A Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a Boy Soldier

Book Description

My new friends have begun to suspect I haven’t told them the full story of my life.
“Why did you leave Sierra Leone?”
“Because there is a war.”
“You mean, you saw people running around with guns and shooting each other?”
“Yes, all the time.”
“Cool.”
I smile a little.
“You should tell us about it sometime.”
“Yes, sometime.”

This is how wars are fought now: by children, hopped-up on drugs and wielding AK-47s. Children have become soldiers of choice. In the more than fifty conflicts going on worldwide, it is estimated that there are some 300,000 child soldiers. Ishmael Beah used to be one of them.

What is war like through the eyes of a child soldier? How does one become a killer? How does one stop? Child soldiers have been profiled by journalists, and novelists have struggled to imagine their lives. But until now, there has not been a first-person account from someone who came through this hell and survived.

In A Long Way Gone, Beah, now twenty-five years old, tells a riveting story: how at the age of twelve, he fled attacking rebels and wandered a land rendered unrecognizable by violence. By thirteen, he’d been picked up by the government army, and Beah, at heart a gentle boy, found that he was capable of truly terrible acts.

This is a rare and mesmerizing account, told with real literary force and heartbreaking honesty.

Customer Reviews:

Enlightening........2007-10-03

I think this is a wonderful book, so moving and beautifully written that you wonder how a person can manage to lead a "normal" life after experiencing what he has been through. The author tells the story matter-of-factly without whining or complaining about the hand he's been dealt. Because of this, it makes the story even more impressive.

Not just a good read, a book that enlightens is a must-read.

Fantastic book. Recommend for all ages!.......2007-10-02

This book is truly amazing. It is almost unbelievable to read about the lives of people like Ishmael, but it's true, and it's happening today. Yes, in some parts it is certainly hard to read, but it's worth it. It is better to be shocked and scarred by this book than ignorant to it. Ishmael is a wonderfully optimistic person, and I think we can all learn a lot from his courage. In his own words, Ishmael is not an expert on the history of Sierra Lione, but by putting a face and name to this story, you will still learn a lot from him! I recommend this book to anyone and everyone!

Easy to read, hard to digest.......2007-10-02

I read this book on my flight to D.C. a couple of months ago. It was probably the fastest I have ever read a book. It was very easy to understand and painted an incredibly vivid picture in my mind. The content is important and the way Beah wrote his story makes it accessible to all.

Painful but Poignant.......2007-09-27

This book is not for the fainthearted who wants a feel good story; this is tough book to read, however, it is an important book to read as well. So often us here in the west are isolated from the fact that there are tough places to live on this planet, places where people are forced to do unspeakable acts and are exposed to unimaginable acts of violence.
This book takes on the voyage of a young man named Ishmael, who lived in the war torn country of Sierra Leone. His life is completely turned upside down by the civil war in that country. Ishmaels story is first a story of losing his family, than of losing his innocence as he is forced to fight for the Countries Army that's fighting the "rebels". After that the story focuses on his rehabilitation in a place called Freetown and eventually his new life in the United States (although I would like to know more about how he is today).
The most amazing part of this story as an American who simply didn't understand the truth, is that this Ishmael was 12 years old and was killing people, not because he was an animal, but because he was drugged and forced to become one merely to survive. This is a concept that as westerners we look on and go oh that's too bad, but do we really take the time to understand that this happens all the time in the same world we live in? Do we take the time to understand that there is big world out there and for the most part it isn't that safe little havens we take for granted? I challenge anyone who reads this book to be able to look at the world the same again.

A must read.......2007-09-26

This book is very graphic in its detail of events. It will put you right there on the front line and in the eyes of danger. I felt as though I was there experiencing all that he had. Then again I could never imagine experiencing all that he did. Its a touching story that will bring back to reality on the issues that have been going on for ages.

Average customer rating:

I wouldn't be wanting to throw myself off the roof, not for a while...
A Long Read
Clearly opaque
Didn't want to put it down
Four at death's roof.

A Long Way Down
Nick Hornby
Manufacturer: Riverhead Trade
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 1594481938

Book Description

The exhilarating New York Times bestseller from the author of High Fidelity, About a Boy, and How to Be Good.

