What do you think?
Rate this book
Jupiter's Travels
Jupiter's Travels -Ted Simon's astonishing 4 year motorbike journey around the world The book that inspired Ewan McGregor's Long Way RoundIn the late 1970s Ted Simon set off on a Triumph and rode 63,000 miles over four years through fifty-four countries in a journey that took him around the world. Through breakdowns, prison, war, revolutions, disasters and a Californian commune, he travelled into the depths of fear and reached the heights of euphoria.He met astonishing people and was treated as a spy, a welcome stranger and even a god. For Simon the trip became a journey into his own soul, and for many others - including bikers Charley Boorman and Ewan McGrergor - it provides an inspiration they will never forget.This classic text, which has informed a whole genre of travel writing in the thirty years since it was first published, will never be bettered for sheer adventure, passion, humour and honesty.Brought up in England by a German mother and a Romanian father, Ted Simon found himself impelled by an insatiable desire to explore the world. It led him to abandon an early scientific career in favour of journalism, and he has worked for several newspapers and magazines on Fleet Street and elsewhere. Ted Simon is also the author of Riding Home and The Gypsy in Me.
439 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 30, 1978
576 people are currently reading
5077 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 358 reviews
July 15, 2019
REVIEW OF 2019 READ
Hmm, I first (and last) read this book in 1979 I think, and it had a big effect on me, not that it made me want to travel the world by motorcycle but it was a book I've never lost through the years and never forgotten. In my never ending task to write reviews for all the books I read pre-GR, I even wrote a review based on a 40 year old memory a few months ago, see below, and now comes the rub, yes I enjoyed this 're-read but it wasn't as good as I expected/remembered/wanted it to be.
I'm going to have to seriously think because I don't even think it's 5 stars now, "shock, horror"
And so I have reduced my rating to 4 stars and removed it from my favourites shelf. I do feel very guilty, but I'm sorry but it wasn't as good as I remembered. The first 2/3rds of the book were great, descriptions of people and places, tales of his travel and how the bike was doing or not as the case may be, and then
How did I not remember all of that, was I flying with the faeries all those years ago when I first read this, or did I just so admire what he had done that I forgave the last third of the book, or was I less critical 40 years ago. I shall never know. Don't get me wrong I still admire Ted Simon greatly, but pull yourself together man !!
Maybe his sequel all these years later will be more focussed ??
REVIEW OF 1979 READ
Reviewed as part of my ongoing saga to write a review for every book I've read and logged on GR. (Written March 2019)
Well this book was published for the first time during 1979 and covers Ted Simon's epic voyage around the world that commenced in 1973 and lasted for the next 4 years. I remember reading about it in the Motorcycle newspapers and magazines of the day as I was an avid motorcyclist in those days (I still am come to that).
It struck a chord with me that someone had the guts to travel all around the world through countries I had never heard off or that I knew were in the midst of horrendous civil wars on a triumph motorcycle that was going to break down every 10 minutes. In those days Triumph had a bit of a reputation which is why as young lads we all drove Japanese motorbikes. Now of course new triumphs are ultra reliable and amazingly Triumphs from the 70s are highly sought after. Hey ho such is the world.
Anyway this book details Ted's amazing journey, the highs , the lows and the unbelievable adventures on the way. At the time I remember reading of his progress but little else so when this book came out I devoured it in a very short time. I think in the ensuing 40 years I have read it once since. Given that at the age of 69 Ted retraced his steps (Dreaming Of Jupiter) was the result, I think its about time I gave Ted the courtesy of re-reading this original unbelievable travelogue and of his sequel.
A truly great motorcyclist, serious respect. (Chapeau !!)
Hmm, I first (and last) read this book in 1979 I think, and it had a big effect on me, not that it made me want to travel the world by motorcycle but it was a book I've never lost through the years and never forgotten. In my never ending task to write reviews for all the books I read pre-GR, I even wrote a review based on a 40 year old memory a few months ago, see below, and now comes the rub, yes I enjoyed this 're-read but it wasn't as good as I expected/remembered/wanted it to be.
I'm going to have to seriously think because I don't even think it's 5 stars now, "shock, horror"
And so I have reduced my rating to 4 stars and removed it from my favourites shelf. I do feel very guilty, but I'm sorry but it wasn't as good as I remembered. The first 2/3rds of the book were great, descriptions of people and places, tales of his travel and how the bike was doing or not as the case may be, and then
How did I not remember all of that, was I flying with the faeries all those years ago when I first read this, or did I just so admire what he had done that I forgave the last third of the book, or was I less critical 40 years ago. I shall never know. Don't get me wrong I still admire Ted Simon greatly, but pull yourself together man !!
Maybe his sequel all these years later will be more focussed ??
REVIEW OF 1979 READ
Reviewed as part of my ongoing saga to write a review for every book I've read and logged on GR. (Written March 2019)
Well this book was published for the first time during 1979 and covers Ted Simon's epic voyage around the world that commenced in 1973 and lasted for the next 4 years. I remember reading about it in the Motorcycle newspapers and magazines of the day as I was an avid motorcyclist in those days (I still am come to that).
It struck a chord with me that someone had the guts to travel all around the world through countries I had never heard off or that I knew were in the midst of horrendous civil wars on a triumph motorcycle that was going to break down every 10 minutes. In those days Triumph had a bit of a reputation which is why as young lads we all drove Japanese motorbikes. Now of course new triumphs are ultra reliable and amazingly Triumphs from the 70s are highly sought after. Hey ho such is the world.
Anyway this book details Ted's amazing journey, the highs , the lows and the unbelievable adventures on the way. At the time I remember reading of his progress but little else so when this book came out I devoured it in a very short time. I think in the ensuing 40 years I have read it once since. Given that at the age of 69 Ted retraced his steps (Dreaming Of Jupiter) was the result, I think its about time I gave Ted the courtesy of re-reading this original unbelievable travelogue and of his sequel.
