Long Way Down: An Epic Journey by Motorcycle from Scotland to South Africa

by Ewan McGregor, Charley Boorman

Eighteen countries. Five shock absorbers.Two bikers. One amazing adventure... After their fantastic trip round the world in 2004, fellow actors and bike fanatics Ewan McGregor and Charley Boorman couldn't shake the travel bug. Inspired by their UNICEF visits to Africa, they knew they had to go back and experience this extraordinary continent in more depth.

And so they set off on their 15,000-mile journey with two new BMWs loaded up for the trip. Their route took them from John O'Groats at the northernmost tip of Scotland to Cape Agulhas on the southernmost tip of South Africa. Along the way they rode some of the toughest terrain in the world -- and met some of the friendliest people. They rode their bikes right up to the pyramids in Egypt and visited Luke Skywalker's house in Tunisia. They met people who had triumphed over terrifying experiences -- former childhood soldiers in Uganda and children living amidst the minefields of Ethiopia. They had a close encounter with a family of gorillas in Rwanda and were nearly trampled by a herd of elephants in Botswana. Riding through spectacular scenery, often in extreme temperatures, Ewan and Charley faced their hardest challenges yet. With their trademark humor and honesty they tell their story -- the drama, the dangers and sheer exhilaration of riding together again, through a continent filled with magic and wonder.

Genres: Travel, Nonfiction, Adventure, Africa, Memoir, Biography, Motorcycle

336 pages, Hardcover

Published July 15, 2008

About the author

Ewan Gordon McGregor is a Scottish actor. His accolades include a Golden Globe Award and a Primetime Emmy Award. In 2013, he was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) for his services to drama and charity.
While studying drama at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, McGregor began his career with a leading role in the British series Lipstick on Your Collar (1993). He gained stardom for starring as drug addict Mark Renton in Trainspotting (1996) and as Obi-Wan Kenobi in the Star Wars prequel trilogy (1999–2005). His career progressed with starring roles in the musical Moulin Rouge! (2001), action film Black Hawk Down (2001), fantasy film Big Fish (2003), and thriller Angels and Demons (2009). He gained praise for his performances in the thriller The Ghost Writer (2010) and romantic comedy Salmon Fishing in the Yemen (2011).
McGregor made his directorial debut with the crime film American Pastoral (2016), in which he also starred. For his dual role as brothers Ray and Emmit Stussy in the third season of the anthology series Fargo (2017), he won the Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Miniseries or Television Film. He voiced Lumière in Beauty and the Beast (2017), and played the title role in Christopher Robin (2018), Dan Torrance in Doctor Sleep (2019), and Black Mask in Birds of Prey (2020). He reprised his role as Kenobi in the 2022 miniseries Obi-Wan Kenobi, and won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie for his portrayal of fashion designer Halston in the miniseries Halston (2021).
McGregor has also starred in theatre productions of Guys and Dolls (2005–2007) and Othello (2007–2008). He has been involved in charity work and has served as an ambassador for UNICEF UK since 2004.

Reviews

[Brad · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ewan McGregor and Charley Boorman have lost some of their naivete in their second world stomping journey, and that innocence has given way to a touch of privilege that leads to some insufferable whining and a lot of indignance at the world's ills. This journey through Africa is more about making their Unicef dates than it is about discovering the world they're riding through (and that isn't a bad thing, necessarily, but it doesn change the dynamic that fans of the boys may find distracting), and that makes their own enjoyment suffer as much as ours. Still, by the time they reached Malawi and Ewan's wife Eve finally arrived, the boys had found a little bit of the joy that made Long Way Round such a joyful trip. Not nearly as good as the original, but still well worth the read if you like world travel, motorbikes and/or Obi Wan Kenobi.

[Rachel · Rating 3 out of 5]

In general I enjoyed this book. However, its odd that they spent so much time riding and writing about Europe when in fact the context is supposed to be a trip through Africa. Having just traveled in Ethiopia, I enjoyed that part the most. And they provided a glimpse into other regions that I hope to visit. Overall I feel that the authors are honest about their travels - like the irritation you feel when traveling for long periods of time with friends and family or the disgust at the raw smells and dirty sights you often find along the road, which made for some funny commentary.

[Thomas · Rating 1 out of 5]

There are just two books (I think) that have returned to the shelf without finishing reading. But this is the one that made me angry the most.