Customer Reviews:

I wouldn't be wanting to throw myself off the roof, not for a while..........2007-09-16

It has been about three years since I read a piece of fiction, excepting Michael Chabon's controversiarly titled The Final Solution: A Story of Detection (P.S.) which my friend Holly thrust upon me late last year. Maybe I burnt out from reading Infinite Jest or maybe because I just didn't think I had time to read things that would not "teach me anything." I'm not sure. Anyway, I vowed that after I finished Michael Stelzner's Writing White Papers: How to Capture Readers and Keep Them Engaged that I would read some piece of fiction on our shelf. There is plenty since the wife goes through about a book a week.

Anyway, having loved High Fidelity: A Novel (doesn't every ex-dj/record junkie) and Fever Pitch (doesn't every Arsenal fan) I thought A Long Way Down might be the perfect read. I could not have been more right.

JJ, a failed musician Jess, a failed human, Martin, a philandering ex-TV host, and Maureen, a tortured mother, could not be more different, yet very much the same. Each has their own reason for wanting to end their life. None is trivial yet none is, ultimately, worth making the ultimate sacrifice for.

Through the course of the book we get to learn all of the ins and outs of each character, what brought them to the brink and what, if anything, can keep them from going over it.

Although I will tell that, ultimately, this is an uplifting story that anyone who is thinking of suicide should read, it is hard to talk about the plot without giving much away so, instead, let me tell what else makes this book special:

Nick Hornby's writing style is warm and conversational. Since many of his books have been made into movies, you can almost see how this would work on the big screen (and other than length, I don't think it would need to be changed much). His postmodern style can not help but make you laugh (or, in the case of him mentioning one of my favorite books, Richard Ford's The Sportswriter, proud) and connect you to the real world. His ability to set you down in London, and make you believe these characters are real people, is almost journalistic in nature.

I have too many great feelings and thoughts about the book to do a review justice. Having just finished the last page, coming in off the balcony - during a beautiful football Sunday - and straight to the computer probably was not the smartest idea I have had but that is how much I liked this book. Highly recommended and made me feel good and, to quote from the book, "I wanted to hang on to that for as long as possible."

If you are a non-fiction reader like me and are worried that you'll be carrying this around for months, fret not. It is the type of book you will happily tear through in a few days. Great stuff. Enjoy.

A Long Read.......2007-08-18

This is my first and last Hornby book. It was slow to get through and when I finished I felt letdown. Only one character came anywhere near to being interesting.

Clearly opaque.......2007-08-07

I found this book to be well thought out, and the dialouge to be intriguing. However, the characters seemed out of touch, and a tad dull. Perhaps that's the point.

Didn't want to put it down.......2007-08-06

Nick Hornby writes in a way that is captivating. He tells a tale that about four people that want to kill themselves, but somehow he manages to make it funny. I chuckled out loud a few times, and that's not something you would expect when reading a book about suicide.

Four at death's roof........2007-08-04

A 2007 summer reading list mini review.

Not since Life is Beautiful have I seen humor venture forth from such an inexplicable source. In Life is beautiful, a father creates a circus like atmosphere in the midst of a death camp. In A Long Way Down, Nick Hornby brings four disparate characters embroiled in their own death camps together and turns their lives into a circus act. He milks humor from such unlikely topics as suicide, teen drug use, severe disabilities, and illegal sexual acts. It is the equivalent of making delicious lemonade from coal.

Making Divorce Easier on Your Child: 50 Effective Ways to Help Children Adjust

Average customer rating:

helpful for parents
Good Overview
Excellent book!!!
Such a huge help!

Making Divorce Easier on Your Child: 50 Effective Ways to Help Children Adjust
Nicholas Long , and Rex L. Forehand
Manufacturer: McGraw-Hill
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Social Sciences | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

Divorce | Family Relationships | Parenting & Families | Subjects | Books

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Accessories:

ASIN: 0809294192

Book Description

From the bestselling authors of Parenting the Strong-Willed Child, expert strategies and action steps for divorcing parents

While there are many trade books on children and divorce, most tend to be filled with extensive discussions of the psychological impact on children, with little effective advice. You want immediate answers and quick access to expert strategies you can use to help your kids today and in the future. Making Divorce Easier on Your Child arms you with 50 effective strategies and action steps for helping your kids cope with divorce, packaged in a convenient, quick-bite format. It is based on the authors' years of clinical experience dealing with the children of divorce, as well as their extensive research into the causes and cures of divorce-related emotional problems.

