It's a lot more than a story, a lot more!

I have read many travel books, but Ted Simon is the best. I simply loved it. I was in a state of shock and awe just listening to the best English writing I have ever come across. Ted you are fantastic!!

6 people found this helpful

Eloquently Written ~ Exquisitely Told

"In spite of wars and tourism and pictures by satellite, the world is just the same size it ever was. It is awesome to think how much of it I will never see. It is no trick to go round the world these days; you can pay a lot of money and fly round it nonstop in less than forty eight hours, but to know it, to smell it and feel it between your toes you have to crawl. There is no other way. Not flying, not floating. You have to stay on the ground and swallow the bugs as you go."
YES!!! If you've ever taken a road trip on a motorcycle, or have ever dreamt of doing so, you will absolutely love this book. Ted Simon has provided a written account in prose, using eloquent yet playful vocabulary. Rupert Degas does a wonderful job narrating Ted's work.
Ted's journey is so descriptive that a detailed picture forms in the mind, providing a transcendent experience.
I loved this book, and would highly recommend it for anyone interested in exotic journeys.

5 people found this helpful

The least adventurous adventure book

I typically love adventure travel books, but this one disappointed me. There were many times were the book grew dull and difficult to get through. Ted Simon spends more time writing about his deep thoughts than he does describing the journey and the places he visits. I loved long way down and long way round, which were inspired by Jupiters travels, because they were descriptive and made you feel like you were along for the ride. Ted Simon spends too much time with his own self contemplation and often comes off as whiny and wastes time describing things I don't care about. By the twentieth time he described a women's breasts, I started really losing interest. The performance though is spot on and very well done. I recommend Sam Mannicom's "Into Africa" as a better, more captivating alternative to this book.

4 people found this helpful

Meh, it was not what I anticipated

Not at all what I was expecting. The book is more of a lifestyle diary than a Long Way Round tale about the difficulties of traveling on a motorcycle. Too much about the ancillary parties and after-hours action than the riding, the bike and the difficulties. It's probably right up the alley for some, but it just was not my cup of tea.

3 people found this helpful

When it was actually cool.

I first ran across this book in 2001, when I work at a bookstore that catered to Travelers.
This edition had Ted on his battered Triumph.
"Four Years Around the World on a Triumph"

I never picked it up to read but I often found myself staring at the cover wishing it was me. I knew at some point in my life I would read this book with the hopes of relating it to my own adventures...more importantly my own life.

15 years later, in the form of an MP3, that time came. Mr. Simon is a master of vivid and heartfelt description. His monumental journey has finally become a part of my imagination.

Thank you Jupiter.

2 people found this helpful

Intriguing and yet......

Would you say that listening to this book was time well-spent? Why or why not?

Yes but..... Doing other things at the same time lessens the intermittent discomfort.

What was the most interesting aspect of this story? The least interesting?

WHEN... he describes the riding and the bike and the roads... NOT when he goes on and on and on and on and on.....

Which scene was your favorite?

Wasn't one in particular

Could you see Jupiter's Travels being made into a movie or a TV series? Who should the stars be?

Yes definitely. It should be and why hasn't it been already. Either Ewen McGreggor or Charlie Boorman.

Any additional comments?

I can appreciate a man who really gets into his work. I can also appreciate a man who doesn't apply that passion with such arrogance that he feels the needs to push it in your face every chance they get. Ted Simons was a journalist, a writer and one who has a great appreciation for the written word. While I appreciate that and admire that. Mr. Simon got a tad wordy and at times drafted a rather boorish story. At times it seemed as though he forgot what he was writing about, which was... riding a motorcycle around the world. Instead at times, the author treated it like "I traveled around the world, met people, ate weird food, fell in love, lived in filth, among filth and oh yes... there was a motorcycle." The best part of the book was the last chapter as he neared his destination. There he remembered he was on a motorcycle and that was the key part of the journey. The motorcycle. That is what I wanted to hear about. The roads, the ride, the bike. That's what the last chapter gave me, just what I wanted.
I admit I felt a bit melancholy as the book ended, but it was the last chapter that gave that to me. Don't get me wrong, it is a great true story, one that could have been told a bit differently, but a good story.

2 people found this helpful

Enjoyable

Two quotes from the book that I loved, "Was it an escape I was trying to turn into legend?" and, "Stifled by the boredom of it but with nothing useful to say to anyone."
There were times during this book that I was lost in the sensationalism and the colorful writing style. Traveling around the world alone for 4 years is an interesting topic and this book is worth a listen. I will admit it felt put on at times, not like a journal of the journey but like a novel but that did not detract from my enjoyment.

1 person found this helpful

A timeless and unexpected treasure.

Having recently acquired a Triumph 800XCC, I've been seeking a book that would give me an introduction to what a potential journey-big or small might look like.
I must admit, I purposely avoided this book initially as I felt that surely, it would be dated. Without question, it is not. This book will stoke the inner fire of adventure for any motorcyclist.
It reenforces the dying concept of human interaction and the willingness to help and give to others without seeking anything in return.
I would highly recommend the audio version as the English accent of the narrator only adds validity to the story and it is quite easy and appealing to imagine it is the voice of Ted Simon.

1 person found this helpful

Amazing

Amazing book!!!!
This is a book everyone should read, and I think was amazing for sure

Most likely the best motorcycle travel log ever written

Written along time ago while I was still in college I read it back then when it first came out. And just listen to it through my intercom system today on a long distance motorcycle trip. Little bit freaky in that I crashed just at the time that I listen to Ted crash. Towards the end of the book. As I pulled up to my hotel tonight for the last time after having dinner the book came to an end just as I placed the key to my room into the door. Coincidence yes metaphor absolutely. If you love to travel. If you’re open minded about people you meet along the way. If you’re a wanderer not trust a tourist and/or if you love motorcycles you will love this book.