When I was a child I remember thinking that a year was an interminable length of time. The distance from one Christmas to the next was longer than a year. It was eons. Eons times infinity. Maybe it wasn’t that bad. But the length of time far exceeded my patience.
But now I must be reaching the other end of the aging spectrum, but I feel some level of “the opposite” about how quickly time moves. Days and weeks go by in a blur. Months are gone much too quickly. New seasons and years are on my doorstep before I realize it. Christmas is no exception.
So now that it’s less than two months to Christmas, I had better start thinking about gifts and holiday plans before I forget. Because a second from now it will already be here.
My best friend Heather gave me a piece of wisdom 20 years ago, which I suspect she received from her wise and oh-so-brilliant-and-creative mother, Sharon. Instead of giving gifts for the holidays, she suggested I consider giving “experiences”. Some experiences were mine to have alone, and others included her so we had the chance to have new memories together. She once gave me tickets to a play. And one year she bought me scuba diving lessons so we could dive together on one of our annual vacations. I loved the idea. Most people don’t need another tchotchke or scarf anyway.
I’ve tried to use Heather’s suggestion with the gifts that I give. My sister, niece, stepmom and I go for pedicures each year instead of giving birthday gifts. I took Heather to see Anthony Bourdain speak as a gift. Etc. Etc. But experiences can also be physical things, at least in my opinion. I like giving a puzzle or game to my friends – so they can interact with other people through those gifts. One of my favorite “experience” gifts is the gift of a book.
A book can be a doorway to an entirely different world, a temporary portal to an adventurous escape, a way to feed your curiosity, or a platform for a new way living that can even help you shift your reality in a new direction. Books can be some of the best gifts.
When I was thinking about traveling long distance by motorcycle more than a decade ago, a friend suggested a book or two by people who had already done it. I picked up Into Africa by Sam Manicom and Lois on the Loose by Lois Pryce. First, I have to ackowledge that both of these authors are INCREDIBLE wordsmiths. They bring you out onto the road with them on their motorcycle journeys. You share their highs and lows and leave the story wanting an adventure of your own. Both books came highly recommended, and both exceeded my expectations. Enough so that I bought a dual sport bike and hit the road full time for two years, which is why this blog even exists. But anyhoo….
Six years ago I created a post to share some of the best motorcycle travel books I had on my shelf. I’ve since responded to countless discussions and requests for recommendations of great reads. In the process I’ve discovered a lot of great new reads for myself. I’m always on the hunt for a new moto travel book. So when a friend offered to share his list of moto travel authors, I said “Yes, PLEASE!”
What follows is a list of travel and moto travel authors and books, thanks to the generosity of international motorcycle traveler Nigel Grace. I’ve added a handful of books to his list. Of course whether or not you like a book is a matter of personal taste. Hopefully some of the books on this list might prove to be a perfect Christmas gift for yourself or someone you know. Someone gets a great gift, and an author gets a little bit of a boost before the holiday. Win-win.
My favorite authors include: Sam Manicom, Lois Pryce, Ted Simon, Graham Field, Derek Mansfield, Elspeth Beard, Antonia Bolingbroke-Kent, Jacqui Furneaux, Jeremy Kroeker, Tim Notier, Steph Jeavons, Lawrence Bransby, Neil Peart, Dan Walsh, Geoff Hill, Shirley Hardy-Rix, Nathan Millward, Helen Lloyd, Chris Scott, Craig Carey-Clinch and Carla King. And I’m sure I’m forgetting someone good…I hate that.
As time allows (and it never does), I will try to update this blog with additional titles and working links to books and authors, if I can figure that out. But in the meantime, hopefully this will suffice to give you Google starting point for your own adventure down the rabbit-hole that is the internet.
Good luck and happy reading! (Or listening! Some of these books are available as audiobooks, so please check that out too.)
My personal faves:
Sam Manicom – Into Africa, Under Asian Skies, Distant Suns, Tortillas to Totems
Lois Pryce – Lois on the Loose, Red Tape and White Knuckles, Revolutionary Ride
Ted Simon – Jupiter’s Travels, Dreaming of Jupiter and others
Graham Field – In Search of Greener Grass, Ureka, Near Varna
Derek Mansfield – Notes from the Road Volume III, Notes from the Road Volume IV
Elspeth Beard – Lone Rider
Antonia Bolingbroke-Kent – Land of the Dawn-lit Mountains, A Short Ride in the Jungle, Tuk tuk to the Road
Jacqui Furneaux – Hit the Road, Jac!