"Informative and sensible, offering realistic, clear-cut recommendations."

Robert Brooks, Ph.D., Faculty, Harvard Medical School, and coauthor of Raising Resilient Children

Download Description

Customer Reviews:

helpful for parents.......2006-03-01

As a professional counselor, I was interested in specific ideas on helping parents & children of divorce. This book had some very concrete ideas. It is aimed at parents, written in 'plain-speak'. There's nothing new or eath-shaking here, but it is a pretty all-inclusive little book for parents interested in helping their children deal with the issue of divorce.

Good Overview.......2005-07-12

It's a good overview, but I needed more situational type information. How to work through the tough disagreements with a spouse who is unwilling to meet on common ground. How to deal with younger children and how it impacts them. I did take away some good advice, but most of the book is common sense.

Excellent book!!!.......2002-06-26

This book has been an invaluable resource. It provides very useful suggestions and is a must buy for any family undergoing a divorce or those professionals working with divorced families.

Such a huge help!.......2002-06-26

Making Divorce Easier on Your Child is a great resource for parents who are divorcing. It provides clear and simple solutions to sticky situations and common-sense advice for parents who are going through a divorce or who have already divorced. I highly recommend it.

A Long Way From Chicago (Puffin Modern Classics)

Average customer rating:

A Heart Warming and Delightful Tale
Engaging story, flawless narration
Sweet as Gooseberry Pie
A Wonderful Story
Fantastic Book

A Long Way From Chicago (Puffin Modern Classics)
Richard Peck
Manufacturer: Puffin
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Ages 9-12 | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 0142401102

Book Description

Join Joey and his sister Mary Alice as they spend nine unforgettable summers with the worst influence imaginable—their grandmother!

Customer Reviews:

A Heart Warming and Delightful Tale.......2007-10-11

Joey and Mary Alice Dowdel are sent "to the sticks" each summer for a week.Their parents say that they are old enough to spend time with their grandmother; Mary Alice suspects they want to have time to themselves. Each chapter in this book features a different week spanning a time period from the late 1920's to the early 1930's. Grandma is gruff and no-nonsense; and she also has a heart of gold. This delightful unabridged spoken word title is a book that the entire family will enjoy.

Engaging story, flawless narration.......2007-10-08

My 8-year old daughter and I listened to the audiobook version of A Long Way From Chicago and absolutely loved it. The stories are hilarious and heartwarming, and I have never heard such perfect narration on an audiobook before. The characters ring true, and each story has enough twists and turns to keep the reader guessing until the final (and often crazy)ending.

Despite the wide difference in our ages we were both sad when it ended. We could have listened to many more chapters! We did listen to the sequel A Year Down Yonder and also give it two thumbs up, though we liked the narration for this book more.

I probably wouldn't recommend this for a reader much younger than 9 or 10 (I had to explain some of the stories to my daughter as we were going along), but for any age above that, I don't think you can miss with this one. Bravo!

Sweet as Gooseberry Pie.......2007-09-10

Richard Peck's "A Long Way from Chicago" is a sweet tale. Joe & Mary Alice visit their Grandma Dowdel for a week each summer. Grandma is not the touchy-feely kind of grandma. Although she's very nice to her grandchildren, she does not have great patience for stupidity. In this small Illinois town where everybody wants to mind everybody else's business, there's plenty of stupidity to go around. While we never meet their parents, the two children live in Chicago. We get snippets of what life is like in the big city, particularly an account of the death of the outlaw John Dillinger. Grandma seems to know how to manage situations very well. Her revenge on the Cowgill boys who blow up her mailbox is as hilarious as it is unexpected. The summer Grandma takes the kids to fish on private property and witnesses the big town officials running around drunk at the club is also very funny. My favorite episode is the one where Grandma enters her gooseberry pie in the county fair contest. The sweetly understated moral is that if you just believe in yourself, you're likely to get farther ahead than if you try to cheat. Richard Peck does a nice job tying these threads together to create an excellent and touching reading experience. Enjoy!