As someone who has taken long tours on a bicycle in Kenya and currently planning to do an Ethiopia-Malawi tour, I hoped that it would tell the stories about the struggles on the road that make one a tougher, better person in touch with the reality of the landscape that one passes through and the PEOPLE that are HUMAN and that inhabit that landscape. It wasn't to be. You just can't do a tour when you are being pampered and given security on all sides and booked into expensive hotels and made to meet United Nations hypocrites for expensive food and expect that you can tell an interesting story that doesn't make you look like a spoiled Western ruling-class hypocrite. It's not possible.

Did you get stung by scorpions, or get a puncture that you repaired all by yourself, or run out of water to the point of having hallucinations, or just something barely tough? No? Then don't tell us about it. Don't even write about it. And when you write don't sell it to humans.

That is not all but I'll stop.

[Writerlibrarian · Rating 2 out of 5]

A very weak 2 stars. The journal entries like style of "he said, he said" bored me to tears. It dragged the narrative down to a crawl and made a journey that was interesting boring.

There were parts that were worth it but they were so diluted in the incessant flow of boring, redundant informations that unfortunately the thrill of being on the road on motorbikes in Africa was lost unlike Long Way Round where you were there in Mongolia, on the Road of Bones.

Still white dudes on big expensive motorbikes on their boy's adventure in Africa is going to be problematic any way you look at it much more than Long Way Round which was more about adventure in the great wilderness.

[Amy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I didn't like this as much as Long Way Round. There was still a lot of amazing things that happened to them throughout this journey, but it didn't feel as monumental as the first journey. I am looking forward to seeing the show when it comes out on DVD.

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

ahhhhh boys. ahh boys ye did it again. good lads. ahhhh boys.

alright so first off i'll just say that i loved every single minute of long way round, definitely one of the most entertaining books i've ever read and quite literally couldn't put it down. bits of it had me crying laughing CRYING laughing i mean. it was fantastic. i have recommended it so many times. one of my favorite books and i don't even care at all about motorbikes. so i was really excited to read long way down.

it just.... isn't as good. with a few exceptions (there are moments that hint at the brilliance of the first book), the whole thing feels kind of unbalanced (and not just because they fall off their bikes like five times a chapter hahaha), and i'm not sure if it's because it's a sequel book about a sequel trip or if it's to do with the goal just being "scotland to cape town" which, let's be honest, isn't as cool as "circumnavigate the globe". idk. the banter is not up to scratch either. it was a real pity though because i feel like they could have captured the essence of all the different countries they went to a lot better, for example in long way round all the bits about ukraine and mongolia were extremely memorable and evocative of their people, but the only places i really felt that same in this book were maybe malawi, a bit of rwanda and when they were on the boat crossing the nile. i'll always remember the fellas with the kalashnikovs doing shots of vodka in ukraine but i just finished this book and i'm struggling to think of any characters that really came alive for me. would have liked if they'd focused on painting a fuller picture. 10/10 for "clouds" though, i love him.

but yeah so it was an ok read but it took me a while to get through because i'd read a chapter or two and go off and do something else, whereas for long way round i was reading in lectures and on the bus and walking down the stairs in the morning and at 2am and everywhere else you can think of. long way down is not a pageturner. but it was nice to meet up with my old friends ewan and charley to see how they're doing.

basically: read long way ROUND, not long way DOWN!

[Robin · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm not sure how I feel about this book other than I still really like Ewan McGregor and their travels are interesting (except do we really need to know that Ewan had to purchase new underwear because the ones he brought pinched his bum?). What's interesting about this book is that this book wasn't published when it was supposed to and was a number of months late. I often wonder why, and after reading about 1/4 of the book, am thinking that perhaps the writing needed to be fleshed out a little (see underwear comment above-pun not intended) as it doesn't seem to be as well done as their first book, LONG WAY ROUND. Nevertheless, I am reserving final judgment until I finish the book and will give a final report.

UPDATE: I finished this but have to say I wasn't as impressed with this journey as I was with the first, LONG WAY ROUND. I don't think this book had a ghostwriter and I felt the writing got a little clunky although there were times when the authors' own voices lent a certain charm to a passage or comment. I do want to watch the TV series so will try to get through Amazon or Netflix.