A truly great motorcyclist, serious respect. (Chapeau !!)
March 29, 2009
My father is an adventurer at heart. He rode a motorcycle through South America a decade before Che; he jumped out of airplanes at night and landed in Southeast Asian jungles; he spent 40 years fishing in Alaska, both off Kodiak and in the Bering Sea. Now, he and my mother are retired, and they spend a good deal of their time traveling still - on a motorcycle. They have a great set-up: a trailer packed with a beautiful tent and an air mattress; picnic goodies, bottles of gin. They tool around Mexico and the continental U.S., camping in the back yards of breweries and hanging out for weekends at bluegrass shows. They've definitely got some things figured out.
They met Ted Simon, and enjoyed an afternoon of story-swapping; my dad said this book made him want to take off across the world again. Knowing my own taste for travel and the edgy, dangerous, or uncomfortable experience, my dad lent me his signed copy of this book as a way of sharing something he cares about.
____________________________________
Most critics say that this book gave them an uncontrollable attack of Wanderlust. Strange - having spent most of my life in the grips of such restlessness, this book actually made me reflect on the temporary contentment I now enjoy after years of being anywhere but here.
Simon was a journalist prior to becoming a self-styled hero, and we are grateful - his writing is adequate, and often even lucid and beautiful. The Journey is strangely bodiless, for the most part. Simon writes like a pair of traveling eyes with an ego attached; rarely do we get saddle sores, headaches, heat rash, or dysentery on this 4-year odyssey. Perhaps he is a remarkably hardy specimen; perhaps he didn't think it necessary to put us through more than the occasional swarm of mosquitoes. Nonetheless, there is a closely observed richness to his writing, and an immediacy that shows he took good notes, and was able to revisit his experiences in sequence as well as through a greater common narrative.
Despite his occasionally inflated sense of self (he is extremely proud of his accomplishments, throughout), Simon makes for a thoughtful and sensitive tour guide. I chalk his accidental chauvinism up to a lack of insight - few informants for the world of women, as he traces his global story through the men he meets, with the occasional entrance of a woman as a beautiful or admirable thing, though rarely world-shaping or responsible for the building of human history.
I would absolutely recommend this book to anyone with a fondness for things other than the familiar, with a taste for travel, or even for the casual motorcycle fetishist. His trip is worth admiring, and worth using as an example - both of the possibilities that lie before individuals who choose to take the roads less traveled, and of the uncertainty that comes with any spiritual quest.
They met Ted Simon, and enjoyed an afternoon of story-swapping; my dad said this book made him want to take off across the world again. Knowing my own taste for travel and the edgy, dangerous, or uncomfortable experience, my dad lent me his signed copy of this book as a way of sharing something he cares about.
____________________________________
Most critics say that this book gave them an uncontrollable attack of Wanderlust. Strange - having spent most of my life in the grips of such restlessness, this book actually made me reflect on the temporary contentment I now enjoy after years of being anywhere but here.
Simon was a journalist prior to becoming a self-styled hero, and we are grateful - his writing is adequate, and often even lucid and beautiful. The Journey is strangely bodiless, for the most part. Simon writes like a pair of traveling eyes with an ego attached; rarely do we get saddle sores, headaches, heat rash, or dysentery on this 4-year odyssey. Perhaps he is a remarkably hardy specimen; perhaps he didn't think it necessary to put us through more than the occasional swarm of mosquitoes. Nonetheless, there is a closely observed richness to his writing, and an immediacy that shows he took good notes, and was able to revisit his experiences in sequence as well as through a greater common narrative.
Despite his occasionally inflated sense of self (he is extremely proud of his accomplishments, throughout), Simon makes for a thoughtful and sensitive tour guide. I chalk his accidental chauvinism up to a lack of insight - few informants for the world of women, as he traces his global story through the men he meets, with the occasional entrance of a woman as a beautiful or admirable thing, though rarely world-shaping or responsible for the building of human history.
I would absolutely recommend this book to anyone with a fondness for things other than the familiar, with a taste for travel, or even for the casual motorcycle fetishist. His trip is worth admiring, and worth using as an example - both of the possibilities that lie before individuals who choose to take the roads less traveled, and of the uncertainty that comes with any spiritual quest.
December 11, 2009
Goddamn it!! How did I get tricked into reading another bullshit, transcendental 70's enlightenment novel??!! After Robert Pirsig's puddle of diaper filling, I swore I'd never read one of these things again! This was billed as a travel book...Curses!
*sigh*
On to the book. What a boring, self-indulgent novel. Ol' Ted decides to go slummin' through the third world in some misguided attempt to test himself. Once underway, his special brand of bitter negativity slowly swallows every paragraph. His suspicions and mistrust permeate all of his interactions. The countries flow by as little more than overblown customs headaches. The rare happy moments end with a caveat. As much as you'd think the trip should be the focus, it's only ever about the author.
When he's not being lavished with attention from the little people, he slips into deep self pity. In fact, the entire course of the book is defined by his wallowing. In Brazil, he's confined to the office of a police station for 10 days while they sort out his paperwork. Never chained or threatened, he's taken out to meals and given books to read while being assured that it'll be worked out, which it is completely without incident and he's sent on his way. Unbelievably, he devotes 65 pages of the book to this 'harrowing ordeal' during which he actually becomes convinced he's going to be killed. Conversely, he commits a whopping 35 pages to his months in Australia and another 40 pages to his months in India. Apparently there weren't enough 'poor Ted' stories to make those places worth talking about.
To round out his travelogue, he actually comes to believe that he's a demigod. I'm serious...I couldn't make this stuff up. He thinks he's a god among ants. It's where the book title comes from. Jupiter is him. He even gave himself a god's name.
This was written by a tired man. He's tired of the trip the moment he starts and it's obvious that he got equally tired of writing the book. What could have been a stirring story of landscapes, people, kindnesses and hardships is completely ruined by a guy who's at once arrogant and pathetic.