A Wonderful Story.......2007-08-06

I really enjoyed this book because it was funny and I felt like I was with all the characters experiencing their life from 1929-1942. I think it would make a great movie.

This is the story of Grandma, Mary Alice and Joey every August between 1929-1942. Each chaptter, told from Joey's memories, is about Mary Alice and Joey's visits to Grandmas small town. However, Grandma is far from small in personality. Grandma is not a people person. She is rather peculiar and odd.

My favorite part was the chapter during the summer of 1935. Grandma told one of her usual whoppers about a phantom breakman. Grandma tells many whoppers, which are really funny. These whoppers she tells help to get her out of conversations with people she is not interested in speaking with, people from her small town. The breakman was supposedly a man who worked on the train tracks and was hit by two trains crashing head on. Grandma said he still comes around and on some nights you can see a light in the fog which is supposedly him. I loved this part because it was terrifying but exciting to read. I also liked this part because you couldn't tell if it was one of grandmas whoppers or a true ghost story. It reminded me about a book I read at my Grandma's house in Delaware. This book is called the Ghost stories of the Delaware Coast.

I would recommend this book to people of all ages, 9 -adult. I liked it because it made me feel like I was with Mary Alice and Joey at Grandmas every August. I am looking forward to reading the sequal called A Year Down Yonder.

Fantastic Book.......2007-07-15

This book is fantastic--I read it with my son and we both were overwhelmed at the end. His Grandmother lives in a town where a train travels through 4 times a day. What an incredible journey this book took the two of us on. We read "A Year Down Yonder" first, and then because we liked that one so much, we read this one. I honestly enjoyed the 2nd book more. My son could not put this book down.

Long Way Round: Chasing Shadows Around the World: The Illustrated Edition

Average customer rating:

Awesome !
A vicarious adventure
Save your money
A joke: Rich boys followed around the world by BCC
Beautiful story, beautiful photos

Long Way Round: Chasing Shadows Around the World: The Illustrated Edition
Ewan Mcgregor , and Charley Boorman
Manufacturer: Little Brown Book Group Limited
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Photography | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 0316731706

Book Description

Poring over a map one day, Ewan McGregor—film star and bike nut—noticed it was possible to ride all the way around the world, with just one short hop across the Bering Strait. So he called Charley Boorman, his best friend, fellow actor, and bike nut. From London to New York, Ewan and Charley rode their BMWs through Europe, the Ukraine, Kazakhstan, Mongolia and Russia, across the Pacific to Alaska, then down through Canada and America. Exhaustion, injury, and accidents tested their strength, as did treacherous roads and weather. They were pursued by paparazzi in Kazakhstan, courted by men with guns in the Ukraine, and served bulls' testicles for supper by Mongolian nomads. Yet despite the many obstacles, they managed to ride over 20,000 miles in four months. As they traveled, they documented their trip, taking photos and writing diaries.

Customer Reviews:

Awesome !.......2006-12-15

What an awesome book, recording an awesome experience. As a biker myself, I was attracted to the book just to read about a trip that is beyond my means and abilities, but the book ended up meaning much more than that to me. It showed me, yet again, that wherever you go in the world (And I've travelled a fair bit of it myself in my work as a seafarer !) people everywhere are just people like you and I, when you get past the religious, political and economic differences that can so often divide us. It also highlights the fact that people who make a living in the film industry are not necessarily unapproachable, self centred and addicted to adulation. They can be warm, human and prone to the same joys, fears and desires as the rest of us. In short, they are human beings who just happen to have a good job. This is not just a good read about a motor bike trip of a lifetime, it is a book that rekindles hope that the world, and its varied people, is a beautiful place after all, and not half as dangerous as some would have us believe. Whether you're a biker, an armchair traveller or just someone looking for an exciting and inspiring read, then this book is for you. I can't praise it highly enough.

A vicarious adventure.......2006-11-11

Long Way Round chronicles the around-the-world motorcycle adventure of Charley Boorman and Ewan McGregor. It's unlikely I'll ever do anything like that in my life, but the book gave me an idea of what it's like. Both of them are entertaining writers and it was a really inspiring book. A great tale of taking an adventure and making it a dream come true; of friendship; and of overcoming obstacles. A great companion to the dvd set.