[Redfox5 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ewan and Charley are back on their bikes for another trip. This time from John O'Groats in Scotland to Cape Town in South Africa. I really want to watch the TV show now, I hope it's on Netflix!

I loved the stories from their travels, even if they both could be a bit grumpy at times although I felt it was less than it was in 'Long Way Round'. When they met up with the charities, I was really moved by what happened to the people, especially the child soldiers. What a horrific thing to do to people, the cruelty of man is awful.

It's balanced out though by the kindness of man, these strangers shared what little they had with the guys and they didn't encounter any trouble on their trip. It's such a shame that politics has taken most of these places off detestation lists as they sound like wonderful places and the tourism would really help boost the economy.

A book for people who love bikes travel or Ewen McGregor.

[Allie · Rating 1 out of 5]

I read this book while travelling through the countries that it covered, which was the only thing that kept me turning pages. That, and it was the only unread book that I had with me.

I can't stand regurgitated conversations in books - 'he said this, and I replied, no, that!', etc. It's a personal irritation, I guess, but I find it lazy, unbelievable, and reminiscent of my diary as a 13 year old. This book was a collection of re-told interactions and, while I'm sure it's as awesome to watch as the Long Way Round, the book just didn't do it for me.

[Larry Jonas · Rating 1 out of 5]

God what a crappy book. The only reason I finished it was 1) I love motorcycles and 2) I like travel narratives. I really liked THE LONG WAY AROUND PBS series and thought this book would be good. Both McGregor and Boorman are whiny and self-absorbed. They are remarkably incurious and culturally tone-deaf to the culture they travel through- bordering on racism. My only consolation was that I bought the book as a remainder, thereby depriving the authors of undeserved royalties.

[Bmedley]

Good book. Did not enjoy it as much as their first book Long Way Round.

[Mary · Rating 4 out of 5]

Having been fascinated by Africa for many years, I watched Long Way Down before Long Way Round, and am following the same pattern with the books. Yes, I am aware I am doing this all out of sequence.

Reading along as they traveled, it was wonderful to see the experiences Ewan and Charley had through their own eyes. Not everyone has such an opportunity, be it due to time, money, or both. I think it's great that they had such an opportunity to experience the world in such a way, and took it. Was it completely on their own? No. They had a film crew with them, a team medic, a guy who handled security (if needed), and fixers for each country. People may scoff at that, but let's not forget that Ewan is a known actor, which could have labeled him as a target, especially since this trip was publicized and people around the world were tracking the boys. Was it likely that something would have happened? Obviously not; both men were safe and the most danger they faced seemed to be with sandstorms, kids throwing rocks, and false charges from an elephant.

I loved reading about road obstacles that were overcome, meeting fellow travelers on the road, and really seeing Ewan and Charley in their element. I wound up forgetting about the actor Ewan McGregor, and just appreciated the person Ewan McGregor, and reading his thoughts and experiences, and seeing his genuine love for what was around him. I was not familiar with Charley prior to watching the series, but really enjoyed him. Although Eve wasn't everyone's favorite, and admittedly I was hesitant about Eve joining when I watched the series, I found that I loved her inclusion. I felt that she represented those of us who don't ride, but would love a chance like this. Well done for her that she learned how to ride so she could experience at least a small portion of this with her husband and give us a bit of insight as to what it would be like for a brand new rider.

I will admit there were a few things that could have been written better. First, I would have loved to have read more about their experiences with the people, because it was amazing to get glimpses into how they lived and reading about their personal histories. So much life, love towards complete strangers, hurt, and ultimately: hope. But, understandably, time was limited and therefore the writing was to be affected by that. Second, the last chapter felt very rushed. I'm reading about how the journey is coming to an end, and next thing I know, I'm on the last page and it's all over. I would have loved more thoughts reflecting on the journey as they approached Cape Town.