*sigh*
On to the book. What a boring, self-indulgent novel. Ol' Ted decides to go slummin' through the third world in some misguided attempt to test himself. Once underway, his special brand of bitter negativity slowly swallows every paragraph. His suspicions and mistrust permeate all of his interactions. The countries flow by as little more than overblown customs headaches. The rare happy moments end with a caveat. As much as you'd think the trip should be the focus, it's only ever about the author.
When he's not being lavished with attention from the little people, he slips into deep self pity. In fact, the entire course of the book is defined by his wallowing. In Brazil, he's confined to the office of a police station for 10 days while they sort out his paperwork. Never chained or threatened, he's taken out to meals and given books to read while being assured that it'll be worked out, which it is completely without incident and he's sent on his way. Unbelievably, he devotes 65 pages of the book to this 'harrowing ordeal' during which he actually becomes convinced he's going to be killed. Conversely, he commits a whopping 35 pages to his months in Australia and another 40 pages to his months in India. Apparently there weren't enough 'poor Ted' stories to make those places worth talking about.
To round out his travelogue, he actually comes to believe that he's a demigod. I'm serious...I couldn't make this stuff up. He thinks he's a god among ants. It's where the book title comes from. Jupiter is him. He even gave himself a god's name.
This was written by a tired man. He's tired of the trip the moment he starts and it's obvious that he got equally tired of writing the book. What could have been a stirring story of landscapes, people, kindnesses and hardships is completely ruined by a guy who's at once arrogant and pathetic.
August 8, 2020
"The book that inspired Ewan Macgregor's Long Way Around".
That was enough to pick up my interest.
A four year journey on a 500cc Triumph T100-P, which took in much of the world.
That helped.
I read this pretty slowly, and found it enjoyable. I may not have enjoyed it so much if I had read it constantly and at my normal pace.
Ted Simon writes simply, but well enough to get his point across. He doesn't degenerate into a diary, and he doesn't try to explain or describe everything. Some things he explains in great detail, taking several pages to explain some thing that happens in a few minutes. Other times he glosses over weeks or months in a sentence. I enjoyed the variety in his pace.
I also enjoyed how classically 70's his story is - right down to that awesome photo on the cover. Ted Simon shared his thoughts willingly, and with honesty - there are some odd thoughts, some awkward encounters, and admittedly, that he could have edited those out to make himself look better. I liked that he didn't do that.
There were things I didn't like - I am not into philosophy - I didn't enjoy his longer self-reflections on the meaning of life. But I was able to move past those pretty quickly. Don't get me wrong, this is no Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance, this is much more about the travel than the philosophy!
Then, there are other things that reviews complained of - there is a bit of misogyny (come on, it is the 70's) - he falls in love readily (or, at times not as in love as his lovers fall) and shares with the reader. Others complain it is self indulgent - sure, but it a book about one mans experiences over a 4 year period, it was not as self indulgent as many other books of this genre. Pretentious - yes, he considers himself a god for a while - but I put this down to the philosophy I happily skipped over. I get it though, if you are not interested in Simon's experiences and his frequent descriptions of Triumph maintenance, then the actual technicalities of the book probably let it down.
Nevertheless, the man is a legend, and his four year journey takes him from England, in October 1973 to his home in France, in June 1977. His route passed through France, Italy, Tunisia, Libya, Egypt, Sudan, Ethiopia, Kenya, Tanzania, Zambia, Rhodesia (Zimbabwe), South Africa, Swaziland, Mozambique, Brazil, Argentina, Chile, Bolivia, Peru, Ecuador, Colombia, Panama, Costa Rica, Honduras, Guatemala, Mexico, the USA, Australia, Singapore, Malaysia, India, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Iran, Turkey, then a quick, featureless jaunt through Germany and Switzerland to France.
I have a copy of his book Dreaming of Jupiter in which he retraces his route thirty years later, and I will inevitably read that too, just not straight away.
Classic, and 4 stars.
That was enough to pick up my interest.
A four year journey on a 500cc Triumph T100-P, which took in much of the world.
That helped.
I read this pretty slowly, and found it enjoyable. I may not have enjoyed it so much if I had read it constantly and at my normal pace.
Ted Simon writes simply, but well enough to get his point across. He doesn't degenerate into a diary, and he doesn't try to explain or describe everything. Some things he explains in great detail, taking several pages to explain some thing that happens in a few minutes. Other times he glosses over weeks or months in a sentence. I enjoyed the variety in his pace.
I also enjoyed how classically 70's his story is - right down to that awesome photo on the cover. Ted Simon shared his thoughts willingly, and with honesty - there are some odd thoughts, some awkward encounters, and admittedly, that he could have edited those out to make himself look better. I liked that he didn't do that.
There were things I didn't like - I am not into philosophy - I didn't enjoy his longer self-reflections on the meaning of life. But I was able to move past those pretty quickly. Don't get me wrong, this is no Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance, this is much more about the travel than the philosophy!
Then, there are other things that reviews complained of - there is a bit of misogyny (come on, it is the 70's) - he falls in love readily (or, at times not as in love as his lovers fall) and shares with the reader. Others complain it is self indulgent - sure, but it a book about one mans experiences over a 4 year period, it was not as self indulgent as many other books of this genre. Pretentious - yes, he considers himself a god for a while - but I put this down to the philosophy I happily skipped over. I get it though, if you are not interested in Simon's experiences and his frequent descriptions of Triumph maintenance, then the actual technicalities of the book probably let it down.
Nevertheless, the man is a legend, and his four year journey takes him from England, in October 1973 to his home in France, in June 1977. His route passed through France, Italy, Tunisia, Libya, Egypt, Sudan, Ethiopia, Kenya, Tanzania, Zambia, Rhodesia (Zimbabwe), South Africa, Swaziland, Mozambique, Brazil, Argentina, Chile, Bolivia, Peru, Ecuador, Colombia, Panama, Costa Rica, Honduras, Guatemala, Mexico, the USA, Australia, Singapore, Malaysia, India, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Iran, Turkey, then a quick, featureless jaunt through Germany and Switzerland to France.