Save your money.......2006-05-26

I couldn't wait to get this book. It sounded like a great story of adventure across several continents. After the first chapter I deeply regreted my purchase. What had great potential turned out to be two guys boasting about their popularity and how it was going to be difficult being celebrities. Maybe it's just me, but I wouldn't know them at all, despite their numerous references to the movies they've been in. I thought I was getting a book about the challenges of travel abroad and pictures of these places. What I got was a book with too many pictures of the authors, weak stories of the places they stayed in and the food they ate.

A joke: Rich boys followed around the world by BCC.......2006-05-20

This adventure pales beside the great round the world books on motorcyle like One Man Caravan by Robert Edison Fulton or Jupiter's Travels by Ted Simon. There is little sense of real adventure with this banal travel chronology. A major support team follows closely on the tails of these guys who over packed, offer little insight to local cultures, and the worse challenge they face is eating food that they don't normally eat. Surely, the BCC could afford to have the book ghost written for them to improve the interest.

Beautiful story, beautiful photos.......2006-04-13

This is the illustrated version of the amazing story of two friends traveling around the world together. It is a demonstration of the will of individuals to make it to their goal. More importantly it is also an illustration of the generosity, the kindness, the sadness, the humor and the beauty they found along the way. You don't have to be interested in motorcycles, you don't even have to care who Ewan McGregor and Charley Boorman are! Its just a great tale of two people and an adventure.

As wonderful as it is to read the story, you must also get the dvd. It is as close as most of us will ever get to these amazing locations, and you couldn't ask for better guides!

The Long Way to a New Land (I Can Read Book 3)

Average customer rating:

Excellent for the Classroom

The Long Way to a New Land (I Can Read Book 3)

Manufacturer: HarperTrophy
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Ages 4-8 | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 0064441008

Book Description

"We will go to America!"

It is 1868, and Carl Erik's family faces starvation in Sweden. As their hopes fade, they must endure a journey over land and sea to reach a better life in a new country thousands of miles away.

Customer Reviews:

Excellent for the Classroom.......2000-08-03

The Long Way to a New Land and The Long Way Westward are companion books that chronicle a family's journey from their Swedish farm, which is suffering from an extended drought, to a new home in Minnesota. The books describe the difficulty and dangers of the journey in a way that is non-complaining and full of optimism for a new life in America. Teachers, these books are wonderful for integrating with other subjects and topics, such as immigration, westward expansion, steamships, trains, geography, and American life in the 1860s.

Average customer rating:

Dwight Yoakam's 12 years of words
dwight yoakam the hillbilly king
Elegance in simplicity
A Long Way Home: Twelve Years of Words by Dwight Yoakam
Last Chance for a Thousand years

A Long Way Home: Twelve Years of Words
Dwight Yoakam
Manufacturer: Hyperion
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Music | Entertainment | Subjects | Books

General | Poetry | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

ASIN: 0786865148

Book Description

Singer, songwriter, actor, and superstar Dwight Yoakam is one of North Americas most talented performers. Known for his distinctive singing style, he has helped bring country music to a wider and hipper audience. And his roles in such unforgettable films as Red Rock West, Sling Blade, and The Newton Boys have garnered accolades from film critics.

Customer Reviews:

Dwight Yoakam's 12 years of words.......2007-04-12

Dwight, please give us another 20 years of words.

dwight yoakam the hillbilly king.......2005-10-04

dwight yoakam has always been my favorite rockabilly, and he will always be. this is a great book and yes a must have. love the lyrics, even knowing i have the lyrics already on his cd's i still love the book a worth haveing if youre a fan of dwight yoakam's. worth every penny. a happy fan

Elegance in simplicity.......2001-05-26

Dwight Yoakam does not write complex lyrics. What he writes are lyrics of deep emotion and unsurpassed longing. Without the twang-and-swing of his honky-tonk melodies, these songs are reduced to their bared bones, stripped and displayed in all their anguish and despair. From the straightforward "It won't hurt when I fall down from this barstool; it won't hurt when I stumble in the street; it won't hurt 'cause this whiskey eases misery; but even whiskey cannot ease your hurting me" to the more thought-provoking "Don't look inside, don't look there, 'cause you might find yourself somewhere, walking around lost and alone, without one clue that it's a long way home" Dwight speaks to the heart and the mind, and to deeper emotions.