I'm not really sure what people are reading to criticize it so harshly. Is there some complaining? Sure. Who hasn't gone on a long road trip without a few complaints? Now imagine doing that day after day, hundreds of miles a day, with little rest, few showers, and really not knowing where you'll be camping that night. It does take its toll. When this is not your every day life that you would be so adjusted to it, a complaint is bound to pop up. But I loved that it was never dragged out to the point of sensationalism (even the show stopped filming so they could work things out - something most reality shows would NEVER do as they thrive on conflict). They resolved their differences and complaints, realizing they were petty, and ultimately appreciated everything they were doing and understood just how blessed they were. If that's insufferable, or spoiled, or privileged...so be it. These are men who are being honest about themselves and their faults, own up to them, and see that there are people who have much less than them but still show genuine kindness and hospitality to them. It clearly humbled them. As for reviews that criticize how Ewan and Charley traveled with "humblebrags" that declare how their way is the only way - well, I find it very disappointing that an equally privileged person (because if you can travel from one country to another just for touring, you're privileged) would harshly come down on a fellow traveler. Who cares how people are experiencing this world? The fact is that they left their comfort zone and went out to see the world. That's more than most people in our lives can say. If anyone feels Ewan and Charley shouldn't have written about their experiences, then I invite that person to write a book because I honestly would love to know how vastly different Africa is to someone who bikes on their own vs how Ewan and Charley went. Honestly, I would love to see another perspective on it.

I truly did enjoy this book and look forward to reading Long Way Round. Although I will be going backwards in time in a way, it will be nice to "get back on the road" with Ewan and Charley. I woke up this morning missing my daily travels with them as I read through this book, which made me realize they did a good job making this about a couple of guys biking down through Africa, rather than making it all pomp and circumstance. The latter would have felt fake. I know so much is involved in these trips and it takes away a lot of time from their families, but I do hope they do another Long Way. Many of us are ready to go on another journey with them.

[Kyle Tepper · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another fantastic read. Again making me want to jump out and hit the open road. Did a Greta job highlighting how difficult the roads were in Africa and highlighting the great charity work being done on the continent.

[Beth Bonini · Rating 3 out of 5]

This travelogue has an alternating POV between Charley and Ewan, and while their voices can be quite endearing and down-to-earth and even humorous, I thought that their entries would have benefitted from some judicious editing. It's like reading someone's diary with all of the boring parts left in. The book doesn't really come to life until the pair reach Africa -- and there was way too much journey build-up for my taste. I didn't really mind the way the book plugs their UNICEF projects; that is, of course, the point of the whole project. But at its best, the travel project offers a perspective on what will be, for most of us, distant and exotic lands. Very few of us will get to visit places like Libya, (and few of us will want to, frankly). But the men's experiences of places like Rwanda, which are so different from the brutal internecine conflict the country is best known for, make this travel book worthwhile. Personally, I would never want to travel by motorcycle, but I do think it has its appeal in a travel book. As with walking, you see so much along the way -- and are involved in the landscape/weather, rather than being shielded from it. Interestingly, the pair do not shy away from moaning about privations/discomforts -- or from talking about how much they miss their families. It makes for a well-balanced presentation of travelling, pros and cons, rather than an idealised one. Although the two men are more alike than different, there is an interesting (and ongoing) difference about how they approach the trip. Throughout the book, Charley and Ewan tend to argue about the pace of their travels (is it the journey or the destination that is most important?) -- and I think all travellers tend to fall into one of the two camps. Something about that ongoing argument just lent an element of universality to the whole project. Recommended, especially, for male readers (14+) -- no getting around the blokey tone of the writing -- but this travel book would also appeal to anyone who wants to know a bit more about Africa.

[Chris Steeden · Rating 3 out of 5]

12-MAY-2007 John O' Groats, Scotland. Ewan and Charley argue, bitch, whine and enjoy themselves travelling on motorbikes to London, France, Italy (Rome and Naples). In Italy they see what appears to be a pyramid modelled on the Egyptian ones. It is the pyramid of Cestius a Roman who decided to be buried Pharaoh-style after Rome had conquered Egypt. Journey carries on down to the port of Trapani where they get a boat to Tunis. At El Jem there is an ancient coliseum that is 1700 years old and the Romans held gladiatorial games here. While in Tunisia they visit Matmata where George Lucas filmed the first Star Wars movie. Into Lybia and Leptis Magna which was established in 100BC. A native of Leptis Magna was Septimius Sererus who became Emperor of Rome. They visit the war graves at Tobruk and then into Egypt where they see the pyramids and sphinx. Then they move onto Valley of the Kings where, for 500 years, the rulers of Egypt's new kingdom constructed their tombs. This is where Tutankhamen was found. They go on through the desert of Sudan to Khartoum where the White Nile meets the Blue Nile. From the desert the land becomes more green and lush in Ethiopia. They have to have armed guards in Kenya where they cross the equator and into coffee-growing Uganda.They see children who have been displaced by the Lords Resistance Army led by the brutal Joseph Kony (I recommend the book 'The Wizard of the Nile by Matthew Green for more on Kony). They meet the president Paul Kagame in Rwanda. Through Tanzania and into Malawi, In 1859 Dr Livingstone reached Lake Malawi and was apparently the first European to see it. In Zambia they see the Zambeze river and the mighty Victoria Falls (largest falls in the world). Botswana then Namibia and the Skeleton Coast until finally reaching Cape Town, South Africa.

