often had me smiling at some of the things that he got up to and his time in the Army certainly had me nodding my head as I recognised places and things that are close to home, but the real story, of dealing with Parkinsons and its limitations whilst also going across a country with a whole set of rules that could be hard to negotiate at times is what kept me turning the pages.
No matter what was thrown at him (issues with the campervan, Covid restrictions, border visas) it was all dealt with one step at a time and with the help of some amazing friends both old and new that he made along the way. Even when he knew he was being taken advantage of he took it with a smile as the person was just so nice about it. I could sense the frustration when things took longer than expected, and maybe at times you could see he pushed himself to extremes to get to places by certain deadlines, yet he never gave up (even when most healthy people would) and whether this was down to his Army training or his own character or both I am not sure. What I am sure of is that this is a book that should be read by as many people as possible to highlight just how Parkinsons affects both the sufferer and those around them and also to show that there is hope.
When Guy Deacon received the diagnosis that he had Parkinsons, it finally gave him answers to some of the things he had been experiencing but at the same time made him realise that his life was going to change and that he didn’t want it to define him. After a successful career in the army, he wanted to do something he had always thought about whilst also raising awareness about the disease. Now for most people it would mean some charity events close to home but for Guy it meant packing up his VW campervan and travelling (quite often alone) across Africa.
The book does not just cover this time but also his life before and during the Army, giving the reader a true sense of who Guy Deacon is and just what drove him to take on this very challenging journey. The early years often had me smiling at some of the things that he got up to and his time in the Army certainly had me nodding my head as I recognised places and things that are close to home, but the real story, of dealing with Parkinsons and its limitations whilst also going across a country with a whole set of rules that could be hard to negotiate at times is what kept me turning the pages.
No matter what was thrown at him (issues with the campervan, Covid restrictions, border visas) it was all dealt with one step at a time and with the help of some amazing friends both old and new that he made along the way. Even when he knew he was being taken advantage of he took it with a smile as the person was just so nice about it. I could sense the frustration when things took longer than expected, and maybe at times you could see he pushed himself to extremes to get to places by certain deadlines, yet he never gave up (even when most healthy people would) and whether this was down to his Army training or his own character or both I am not sure. What I am sure of is that this is a book that should be read by as many people as possible to highlight just how Parkinsons affects both the sufferer and those around them and also to show that there is hope.
July 12, 2024
No bs (embellishments), straight to the facts writing. Guy had a life changing medical diagnosis and he went out and did something pretty cool. I did feel like some of the experience was brushed over, but it was still a good read.
Thank you NetGalley and Ad Lib Publishers for my DRC.
Thank you NetGalley and Ad Lib Publishers for my DRC.
September 10, 2024
Read it on holiday and a 4 hour flight home. Was ok. The first third was about his distinguished army career. High ranking officer gets Parkinson’s and has a last hurrah driving down Africa. Sad and uplifting at times but not a great book. He’s probably too stiff upper lip to be anything other.
Read
June 2, 2024A great personal triumph for Guy
October 2, 2024
Truly remarkable
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