"Twelve Years of Words" is printed as a simple, straightforward book of poetry, introduced with Dwight's eloquent, thoughtful prose. It is true that anyone who has the CDs already has the lyrics, printed on each CD insert. But there is a beauty in this presentation, all of his poems gathered together into one slim little volume without the music. I'm very much hoping that, in time, there will be "Twenty Years of Words" and it will be updated as he continues to write those simple, elegant, words.

A Long Way Home: Twelve Years of Words by Dwight Yoakam.......2000-09-18

I saw this book in the public library, and I knew I had to have a copy of my own. Yoakam was reared in Columbus, Ohio, where I live, and I think he is the freshest talent in music in any genre. His lyrics are simple and direct and tell wonderful stories; it's as if he can look into everyone else's hearts when it comes to differing emotions. I am a fan of this man's music, and he's a great actor, too. I appreciate that he has not sold himself to pop music like other country stars -- but then again, I don't consider him a country star. He's carved a niche of his own. Bless you, Dwight, and your mom (she still lives here!).

Last Chance for a Thousand years.......1999-11-27

I have every CD Dwight Yokham has ever put out, plus ever video clip he sings on CMT, and I would love nothing better to come to the States to hear him sing live in concert, as I have recently discovered I am terminally ill and there is no cure or treatment for my disease, as it so rare. I will keep on watching CMT to get as much as Dwight Yokahm as I can before this dreadful disease claims me, and then when I get to heaven I am going to ask God to put CMT on in heaven, so I can still listen to him up there. I am 46, happily married with 2 children, Tamara who is 26 and simon who is 24 and getting married on Easter Sunday next year, and hopefully, I will still be around until then.

Book Description

It started as a daydream. Poring over a map of the world at home one quiet Saturday afternoon, Ewan McGregor -- acclaimed 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 his fellow actor-slash-biker friend Charley Boorman and told him it was time to hit the road....

Long Way Round

Beginning in London, Ewan and Charley chased their shadows through Europe, the Ukraine, Kazakhstan, Mongolia, and Russia; across the Pacific to Alaska; then down through Canada all the way to New York. Long Way Round is the result of their four-month, 20,000-mile joyride. Featuring original diary entries, travel maps, mileage charts, and dozens of photographs, this is a freewheeling, fully charged, and uproariously entertaining book about two world-famous individuals who chose the road not taken...and made the journey worthwhile.

Download Description

"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 Charley Boorman, his best friend, fellow actor and bike enthusiast. 'Charley,' he said. 'I think you ought to come over for dinner...' From London to New York, Ewan and Charley chased their shadows through Europe, the Ukraine, Kazakhstan, Mongolia and Russia, across the Pacific to Alaska, then down through Canada and America. But as the miles slipped beneath the tyres of their big BMWs, their troubles started. Exhaustion, injury and accidents tested their strength. Treacherous roads, unpredictable weather and turbulent politics challenged their stamina. They were chased by paparazzi in Kazakhstan, courted by men with very large guns in the Ukraine, hassled by the police, and given bulls' testicles for supper by Mongolian nomads. And yet despite all these obstacles they managed to ride over 20,000 miles in four months, changing their lives forever in the process. As they travelled they documented their trip, taking photographs, and writing diaries by the campfire. Long Way Round is the result of their adventures - a fascinating, frank and highly entertaining travel book about two friends riding round the world together and, against all the odds, realising their dream. "

Customer Reviews:

Close to perfect, but no cigar........2007-10-06

Good account of the trip. Photos and diagrams are very important features, it could however have more of both.

Long Way Round: Chasing our egos..........2007-10-03

As a guy who wakes up everyday, goes to work, comes home with more work and less time for his own children, I was really looking forward to some genuine escape, some interesting descriptions, epiphanies, maybe even insights into life on a bike traveling around the world. What I got was a couple of "priveleged blokes" to borrow a previous reviewers description, who really do nothing but whine about missing their families, complain about being uneasy in a crowd, and who really say nothing about the geography or culture they encounter.
I would give my eye-teeth for a new 1200GS Adventure, with a "full-kit," I settled on a book about it and doubt I'll even finish it - these guys bore me to death...