[Greg · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another good read from the authors of Long Way Round. Charley Boorman and Ewan McGregor take the long way down from northernmost Scotland to the southern tip of Africa by motorcycle. Along the way they encounter and confront their own fears, rough terrain, breakdowns, interpersonal conflict, politics, poverty, and good people everywhere. They seemed a bit more negative in this book than the last, but not so much that it detracted much from the narrative.

Again, they ride for charity as well as for their own enjoyment, specifically UNICEF, Rider's for Health, and Children's Hospice Association of Scotland. UNICEF is well known, but I was especially intrigued by Rider's for Health. This organization provides and maintains small all-terrain vehicles, primarily motorcycles, for locally-based doctors, nurses, and health technicians in Africa who use them to get into the remote reaches of the country and provide much needed healthcare. They are dedicated and consider routine hardships that would cause many of the rest of us to simply give up. What a group!

Ewan's and Charley's recollections of people and places and experiences are, as they would say, "brilliant," and once again it made me want to get on my own bike and go see the world. I must admit, though, that I would prefer to travel on good roads.

[Tom · Rating 1 out of 5]

As Dorothy Parker put it, this is not a book to be put aside lightly - it should be thrown away with great force. Self-indulgent twaddle, endless bollocks about missing their wives while they go off on their great Boys' Own Adventure. I rarely give up on a book, but this one was abandoned just as they got to Northern Africa.

I remember chatting with a drunk wee Glasgow man, who was wearing his slippers, on a Friday night in Heraghty's. (A wee Irish pub in Glasgow). He was drinking steadily, and waving a wee striped plastic bag, telling anyone who would listen "This is smokies for the wife's tea. She's the crown jewels to me, aye. My wee darlin." This was at 7pm. The fishmongers closes at 4:30, so we deduced that he had nipped out to get the smokies, in his slippers, and then nipped into Heraghty's for a quick one, and was still there some long time after she would have had something else for her tea. We were all thinking "If you love her so much, why don't you go back and tell her ? (and take her the smokies) "

Similarly, if Ewan & Charlie are going to go on SO MUCH about missing their wives ....

[Rebecca · Rating 3 out of 5]

Funny enough, the day after I finished this book I was watching the morning news and Charley Boorman, who is a co-author of this book, was on his own adventure of traveling from Scotland to Australia by ground only, was finishing his latest adventure in Sydney that day! How funny is that? Unfortunatly, I didn't get to hunt him down. Oh well, next time.

Anyway, this book is a sequel to another book that he and Ewan wrote a few years back except this one took them from the tippy-top of Scotland down to the bottom of S. Africa on motorcycles. These books are good things. They do good as they travel and bring awareness to causes that normally don't get any coverage. Probably the only thing I have to complain about is the amount of stuff they carry when they travel. Since they are celebrities when they travel, they have like whole support crews, where if something goes wrong, someone is there to fix it. They would write about people who they met on the road, now they are real travelers. They are traveling like them, minus the road crew. They talk about things that could go wrong, but with the amount of people traveling with them, really what can? And of course, nothing does.

Grade: C

[Reena · Rating 4 out of 5]

’You too, mate,’ I said, ‘you too.’

Last line from Long Way Down by Ewan McGregor and Charley Boorman. Loved Ewan and Charley’s Long Way Round, so it’s about time I read this. As with Long Way Round, I preferred Charley’s voice to Ewan’s because he moans less (though it’s the opposite on screen.)

