| Product: |
Long Way Round - Ewan McGregor, Charley Boorman |
| Date: |
29/12/07 (98 review reads) |
| Rating: |
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Advantages: An interesting account of their trip
Disadvantages: The last 5 or 6 Countries felt a little rushed
Following on from the success that the Long Way Round came to be, Ewan Mcgregor and Charley Boorman decided to set off on another trip on their motorbikes. This time the intention was to ride from John O'Groats in Scotland to Cape Town in South Africa. The trip would cover some 15000 miles, visiting 20 different countries in just under 3 months on the road. This book is the accompaniment to the BBC series of the same name and gives a further insight into the trip and what appears to have been an amazing, eye opening trip for both of them.
Now I'd never really paid much attention to the first trip and it wasn't until I started to watch this series on TV that I decided I should read the book. It is written by both of them as they teamed up once again with the team from Long Way Round to create The Long Way Down. It is written in very much a diary format with both Charley and Ewan giving their views and feelings on the experiences and sights that they see a long the way and that for me was the real draw of this book.
This isn't the normal sort of travel log and I think that really added to the appeal of both watching the series and reading the book. It strikes me as the sort of thing I would write with a friend or two if we were doing a similar sort of trip. I think that really adds to the appeal of the writing style as it doesn't seem to pretentious or written with that travel writing style. It is instead written in a much easier to read format that will expand the target audience for the book. It makes for a more relaxed read and infact I've found that compared to other travel accounts I've read it makes it harder to actually put it down.
The length of the trip seems to have put a real strain on the whole team and this is reflected in Ewan and Charley's accounts of the trip in the first half. As they didn't want to be away for as long as the first trip they have had to create a schedule that means they are rushing on every day for the first month or so. As the reader you get the feeling that this didn't bother Charley quite as much as it did Ewan but there is a clear tension in the writing until they reach Ethiopia. The friendship appeared to be suffering as a result of the schedule and this seems very much like a book of two halves.
Of course there isn't a lot of difference between the book and the TV series. It covers a lot of the same events but where I feel the book is stronger is in giving you more of an insight into the thoughts that they both have along the way. In particular there is far more detail regarding their UNICEF visits in the book and I found these to be incredible eye openers. The thoughts and feelings of both Charley and Ewan come across far better in writing and I feel that this was the main difference between this and the TV series.
Overall would I recommend the Long Way Down? Well actually yes I would, I found it to be a very interesting and insightful read to accompany a trip that would fascinate me. Of course I don't have the ability to compare it back to the first trip and the book of that at the moment but I did thoroughly enjoy reading about this amazing journey. It's an eye opening book that takes you to parts of the world you wouldn't really think too much about and will raise awareness for the work of the likes of UNICEF and Riders for Health. It's a decent read and one I have certainly enjoyed and would have no hesitation in recommending.
Amazon: £8.99
Amazon Marketplace: £6.45
Summary: One of the best Trael log's I've read
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