Very good companion piece..........2007-09-04

I loved the show when I saw it on Bravo, but thought, "More than this has to have happened on a 4 month trip!"

And so it did.

I'm particularly fond of the first person voice from BOTH men. Ewan seemed on the show to be just a little to consciously charming, while Charlie seemed to be something of a cry-baby--which I'm sure was a bit of a conscious choice on the part of the editors of the show.

The book gives a much fuller picture of the situations they encountered, and proves a much more rounded picture of both these fellows. And because I read the book before I watched the DVD's of the show again, it even made the shows more enjoyable.

All in all, I hope they do another book for their ride 'Down!'

Decent.......2007-06-19

This book was pretty good. I enjoyed it because it was about a motorcycle trip around the world. However, beause Ewan and Charlie are so privileged it was dificult to care about some of their problems. For, instance it was hard to sympathize for them when they were having difficulties getting someone to pay for the trip for them. Then after they get a movie deal to pay for the trip, they complain about how the movie production cramps their style. It really seems like they wanted their cake and wanted to eat it too. They could have just maned up and paid for it themselves, then they wouldn't have any problems of the support crew cramping their style. Similarly, when they had to cross a border, they had someone else take care of all the problems for them and were able to sit back and rest.

I did enjoy reading about some of the remote parts of the world and how they had to overcome some of the obstacles on their own. I think this book is worth reading, but I would reccomend getting it from the library.

Great Story.......2007-02-12

An excellent tale about a long motorcycle trip. Must read for bikers and those who wish they were. If you ever wanted to take a long trip off the beaten path, this book will either push in the right direction, or keep you on the sofa.

Average customer rating:

The 1960s: Rise of the Anti-Hero
The best sailing book I've ever been given!
Good Hope and Beyond
Long Way vs Godforsaken Sea vs Sea of Dreams
Best sailing book ever!!!

The Long Way
Bernard Moitessier
Manufacturer: Sheridan House
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0924486848

Book Description

The Long Way is Bernard Moitessier's incredible story of his participation in the first Golden Globe Race, a solo, non-stop circumnavigation rounding the three great Capes of Good Hope, Leeuwin, and the Horn. For seven months, the veteran seafarer battled storms, doldrums, gear failures, and knock-downs, as well as overwhelming fatigue and loneliness. Then, nearing the finish with victory in hand, Moitessier suddenly pulled out of the race and sailed on. His 37,455-mile journey continued for another three months, finally ending in Tahiti. Never once in all that time had he touched land.

Customer Reviews:

The 1960s: Rise of the Anti-Hero.......2007-04-30

Moitessier's tale is a tale of the 1960s - of spirituality, of anti-commcercialsm, of anti-estasblishment, of yoga, of nature. Sailing solo tends to bring out one's deepest fears - understandably. Fortunately for Moitessier, he was a spiritual man, in tune with his times. And his times were all about the Anti-Hero, Man Against Machine, where winning is not an objective anymore, survival is.

So when Bernard said 'the hell with your prize and money', he shocked the world and sailed on to immortality. Note that another member of the contest, Donald Crowhurst (please read Donald Hall's classic), harboured different fears - which conspired against his sanity, resulting in suicide.

Read this book: it'll give you insights into sailing and the soul.

The best sailing book I've ever been given!.......2006-07-26

Bernard Moitessier was one of the best sailors of his time, if not the best. This book is his viewpoint of the very first solo race around the globe- a race he didn't truly believe was a race, but a quest. The narrative is wonderful-at turns technical, emotional, spiritual-and even (as other reviewers note) what could be described as "mystical." The book was written from notes during the voyage, and it is easy to see-if not to feel, snug as we are in our chairs on dry land- the mental strain it put on him. The ending is the full realization of the quest; and Moitessier went deep inside himself, out on the deep blue sea. If you have even a vague interest in sailing and ships, read this book. If you love sailing passionatey, why haven't you read "The Long Way" yet??

