Book Review: Long Way Round – Chasing Shadows across the World

Saga of Motorcycle Adventure
Long Way Round – Chasing Shadows across the World by Ewan McGregor and Charley Boorman; TimeWarner books; 312 pp

There is something about Men and Motorcycles, it is a fatal attraction that refuses to die out with age. An infatuation which remains for ever. The two-wheeled steed attracts the man like flowers attract a bee. Sometimes this attraction is a stronger draw than that of the female species. During the recent past there have been a handful of women who have been bitten by the two-wheeled bug and adventure travel insect. But still it is more common to see men strapping up their things, gassing up their motorcycles and heading out into the wild to explore the world. The book under review Long Way Round tells the story of two such men who despite being famous Hollywood stars decide to break away and live their passions.

Long Way Round (LWR) by UK-based Hollywood actors and motorcycle aficionados Ewan McGregor and Charley Boorman also available as a movie in DVD, is a first-hand account of an ambitious motorcycle odyssey across the world from London to New York through Europe, Asia and North America. Presented as a diary of events recorded before, during and after the journey by the two actors, LWR is distinguishable from normative travelogues and its technique of interplaying both stars’ varying experiences and feelings as they hit roads and adventure around the world, is quite appealing.

Comprising 12 chapters, two appendices and interspersed with maps and glossy colour pictures of fascinating locales, LWR chronicles the duo’s experiences, observations and ruminations as they journey across Europe, Ukraine, Kazakhstan, Mongolia, Russia, across Bering Straits into Alaska, down through Canada, finally ending back home in the US.

Some of their notable easy rider style escapades include being chased by paparazzi in Kazakhstan, being accosted by gun-toting militia in Ukraine, harassed by the police everywhere and served bulls’ testicles for supper by Mongolian nomads. And yet despite all trials and tribulations they sped over 20,000 miles (35,000 km) in four months, a journey which according to the authors has changed their lives forever. Despite exhaustion and round-the-clock excitement, the authors have meticulously documented, photographed and video shot their encounters and experiences and produced a highly entertaining travelogue in two media.

On the down side McGregor’s endless whining about being away from his wife and kids is annoying. On a round-the-world journey anyone would miss his family, and surely there’s no need to harp on this theme in almost every chapter of the book.

LWR is especially invigorating for dyed-in-the-wool biking buffs in India, most of whom dream of hitting the road and circumnavigating the world. The authors’ can-do determination to traverse tarmac, stones, mud, water and often barely discernable paths to attain their mission is admirable. It drives home the point that beyond romantic notions of inter-continental road travel, great journeys require substantial reserves of perseverance, determination and guts-and-glory hard slog. The actor duo repeatedly detail experiences of common folk who didn’t have a clue of their star status spontaneously coming forward to help them. It’s enough to restore one’s faith in humanity and the brotherhood of man.