THE MAN WHO CYCLED THE WORLD

Enhanced descriptions from Syndetics:

The inspiring story of one young man's record-breaking solo cycle journey around the world

On 15 February 2008, Mark Beaumont pedalled through the Arc de Triomphe in Paris. 194 days and 17 hours previously, he had begun his attempt to circumnavigate the world in record time. Mark smashed the Guinness World Record by an astonishing 81 days. He had travelled more than 18,000 miles on his own through some of the harshest conditions one man and his bicycle can endure, camping wild at night and suffering from constant ailments.

The Man Who Cycled the World is the story not just of that amazing achievement, but of the events that turned Mark Beaumont into the man he is today. From the early years of his free-spirited childhood in the Scottish countryside to present day, he has been equally determined not to settle for an average existence, but to break free and follow his dreams.

Mark Beaumont grew up in the foothills of the Scottish Highlands. When he was twelve, he cycled across Scotland, then a few years later, completed the 1,000 mile solo ride across Britain from John O'Groats to Land's End. His next long-distance ride took him the length of Italy, a journey of 1,336 miles, helping to raise e50,000 for charity. After graduating from Glasgow University, and having also qualified as a professional ski instructor, he decided against a conventional career and devoted himself full-time to raising money for his endurance adventures.

Visit his website at www.markbeaumontonline.com

Reviews provided by Syndetics

Booklist Review

In 2007, at 24, Beaumont set out to break the speed record for cycling around the world. That stat stood at 276 days, but Beaumont was officially aiming to make it 210 days. Unofficially, just for himself, he'd set a goal of 195, which doesn't sound so daunting until you realize that he was proposing to ride a bicycle 18,000 miles in about half a year. Expanding on a BBC documentary that aired in 2008, this book (originally published in Great Britain in 2009) goes into much more detail about the journey. Beginning and ending in Paris, the trek, as readers no doubt expect, was exciting and uplifting but also painful and frequently disheartening. Cycling enthusiasts and readers of such varied books as Joe Kurmaskie's Metal Cowboy (1999), Tim Moore's French Revolutions (2002), and Robert Penn's It's All about the Bike (2011) will definitely want to check this one out.--Pitt, Davi. Copyright 2010 Booklist

Kirkus Book Review

A bicycle racer recounts his solo cycle around the world while attempting to break the existing Guinness World Record.There is no denying that Beaumont's journey, riding 100 miles a day for six-and-a-half months always against the clock, entailed a remarkable feat of endurance. He handily trounced the existing record, and the BBC chronicled his trip in an award-winning TV program. The author does a solid job of revealing his psychological difficulties, his physical challenges and the mundane task of finding food and a safe place to sleep each night, and he delivers tantalizing cultural and geographic tidbits along his route. Among his many stories: staying the night in a Mafia-run hotel in the Ukraine staffed by beautiful dancing girls; feeling overwhelming illness at the sight of the absolute poverty in Pakistan; and experiencing frazzled nerves when he was run over by a kindly old lady in Louisiana, then mugged the same night in his motel room by drug addicts. When Beaumont provides more of a story line, the narrative sails along. However, far too often the author recounts repetitive details while providing only the skimpiest snippets about the people and places he encounters. Beaumont acknowledges this conundrum, recognizing that beating the world record meant speeding by numerous cityscapes "begging for further exploration." As he crossed the Paris finish line, he struggled to answer many of the journalists' questions. "The stories lacked the human element and any insight into how I'd actually felt and reflected on my experiences," he writes, "but they were all I could offer."Even with its flaws, the book merits a spin through. Racing aficionados and armchair racers seeking freewheeling glimpses of the world via bicycle will cherish the trip.]] Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.