I have a copy of his book Dreaming of Jupiter in which he retraces his route thirty years later, and I will inevitably read that too, just not straight away.
Classic, and 4 stars.
February 1, 2009
Ewen McGregor: Hi I'm multi award winning Actor about town Ewan McGregor. I've got a totally original idea for a TV show.
ITV Exec: Oh Yeah...
Ewen: Yeah, Me and my mate Charlie Boorman, the world famous star of stage and screen, are going to ride round the world on our motorbikes. It'll be mega.
ITV Exec: But what about that guy in the 70's called Ted Simon who did all that but without all your money and good looks?
Ewen: WHAT!
ITV Exec: Look i'm sorry but it's all been done before...
Ewen(Pointing aggresively): YOU'LL NEVER WORK IN TELEVISION AGAIN. We've been rumbled Charlie.
Charlie: Oh No My BEST FRIEND Ewen. What shall we do?
Ewen: There's only one thing for it...BBC!
ITV Exec: Oh Yeah...
Ewen: Yeah, Me and my mate Charlie Boorman, the world famous star of stage and screen, are going to ride round the world on our motorbikes. It'll be mega.
ITV Exec: But what about that guy in the 70's called Ted Simon who did all that but without all your money and good looks?
Ewen: WHAT!
ITV Exec: Look i'm sorry but it's all been done before...
Ewen(Pointing aggresively): YOU'LL NEVER WORK IN TELEVISION AGAIN. We've been rumbled Charlie.
Charlie: Oh No My BEST FRIEND Ewen. What shall we do?
Ewen: There's only one thing for it...BBC!
May 19, 2012
This book changed my life (there have been others) but the first page is still the most powerful first page I have ever read. I scanned the first page into my computer so I can pull it up and read when I forget. Very powerful stuff - the book will keep you up at night. I don't believe this trip could be duplicated today. Too many hateful people in the world.
September 7, 2012
So I never write reviews on here. And I don't know if I was particularly moved to write one after finishing this book, or whether it just happens to be the first I finish since deciding I should write reviews. Otherwise I tend to forget what I thought and felt whilst reading, and if that's the case, what then, was the point?
It's all in the timing. Something can be profound in a certain instance of life, and banal the next. The view, you see, changes from where you are standing. 'Jupiter' was profound for me, and worthy merely for the sheer scope of his travels. However, it was elevated to something more than that for me because I had been there. In so many of the places he described, I had a vision of my own time there. And generally they lined up. He traveled like the traveler I wished to be. Viewed life in the way I wished to view it.
But I also felt changed in the ways he describes. Sure, my own 'trip' was a much shorter version, and factor in everywhere I've been it's still just a fraction of the ground he covered. But as he's concluding the book, and talking about finding the meaning, and finding even if there is a meaning... Have you ever stopped what you're doing, thrown it all down, and gone to look for that meaning?
Did you find it?
The best we can hope is that it finds us. And we keep testing it. Keep throwing ourselves out there to see what happens. To see what breaks. Hoping that those lessons stick. And maybe out of all of it, we gain a greater appreciation for the little things. For those random acts of kindness that make the world a livable place. Those moments of beauty and inner harmony, when everything is perfectly aligned. Or maybe it's just a greater appreciation for the little comforts, the daily routines that prove to us we belong.
If nothing else, 'Jupiter' reminded me of that.
It's all in the timing. Something can be profound in a certain instance of life, and banal the next. The view, you see, changes from where you are standing. 'Jupiter' was profound for me, and worthy merely for the sheer scope of his travels. However, it was elevated to something more than that for me because I had been there. In so many of the places he described, I had a vision of my own time there. And generally they lined up. He traveled like the traveler I wished to be. Viewed life in the way I wished to view it.
But I also felt changed in the ways he describes. Sure, my own 'trip' was a much shorter version, and factor in everywhere I've been it's still just a fraction of the ground he covered. But as he's concluding the book, and talking about finding the meaning, and finding even if there is a meaning... Have you ever stopped what you're doing, thrown it all down, and gone to look for that meaning?
Did you find it?
The best we can hope is that it finds us. And we keep testing it. Keep throwing ourselves out there to see what happens. To see what breaks. Hoping that those lessons stick. And maybe out of all of it, we gain a greater appreciation for the little things. For those random acts of kindness that make the world a livable place. Those moments of beauty and inner harmony, when everything is perfectly aligned. Or maybe it's just a greater appreciation for the little comforts, the daily routines that prove to us we belong.
If nothing else, 'Jupiter' reminded me of that.
October 7, 2010
The writing in the book is as bumpy as the roads the author traveled on, frequently crashing into a jumbled heap. His observations and caricature descriptions of different cultures seemed to be tied more to the weather than his personal interactions. The book's pacing is uneven with excessive detail in the beginning and some countries towards the end getting no more than a one line stereotypical summary. There are some well written vignettes scattered throughout the book but overall I'd give it a pass.
June 25, 2025
"I felt my gut scream at me to strip off this ridiculous outfit and rush back into that light and the familiar interdependence. It struck me very forcefully that if I went on with this folly I would forever after be the man outside in the gutter looking in. For a moment I was lost beyond hope, utterly defeated. Then I turned away from all that, somehow fumbled my packages away, got on the bike and set off in the general direction of the English Channel. Within minutes the great void inside me was filled by a rush of exaltation, and in my solitary madness I started to sing."
June 26, 2023
"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 not a trick to go round 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. Then the world is immense. The best you can do is to trace your long, infinitesimally thin line through the dust and extrapolate." p. 23
Actual rating 2,5 rounded up to 3.