Jeremy Kroeker – Motorcycle Therapy, Through Dust and Darkness, Motorcycle Messengers, Motorcycle Messengers 2
Tim Notier – 2 up and Overloaded
Steph Jeavons – Home by Seven
Lawrence Bransby – Two Fingers on the Jugular, The Wakhan Corridor, Venture into Russia, There are no Fat People in Morocco
Neil Peart – Ghost Rider, Far and Away
Dan Walsh – These are the Days That Must Happen to You
Geoff Hill – In Clancy’s Boots, The Road to Gobblers Knob, Anyway Where Was I, Way to Go
Shirley Hardy-Rix – Circle to Circle, The Long Way to Vladivostok
Nathan Millward – The Long Ride Home (also published as Going Postal), Adventures of Dorothy, Running Towards the Light
Helen Lloyd – Serow Saga, Desert Snow
Chris Scott – Adventure Motorcycling Handbook, Desert Biking, Desert Travels, Morocco Overland, The Street Riding Years
Craig Carey-Clinch – The Road to Mali
Carla King – American Borders, Stories from Elsewhere
Authors who are on my shopping list:
Adrian Scott – The Road Gets Better From Here
Airborne Andy – Alaska by Motorcycle
Ajit Harinsinghani – One Life to Ride
Alan Leduc – Passion in the Wind
Alan Whelan – Empire Road, Africa Brew Ha-Ha, The Black Stars of Ghana
Alec and Jan Forman – Strangers Like Angels
Alexandra Fefopoulou and Stergios Gogos – Rice and Dirt
Alfonse Palaima – Journey to the End of the World
Alison Delapp – Chaos in Harmony, How Far is North?
Allan Karl – Forks – A Quest for Culture, Cuisine and Connection
Anatoly Chernyavskiy – Between 2 Oceans
Andres Carstein – Odyssey to Ushuaia
Andrew Benfield – The Wrong Way Round
Andrew Pain – Going Small
Ara Gureghian – Freedom on Both Ends of the Leash
Austin Vince (Editor) – Mondo Enduro
Bill Dwyer – Anxiety Across the Americas
Billy Kerr – A Tale of Buddha and Bandits
Bob Goddard – Beyond Bucharest, Land of the Long Wild Road
Bob Woofter – Motorcycle Camping Made Easy
Bruce Smart – Live Your Life
C. K. Shepherd – Across America by Motorcycle
Carl Stearns Clancy – The Gasoline Tramp
Carlos CAggiani – Tracks and Horizons
Cathy Birchall and Bernard Smith – Touching the World
Charley Boorman – Race to Dakar
Chris Hardy – Motorcycle Touring
Chris Reese – Captain and the Starter Monkey
Chris Tharp – The Worst Motorcycle in Laos
Christian Brix – East to Zero, The Unseen Walls
Christopher Robert Finch – Motorcycle Wanderlust in Europe and North America
Colette Coleman – Great Motorcycle Tours of Europe, Greatest Motorcycle Adventure Tours
Connie Stambush – Untethered: A Woman’s Search for Self on the Edge of India
Craig Bourne – Philosophical Ridings
D.F. Campbell – Russian Rules
Dale Coyner – The Essentiual Guide to Motorcycle Travel
Dan Richards – Outpost
Danell Lynn – Philanthropic Wanderlust
Dave Barrett- Dodging Potholes
Dave Clarke – Pack Your Bags and Get Out
Dave Cornthwaite – Board Free
Dave Gorman – America Unchained
Dave Gurman and Simon Kewer – The Carin’ Sharin’ Chronicles
David Newman – Mongolia or Bust: A RTW Misadventure
Dawn Swift – Heading for the Hills
Debi Tolbert Duggar – Riding Soul-O
Dom Giles – Gone Riding
Dr. Pat Garrod – Bearback
Dr. Gregory W. Frazier – Everything You Need to Know About Motorcycle Touring
Dylan Samarawickrama and Martina Zuercher – When the Road Ends
Emilio Scotto – The Longest Ride
Eric Hansen – Motoring with Mohammed
Ernesto Che Guevara – The Motorcycle Diaries
Ewan McGregor and Charley Boorman – The Long Way Round, The Long Way Down
Geno Zanetti – She’s a Bad Motorcycle
Glen Heggstad – One More Day Everywhere, Two Wheels Through Terror
