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On the 15th of February 2008, Mark Beaumont had pedaled through the Arc de Triomphe in Paris—194 days and 17 hours after setting off in an attempt to circumnavigate the world. His journey had taken him, alone and unsupported, through 18,297 miles, 4 continents, and numerous countries. From broken wheels and unforeseen obstacles in Europe, to stifling Middle Eastern deserts and deadly Australian spiders, to the highways and backroads of America, he’d seen the best and worst that the world had to offer.
He had also smashed the Guinness World Record by an astonishing 81 days. This is the story of how he did it.
Told with honesty, humor, and wisdom, The Man Who Cycled the World is at once an unforgettable adventure, an insightful travel narrative, and an impassioned paean to the joys of the open road.
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Creators
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Publisher
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Release date
June 28, 2011 -
Formats
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OverDrive Read
- ISBN: 9780307716668
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EPUB ebook
- ISBN: 9780307716668
- File size: 3221 KB
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Languages
- English
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Reviews
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May 1, 2011
A bicycle racer recounts his solo cycle around the world while attempting to break the existing Guinness World Record.
There is no denying that Beaumont's journey, riding 100 miles a day for six-and-a-half months always against the clock, entailed a remarkable feat of endurance. He handily trounced the existing record, and the BBC chronicled his trip in an award-winning TV program. The author does a solid job of revealing his psychological difficulties, his physical challenges and the mundane task of finding food and a safe place to sleep each night, and he delivers tantalizing cultural and geographic tidbits along his route. Among his many stories: staying the night in a Mafia-run hotel in the Ukraine staffed by beautiful dancing girls; feeling overwhelming illness at the sight of the absolute poverty in Pakistan; and experiencing frazzled nerves when he was run over by a kindly old lady in Louisiana, then mugged the same night in his motel room by drug addicts. When Beaumont provides more of a story line, the narrative sails along. However, far too often the author recounts repetitive details while providing only the skimpiest snippets about the people and places he encounters. Beaumont acknowledges this conundrum, recognizing that beating the world record meant speeding by numerous cityscapes "begging for further exploration." As he crossed the Paris finish line, he struggled to answer many of the journalists' questions. "The stories lacked the human element and any insight into how I'd actually felt and reflected on my experiences," he writes, "but they were all I could offer."
Even with its flaws, the book merits a spin through. Racing aficionados and armchair racers seeking freewheeling glimpses of the world via bicycle will cherish the trip.
(COPYRIGHT (2011) KIRKUS REVIEWS/NIELSEN BUSINESS MEDIA, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.)
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