The writing was better than I anticipated - some beautiful metaphors along the meaningful philosophical thoughts transformed parts of it into quality literature.
One of the problems I had with the book is that, as the journey progresses, one comes across more and more comments about Arabs, blacks, Latinos, women - you name it, which suggest that the author is heavily prejudiced towards certain groups of people. ("I am not black or crippled or ugly, and I have this cute English accent.")
As I was recently reminded that I too can sometimes sound crude and judgemental, especially to more sensitive ears, I was ready to refrain from judging whether the author is indeed racist or sexist, and to cut him some slack and try to appreciate him admitting he was being an "asshole" for thinking that way.
But at some point descriptions of dresses that held "breasts up for [his] inspection" and calling a woman a "silly cow" really spoiled my enjoyment of the book.
My other problem had to do with expectations. There was barely any information, and if any - only negative comments on many of the countries I was most anticipating, including Ethiopia, Ecuador, and Mexico. I wish the author hadn't used 50 pages on account of his stay in a Brazilian prison, and only two pages describing his ride through Mexico, mostly complaining about a lost jacket. (Insert eye rolling emoji)
Although I do not share many of the author's views, I liked most of the book, learned historical facts, and gained food for thought. The book also made me reflect upon some of my own shortcomings, and there's always value in that.
In the end, while I appreciate the fact that traveling in the physical world means also undergoing an inner journey, I would have appreciated a little less navel-gazing, and a little more effort towards showing both positive and negative sides of each place.
"We are not always kind to our foreigners and it is a sobering experience to have the tables turned." p. 50
"Action has freed me from self-consciousness, and I am becoming a stranger to my own appearance. It is a very satisfying feeling. I no longer think of people seeing me as I see myself in a mirror. Instead I imagine that people can see directly into my soul." p. 77
"Well, we're all just acting out other people's fantasies, aren't we? Maybe we're not much good for anything else." p.99
"We Europeans sold our integrity many years ago for progress, and we have debased the word to mean merely someone who obeys the rules. A chasm of misunderstanding yawns between us." p. 100
"They are different from other men, these road builders. Some kind of esprit de corps animates them, as though the roads and bridges they are making are only the physical symbols of a desire to help the world along." p. 108
"... the journey was still the main thing. What happened on the way, who I met, all that was incidental. I had not quite realized that the interruptions were the journey." p. 132
"Try as I would to imagine a rosier future, I could see only ever-increasing numbers of people determined to seize on the resources of the earth and pervert them into greater and greater heaps of indestructible concrete and plastic ugliness, only to look and learn and retreat in penitent dismay before the next wave of 'developing' citizens. And there seemed to be nothing that I or any individual could do that would make it a jot of difference to the outcome." p.214
"I looked at myself in the same light, as a monkey given my life to play with, prodding it, trying to stretch it into different shapes, dropping it and picking it up again, suspecting always that it must have some use and meaning, tantalized and frustrated by it but always unable to make sense of it." p.403
"The Truth obviously does not reveal itself unaided to humans. It has to be uncovered by effort of consciousness. Or, more likely, it exists only in human consciousness. Without man around to recognize it, there is no Truth, no God." p. 407
"Custom is the enemy of awareness, in individuals as much as in societies. It regularizes fears and cravings of everyday life." p. 408
Actual rating 2,5 rounded up to 3.
The writing was better than I anticipated - some beautiful metaphors along the meaningful philosophical thoughts transformed parts of it into quality literature.
One of the problems I had with the book is that, as the journey progresses, one comes across more and more comments about Arabs, blacks, Latinos, women - you name it, which suggest that the author is heavily prejudiced towards certain groups of people. ("I am not black or crippled or ugly, and I have this cute English accent.")
As I was recently reminded that I too can sometimes sound crude and judgemental, especially to more sensitive ears, I was ready to refrain from judging whether the author is indeed racist or sexist, and to cut him some slack and try to appreciate him admitting he was being an "asshole" for thinking that way.
But at some point descriptions of dresses that held "breasts up for [his] inspection" and calling a woman a "silly cow" really spoiled my enjoyment of the book.
My other problem had to do with expectations. There was barely any information, and if any - only negative comments on many of the countries I was most anticipating, including Ethiopia, Ecuador, and Mexico. I wish the author hadn't used 50 pages on account of his stay in a Brazilian prison, and only two pages describing his ride through Mexico, mostly complaining about a lost jacket. (Insert eye rolling emoji)
Although I do not share many of the author's views, I liked most of the book, learned historical facts, and gained food for thought. The book also made me reflect upon some of my own shortcomings, and there's always value in that.
In the end, while I appreciate the fact that traveling in the physical world means also undergoing an inner journey, I would have appreciated a little less navel-gazing, and a little more effort towards showing both positive and negative sides of each place.
"We are not always kind to our foreigners and it is a sobering experience to have the tables turned." p. 50
"Action has freed me from self-consciousness, and I am becoming a stranger to my own appearance. It is a very satisfying feeling. I no longer think of people seeing me as I see myself in a mirror. Instead I imagine that people can see directly into my soul." p. 77
"Well, we're all just acting out other people's fantasies, aren't we? Maybe we're not much good for anything else." p.99
"We Europeans sold our integrity many years ago for progress, and we have debased the word to mean merely someone who obeys the rules. A chasm of misunderstanding yawns between us." p. 100
"They are different from other men, these road builders. Some kind of esprit de corps animates them, as though the roads and bridges they are making are only the physical symbols of a desire to help the world along." p. 108
"... the journey was still the main thing. What happened on the way, who I met, all that was incidental. I had not quite realized that the interruptions were the journey." p. 132
"Try as I would to imagine a rosier future, I could see only ever-increasing numbers of people determined to seize on the resources of the earth and pervert them into greater and greater heaps of indestructible concrete and plastic ugliness, only to look and learn and retreat in penitent dismay before the next wave of 'developing' citizens. And there seemed to be nothing that I or any individual could do that would make it a jot of difference to the outcome." p.214
"I looked at myself in the same light, as a monkey given my life to play with, prodding it, trying to stretch it into different shapes, dropping it and picking it up again, suspecting always that it must have some use and meaning, tantalized and frustrated by it but always unable to make sense of it." p.403
"The Truth obviously does not reveal itself unaided to humans. It has to be uncovered by effort of consciousness. Or, more likely, it exists only in human consciousness. Without man around to recognize it, there is no Truth, no God." p. 407
"Custom is the enemy of awareness, in individuals as much as in societies. It regularizes fears and cravings of everyday life." p. 408
April 25, 2022
In the early 1970s Ted Simon set off alone on his Triumph motorcycle, Jupiter, to ride around the world. He was gone 4 years and, in an age before mobile phones or cheap flights home, was often out of touch for worryingly long periods. His book, first published in 1979, is a particular favourite of mine.