Gordon G. May – Overland to Egypt, Overland to Vietnam, Overland to India
Greg Turp – Two Up with a Pup
Heather Ellis – Ubuntu, Timeless on The Silk Road
Ian Mutch – Gandalf’s Garden, Harley to Mali, Looking for America, Low Rider, Riding the Beast
J.D. Hodges – Following the Front Wheel
Jacek Klimko – Living on the Road, Hitting the Road
Jack Grey – Those Two Idiots
Jill Maden – Excess Baggage: One Woman, One Bike and Lots of Luggage, Slow Rider
Jim Oliver – Lucielle and the XXX Road
Jo Rust – Woman Alone
John Bradshaw and Peter Henshaw – The Artful Bodger
Jon Herman – Motorcycle Journeys Through the Alps and Beyond
John Hillaby – Journey Through Britain
John McKay – One Brit, One Bike and One BIG Country
John Metzger – Motorcycling Through Midlife
Jonny Bealby – Running with the Moon, Silk Dreams Troubled Road
Kathleen Terner – Two-Wheeled Wind Therapy
Keith Jahans – Bike Traveling Man
Kevin Turner – Bonjour! Is This Italy
Lance Gines – Into the Horizon
Laurence Shelley – On Chance Road
Lawrence Hacking – To Dakar and Back
Lily Brooks-Dalton – Motorcycles I’ve Loved
Linda Bootherstone – Into Africa, Where Angels Fear to Tread
Linda Crill – Blind Curves
Liz Jansen – Crash Landing: The Long Road Home, Women Motorcycles and the Road to Empowerment
Lorraine Spence – Butterflies and Flat Tyres: Zurich to Singapore
M. Scott Peck – The Road Less Travelled
Major William Watson – Adventures of a Motorcycle Despatch Rider First World War
Matt Bishop and Reece Gilkes – Our Ridiculous World
Matthew Biberman – Big Sid’s Vincati
Melissa Holbrook Pierson – The Perfect Vehicle
Micheal Fitterling – Northeast by Northeast
Michelle Lamphere – The Butterlfy Route, Tips for Traveling Overland (yes, that’s me and this is a shameless plug)
Michele Harrison – All the Gear, No Idea
Mihai Barbu – Vand Kilometri (Romania)
Mike Carter – One Man and His Bike, Uneasy Rider
Nathan and Sara Millward – Don’t think Ride
Paddy Tyson – In Search of Puerto del Faglioli
Peggy Iris Thomas – A Ride in the Sun (or Gasoloine Gypsy)
Richard and Mopsa English – Full Circle
Richard Georgiou – One Man on a Bike
Robbie Marshall – Triumph Around the World
Robert Edison Fulton Jr. – One Man Caravan
Robert M. Pirsig – Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance
Robert Wicks – Adventure Motorcycling, Adventure Motorcycle Routes
Ross Ketchum – Motorcycle Shorts
Sherrie McCarthy – Fernweh: A Trans Continental Motorcycle Adventure, Unleash Your Adventure Packlist, Taking the Long Way Home
Simon Castle – 12 Countries in 12 Days on a 1200 GSA
Simon Gandolfi – Old Man on a Bike, Old Men Can’t Wait
Simon Roberts – Tea With Bin Laden’s Brother
Spencer James Conway – The Japanese Speaking Curtain Maker
Stephen Mason – Ride to the Midnight Sun, Llama Bananas and Bears: Argentina to Alaska
Steve Stewart – Steve and the Tiger
Ted Bishop – Riding with Rilke
Terry Beck – Route 66 Pocketbook
Theresa Wallach – The Rugged Road
Tiffani Burkett – Chronicles of a Motorcycle Gypsy
Tim English – Overlanding
Tim Watson – There & Back Again to See How Far It Is
Tom Bruce – Biking to the Roof of the World, Every Inch of the Way
Tom Cunliffe – Good Vibrations
Tom Judd – Misadventures in India
Tony Burns – What If You Don’t Break Down?
Will Wilkins – Wollongong to Woolich
William Murphy – Grace and Grit
Yves Dugas and Martine Pare – A Winter Adventure: 4700 miles on a Russian Motorcycle
Zoe Cano – Bonneville Go or Bust, Southern Escapades, Hellbent for Paradise
Sturgis Chick 
Thanks Michelle! You’re such a good person to take the time to share this list!