Good Hope and Beyond.......2005-11-16

It's occasionally difficult to remember that Moitessier's memoir of the first Golden Globe singlehanded sail circumnavigation back in 1968 even concerns a race. From the outset, Moitessier enraptures himself and enraptures the reader in a tale of man alone finding his own inner compass. Virtually all prose-poem, THE LONG WAY skitters off the edge of the mundane into a realm of sometimes numinous interior dialogue, but it holds the reader's attention throughout.

Moitessier entered the Round The World Race presumably to win, but he spends far more time communing with the seabirds and listening to the wave patterns on his boat, JOSHUA's hull than in dedicated yacht racing. In the end, Moitessier decided not to sail back to his starting point, but went on to Tahiti on the next step of his inner voyage.

THE LONG WAY is particularly interesting to read in juxtaposition with THE STRANGE LAST VOYAGE OF DONALD CROWHURST (Crowhurst went mad and simply stepped off his boat into the sea), and Robin Knox-Johnston's A WORLD OF MY OWN. Johnston prosaically suffered the miseries of a diet of canned bully beef, and a constant nervous but impeccably British Imperial xenophobic dread of how "The Frog" was doing. He wanted to be the winner, and was.

It's clear that Moitessier could have cared less what Knox-Johnston or the others were doing. JOSHUA is his private garden, and he invites us in to sample its mysteries. His Zen-like approach is more understandable when one realizes that he was French in parentage but raised in Indochina. A calm, accepting Buddhist tone glows throughout this book. If indeed Moitessier went mad (as some say he did) his madness was a doorway to spiritual peace, and not, like Crowhurst's, to sorrow and death.

Moitessier takes us THE LONG WAY toward beauty, value, and the validation of ourselves in what is, after all, a vast and playful universe.

Long Way vs Godforsaken Sea vs Sea of Dreams.......2005-08-14

Just a great book - the zen of solo racing! It's interesting to read Robin Knox Johnson's book A World of my Own and compare the two. Knox Johnson is certainly courageous and dogged, but one wonders even though he won, who's the bestt sailor. Wonder whether he should have left the brandy and other tipples at home...Also can't imagine swimming under my boat in the Southern Ocean without a lifeline...
Derek Lundy's Godforsaken Sea about the 96 Vendee is also among my favourites. Almost a thriller in its recounting of that race. Another good one about the 2002 Around Alone, which Knox Johnson now runs, is Sea of Dreams by Adam Mayers. It follows the 3 Americans and 2 Canadians in the small boat fleet. A terrific tale especially since Brad Van Liew won in such convincing style and the Canadian Hatfield became the story of the race when he rolled over at the Horn - untethered! and not only survived but went on to finish. Unbelievable.
John Aubrey

Best sailing book ever!!!.......2005-02-05

This was one of the most inspiring books I've ever read. After speaking to many people about what good "adventure" books they'd read, many people recommended this one. I was impressed... The author is very good at putting the reader on the deck of the boat and really getting the reader involved with the story. It's hard to imagine sailing around the world much less doing it alone. I forgot I was reading non-fiction at times. I couldn't put the book down and recommend it as required reading for anyone of you adventure seekers out there.

The Long Way Westward (I Can Read Book 3)

Average customer rating:

Perfect for Unit Study of Pioneer Days
Excellent for the Classroom

The Long Way Westward (I Can Read Book 3)

Manufacturer: HarperTrophy
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0064441989

Book Description

This lively sequel to The Long Way to a New Land follows the fortunes of Carl Erik's family from New York City to the farmlands of Minnesota. "Historically accurate; will attract competent primary-grade readers and will be equally suitable for less able readers in intermediate grades." —SLJ.

1990 The USA Through Children's Books (ALA)
Children's Books of 1989 (Library of Congress)
1989 Children's Books (NY Public Library)

Customer Reviews:

Perfect for Unit Study of Pioneer Days.......2006-04-27

This sequel to The Long Way to a New Land was the perfect choice for our family's unit study about the Westward Expansion. My first grader was able to read aloud easily, and my four year old was able to comprehend the story well when read to. The characters (Carl Erik, Jonas, and their family) are easy for children to connect to. With so many books written about this period featuring girls as the main characters, it was refreshing to offer my son interesting male characters.

Excellent for the Classroom.......2000-08-03

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