This is my video review of it:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X-yoB...
This is my video review of it:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X-yoB...
July 4, 2024
Godibile e a tratti scorrevole ma non mi ha particolarmente colpito nonostante l'ENORMITÀ dell'impresa.
January 12, 2016
I’m a sucker for travel books. The thing to remember when reading this memoir is that he goes around the world on a motorcycle. I know that sounds obvious but the motorcycle takes center stage and almost everything else is background. It’s been a long, long time since I cared at all for anything with a motor and even longer since I’ve ridden a motorcycle so this book wasn’t written with me as the target market.
He makes a few wonderful insights but he spends far too many words fussing over his bike and his predicament at different stages in his journey.
He was supposedly a journalist but his writing comes up short on many occasions. Some of his passages are so clumsily written that I didn’t have the faintest idea of what was happening.
After a road mishap:
“the Renault was converted from a rectangle into a lozenge”
About a girl he sees:
“Her provocatively buck-toothed cocktailsipper’s mouth”
On meeting a stranger:
“People talk too much at first, just making publicity.”
His mention of currencies has no meaning whatsoever, especially 40 years later. You should always describe something in the form of value. I learned this from Issac Asimov who wrote that a robot cost two weeks of pay. That will always have meaning.
Simon spends quite a few pages describing his rather tedious confinement by Brazilian authorities while the gorgeous country of Costa Rica sails by carried on a single page, Nicaragua rates a paragraph.
He does hit a few home runs on insights.
“I rode forever on an astounding web of freeways, four or eight lanes wide, laid out like a never-ending concrete waffle over thousands of square miles, looking for somewhere to go, but found nothing.
I wandered through supermarkets and along 'Shopping Malls' disgusted and obsessed by the naked drive to sell and consume frivolities.
When I eventually came to visit Disneyland, I realized that the ultimate aim, the logical conclusion for Los Angeles, was that it should all become another Disney creation, a completely simulated and totally controlled 'fun environment' in which life was just one long, uninterrupted ride.
From the point of view of a Bolivian Indian chewing Coca on the altiplano, I could see that it would already be pretty difficult to distinguish between the two.”
***I give this book five stars because I either give a book 1 or 5 stars. I hate the rating system and what matters here is our opinions. Your star rating isn’t really an opinion, is it?
He makes a few wonderful insights but he spends far too many words fussing over his bike and his predicament at different stages in his journey.
He was supposedly a journalist but his writing comes up short on many occasions. Some of his passages are so clumsily written that I didn’t have the faintest idea of what was happening.
After a road mishap:
“the Renault was converted from a rectangle into a lozenge”
About a girl he sees:
“Her provocatively buck-toothed cocktailsipper’s mouth”
On meeting a stranger:
“People talk too much at first, just making publicity.”
His mention of currencies has no meaning whatsoever, especially 40 years later. You should always describe something in the form of value. I learned this from Issac Asimov who wrote that a robot cost two weeks of pay. That will always have meaning.
Simon spends quite a few pages describing his rather tedious confinement by Brazilian authorities while the gorgeous country of Costa Rica sails by carried on a single page, Nicaragua rates a paragraph.
He does hit a few home runs on insights.
“I rode forever on an astounding web of freeways, four or eight lanes wide, laid out like a never-ending concrete waffle over thousands of square miles, looking for somewhere to go, but found nothing.
I wandered through supermarkets and along 'Shopping Malls' disgusted and obsessed by the naked drive to sell and consume frivolities.
When I eventually came to visit Disneyland, I realized that the ultimate aim, the logical conclusion for Los Angeles, was that it should all become another Disney creation, a completely simulated and totally controlled 'fun environment' in which life was just one long, uninterrupted ride.
From the point of view of a Bolivian Indian chewing Coca on the altiplano, I could see that it would already be pretty difficult to distinguish between the two.”
***I give this book five stars because I either give a book 1 or 5 stars. I hate the rating system and what matters here is our opinions. Your star rating isn’t really an opinion, is it?
June 1, 2021
Great travel book.
February 16, 2023
I couldn’t finish it but the book was chosen as the book of the month for the book club I run….so I had to at least skim through…….
Reason for this review is I find some description of the places and people a little offensive and disrespectful, stereotyping a culture and objectifying women. Like do we really need to know he can see the breasts under the robe? Is that all he sees when he sees women? I mean the description of the women at one point was ‘they cover their mouths and he could see breasts’.
The choice of word just shows how narrow minded he is and it was not easy to read through paragraphs of him putting down the people around him and lifting himself up as this wonderful hero who is able to drive through Africa and with this tough man imagine.
But again, I only properly read the first 150 pages and skim through the rest.
Although, the travel part about the riding is fun to read, just not his thoughts or his personality or attitude I guess……but at the same time, I get that he was probably brought up in a different time and environment being white male in the UK and being a successful middle class, having his photo taken for the newspapers………and the book was published ages ago so for that time and for his backgrounds, his narrative is ….. not surprising. I mean if you like his personality, this confident tough man, and you can relate to his ‘culture shocks’ or you share his opinion and backgrounds, then this is probably a really interesting book for you.
Reason for this review is I find some description of the places and people a little offensive and disrespectful, stereotyping a culture and objectifying women. Like do we really need to know he can see the breasts under the robe? Is that all he sees when he sees women? I mean the description of the women at one point was ‘they cover their mouths and he could see breasts’.
The choice of word just shows how narrow minded he is and it was not easy to read through paragraphs of him putting down the people around him and lifting himself up as this wonderful hero who is able to drive through Africa and with this tough man imagine.
But again, I only properly read the first 150 pages and skim through the rest.
Although, the travel part about the riding is fun to read, just not his thoughts or his personality or attitude I guess……but at the same time, I get that he was probably brought up in a different time and environment being white male in the UK and being a successful middle class, having his photo taken for the newspapers………and the book was published ages ago so for that time and for his backgrounds, his narrative is ….. not surprising. I mean if you like his personality, this confident tough man, and you can relate to his ‘culture shocks’ or you share his opinion and backgrounds, then this is probably a really interesting book for you.
October 28, 2020
I struggled with the rating of Ted Simon's book. Many of the stories and details from the early part of his four-year odyssey were fascinating and I enjoyed the adventure. As the narrative continued, I wearied (much as Simon did) and struggled to find the point (much like Simon did). I think it was this revelation that nudged my "star allocation" from three to four. The gentle winnowing of detail and hastening of pace to complete the travelog were reflecting his own struggles on the journey and, once I put that together for myself, the book became more readable again. I wish there were photos and I wish I remembered the mid 1970's better but, in the end, specific time references aren't the point here. There are occasional references to specific wars, people (Mother Teresa made it into a sentence), and events but the journey and personal experiences are the thing. Simon's observations about the environment, the people, spiritualism, materialism, and poverty are the driving force of the story and they are timeless. If you can find a copy and want to flex your wanderlust, this book might just do it.
July 29, 2011
I was disappointed with this book. I had waited so long to get my hands on a copy, and when the chance came, greedily opened the book, looking forward to the adventure within.
While the adventure was there, and it was intresting to see how the world has changed since the book was originally written, I found it hard at times to get into the story.
I wasn't too keen on Ted Simon's style of writing, and at times I found his opinions rather off putting.
He seemed to gloss over some parts of the journey, like it was nothing to be intrested in.
I can understand though, how this book would inspire others to take off around the world on a motorbike, and see the world from the seat of a bike, and would be intrested to see what he had to say in some of the books that followed this one.
I just don't think I'll be seeking them out like I did this book.
While the adventure was there, and it was intresting to see how the world has changed since the book was originally written, I found it hard at times to get into the story.
I wasn't too keen on Ted Simon's style of writing, and at times I found his opinions rather off putting.
He seemed to gloss over some parts of the journey, like it was nothing to be intrested in.
I can understand though, how this book would inspire others to take off around the world on a motorbike, and see the world from the seat of a bike, and would be intrested to see what he had to say in some of the books that followed this one.
I just don't think I'll be seeking them out like I did this book.
June 1, 2012
Who wouldn't like to vicariously travel round the world for four years on a motorcycle?
Just like a trip around the world (been there, done that), this book truly reflects the experience. Not every moment of the experience tells a story or is dramatic and engaging and that is reflected in the experience of reading the book. If you are planning to make a large global trip, this is definitely a great read for you!
Just like a trip around the world (been there, done that), this book truly reflects the experience. Not every moment of the experience tells a story or is dramatic and engaging and that is reflected in the experience of reading the book. If you are planning to make a large global trip, this is definitely a great read for you!
December 4, 2023
Un señor de 42 tacos agarra una moto Triumph de 500cc y se lanza a dar una vuelta al mundo bastante majetona (42 países en 4 años):
Por el camino asistimos al monólogo interior y a la descripción, con muchísimo fondo y sensibilidad, de todo lo que el autor ve. Sus apreciaciones sobre el ser humano, sobre la vida, el amor, el sexo, la trascendencia.... Ted Simon es (a priori, según definición propia) un juntaletras de periódico del que nunca esperarías estos matices tan precisos ni tan ricos; pero durante todo el libro, cuando te cuenta lo que le pasó y luego te cuenta lo que piensa de lo que le pasó, ves que su mundo interior enriquece y da contexto a eventos que de por sí parecerían intrascendentes. Es una gozada leerlo.
Lo he disfrutado mucho.
La aventura consta de dos libros, pues muchos huecos en la narración que deja este libro (¿qué hiciste en tus dos meses en San Francisco, Ted?) los cuenta en su continuación, Riding High. Y hay un tercer libro en el que con ¡69! años el autor repite la hazaña y se casca de nuevo 47 países en moto. Lo cuenta en Dreamng of Jupiter. No he leído los dos siguientes pero no lo descarto. Muy entretenido.
Por el camino asistimos al monólogo interior y a la descripción, con muchísimo fondo y sensibilidad, de todo lo que el autor ve. Sus apreciaciones sobre el ser humano, sobre la vida, el amor, el sexo, la trascendencia.... Ted Simon es (a priori, según definición propia) un juntaletras de periódico del que nunca esperarías estos matices tan precisos ni tan ricos; pero durante todo el libro, cuando te cuenta lo que le pasó y luego te cuenta lo que piensa de lo que le pasó, ves que su mundo interior enriquece y da contexto a eventos que de por sí parecerían intrascendentes. Es una gozada leerlo.
Lo he disfrutado mucho.
La aventura consta de dos libros, pues muchos huecos en la narración que deja este libro (¿qué hiciste en tus dos meses en San Francisco, Ted?) los cuenta en su continuación, Riding High. Y hay un tercer libro en el que con ¡69! años el autor repite la hazaña y se casca de nuevo 47 países en moto. Lo cuenta en Dreamng of Jupiter. No he leído los dos siguientes pero no lo descarto. Muy entretenido.
March 8, 2025
This book took me 6 months to read. It’s pretty hard to digest 4 years of exhausting travel but Ted manages to serve it up like you’ll never eat again.
Reading this Journey was an emotional roller coaster. I felt like I was in a side car riding with him, getting showered in literal rain and god-like praise from the people he met. As I read this story I was infected with a deep sadness. I think the world Ted travelled no longer exists anymore. We are so disconnected from each other, I could only imagine the hospitality he met globally would now be cold and uninviting, even hostile. Even reading about Ted’s trip in Australia blighted me. Things are not the same and they never will be again.
I thought this book would settle me to know that things always work out; I thought this book would inspire me to travel the world in his way. If anything, it has cemented that I was born too late to discover the world.
Nah, fuck that. I think it’s lit a fire in me. Prove myself wrong. Go and bend the will of this robotic, sterile New World. Slap the planet in the face and remind them “you’re better than this.”
The $1.60 counter lunches sound good too, bring that back.
Reading this Journey was an emotional roller coaster. I felt like I was in a side car riding with him, getting showered in literal rain and god-like praise from the people he met. As I read this story I was infected with a deep sadness. I think the world Ted travelled no longer exists anymore. We are so disconnected from each other, I could only imagine the hospitality he met globally would now be cold and uninviting, even hostile. Even reading about Ted’s trip in Australia blighted me. Things are not the same and they never will be again.
I thought this book would settle me to know that things always work out; I thought this book would inspire me to travel the world in his way. If anything, it has cemented that I was born too late to discover the world.
Nah, fuck that. I think it’s lit a fire in me. Prove myself wrong. Go and bend the will of this robotic, sterile New World. Slap the planet in the face and remind them “you’re better than this.”
The $1.60 counter lunches sound good too, bring that back.
May 21, 2023
I can’t imagine going to any new city without access to the internet, I started this book with an overwhelming feeling of awe (and wanderlust) as Simon kicks of his trip in Africa with nothing but a Triumph motorbike and a map. I enjoyed the colourful descriptions of interactions with and reflections on the people, the landscape and the motorbike. However, I became a bit disenchanted the further I read as the tone became a bit too whiny and self-reflective. The tipping point was a long section dedicated to his “struggles” during a 10 day stint in a Brazilian prison (where he treated well and even allowed to leave the prison to go for dinner). Not much description of Brazil itself…
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Read
December 6, 2023Cool book - really enjoyed how richly he described some interesting countries that an Englishmen in the 70's didn't normally visit (Israel after the '72 war!). This is a motorcycle tale for bikers who have done long distances - the way the author richly describes riding into new lands and different topography and does a great job.
Highly recommend this book for anyone looking for a good travel book told from one of those crazy fellas who wrap their legs around 500+ pounds of chrome and steel and wander the world.
Highly recommend this book for anyone looking for a good travel book told from one of those crazy fellas who wrap their legs around 500+ pounds of chrome and steel and wander the world.
July 1, 2019
The fun adventures of a serious British man driving his motorcycle all around the 1970s. (Honestly it's strange that a book published in 1979 can feel so completely like a thing from another age. What was originally a window onto the whole world is now a window onto a little patch of a foreign past.)
You get a little tired of Simon's weird obsession with being a Jungian mythmaker. But that's okay -- he also get's a little tired of writing the book, with each continent getting a shorter description than the previous one. Eventually, he just barrels from India to France in about five pages -- which must be a speed record, motorcycle or otherwise.
You get a little tired of Simon's weird obsession with being a Jungian mythmaker. But that's okay -- he also get's a little tired of writing the book, with each continent getting a shorter description than the previous one. Eventually, he just barrels from India to France in about five pages -- which must be a speed record, motorcycle or otherwise.
May 15, 2020
When I was a child I had the foolish idea that I too could some day be a great writer. And then I read something like this and realize I never had a chance.
Probably the best book I’ve ever read... and I’m not sure it’s even close. Absolutely brilliant writer and an incredible once in a humankind journey.
Probably the best book I’ve ever read... and I’m not sure it’s even close. Absolutely brilliant writer and an incredible once in a humankind journey.
August 6, 2022
They don't write travel books like they used to. This one, written before I was even born, is one of the best I've read!
March 30, 2023
1 man on a badly built Triumph twin cylinder rides round the world. If it can go wrong it will.he relies heavily on the kindness of strangers. (Street Car). Which never ceases to amaze8j him.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 6, 2025
Enjoyable read, author provides nice blend of landscape, politics, and people as he travels the world.
Weird ending - what the heck was all that about being God??
Weird ending - what the heck was all that about being God??
August 9, 2025
Good read, great story of the travel. The last section feels a little rushed and reflects the toll this journey took on the author. Would recommend for anyone interested in travel
September 1, 2025
A diary of a 64,000 mile ride around the world on a motorcycle by The Times’ journalist Ted Simon, in the 1970’s. It’s in equal parts about the events & adventures in the external world and, about his interesting thoughts and feelings. The most accessible part was about getting started, overcoming fears, accepting that not everything can be foreseen, relying on inner strength and unexpected help. He is aware that some of this help is because he’s an Englishman and this privilege forms a stark contrast to the hard lives of the many dirt poor indigenous people he encounters. I liked how he doesn’t try to create an arc connecting events, or force any meaning onto them and is pretty much stumbling through life. Now, that’s something I can relate to.
December 21, 2021
This was a curious book. It's much lauded by motorcyclists excited at the prospect of long-term travel via motorcycle. The author is engaging in interviews on his travels. The book is great in some moments, but generally written in a workman-like manner. Some passages are written poorly or worse; unintelligibly. I'm glad I finished it but don't know if I'd recommend it to others.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 358 reviews