In terms of the journey, there was more of a sense of place in Long Way Round than Long Way Down. Long Way Round had me itching to follow the same route. However, this left me with only particular places I want to go visit, such as Rwanda (must be the appeal of those cute gorillas.)

Seeing as they travelled the length of Africa, the guys couldn’t avoid witnessing the effects of politics, for instance the genocide in Rwanda, which had me remembering another good book (and film,) An Ordinary Man: The True Story Behind Hotel Rwanda by Paul Rusesabagina. Speaking about Darfur, Charley says,

“For every warmongering, power-hungry psychopath there are hundreds of normal people going about their business quietly ensuring the human race retains some dignity.”

Unfortunately, his words are applicable to too many current situations.

P.S. I’d love to see Lola, true beauty!

[Chana · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book, really loved and appreciated it, the positive attitude and usual high spirits of these guys, their compassion, patience and good works in the world. Inspiring! The biking is intense, particularly all the off-road and that incredible sand storm. Ewan kept at it even when he fell repeatedly, Charley kept at it even when his hands were aching terribly. 15.000 miles, much of it through rural Africa. Many nights camping in the bush. All the way for the children of the world who live in impoverished, diseased and warring countries. kol hakavod (all the respect)! yasher koach (may you have strength)! You guys rock!
Also, I didn't know who Ewan was, don't watch movies. So my daughter put on Moulin Rouge for me and I must say I am very, very impressed. I'd like to see more, including Long Way Around.

[Adriana · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book. I’d already watched the TV show, so I knew most of the big moments and things, but it’s so great to read what the adventure is like from their perspective on the road. They both do a great job at describing how different each country is and letting you share in the experience of meeting people along the way.
Perhaps the best parts are when they visit UNICEF and RIDERS. Little goodwill and awareness visits that show the reader what’s being done in Africa to help and why it needs to be done. It’s a tad depressing but it definitely amps the readers knowledge and might inspire some to learn how they can help.
It also turned out to be a great book for learning things about Africa and its nations. We get to hear a little bit about each country they visit and it actually got me curious enough to some research on some of them. So it’s educational!

[Andy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book thoroughly.

I did not realize until after I picked up the book that this is actually the second journey/book Ewan McGregor and Charley Boorman had done. The previous book, "Long way Round" is now on reserve at the library and I will be reading it next. Fortunately it did not really matter that I'm reading them out of order. The two motorcycle journeys are completely independent of each other.

Reading this book brought back so many memories of riding motorcycles though the desert in my younger (much younger) days. But the book is not just about riding. It's a facinating story about the people they meet along the way, as well as the history and politics of Africa.

Strongly recommended for anyone that likes travel journals.

[Robert Fenske · Rating 2 out of 5]

An okay supplement for the "Long Way" series with Ewan McGregor and Charley Boorman as they traverse Northern Scotland to the tip of South Africa. The real appeal of the book are the several small events that never made it into the televised show and the more introspective thoughts in these diaries.

But for everything this book does right, it's all undone by a strange pacing of it all. Once they reach Ethiopia (about the halfway point on their journey) the book starts to go at a near breakneck speed. Long Way Round created a sense of truly being there with the lads every step of the way that isn't captured in Long Way Down.

For those interested in recreating the trip or wanting to deep dive there is a worthwhile appendix that. lists equipment and the route traversed.

[Seracer2003 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Much like Long Way Round, this book is set with "the boys" going down through Africa. I thought it was more of the same kinds of issues and dramas, but it was all overshadowed by an amazing look into the lives of real people from those nations. I think sometimes everyone is afraid of Africa, and some places are dangerous, but the culture and energy of the place just totally came thorugh in this piece.

I read the book and am in the middle of the series. I think that's the order to do it in! Again, when traveling and culture are involved I'm sold! I learn a lot about places, and start planning trips!

[Julie · Rating 2 out of 5]

I read their first book, "Long Way Around" and liked it which is why I picked this one up when I saw it at the library. Unlike the other book, this one was just whiny and self-indulgent. There was just one complaint after another from someone's underwear chafing to there being too much rain or sun or sand or gravel. The fun of exploration was just not there. And if I had to read one more time about Charley Boorman and his selfish wheelies (after he was asked to please not do them for his own safety as well as that of the other members of the expedition), I was ready to hurl the book across the room.

[Bfg1971 · Rating 2 out of 5]

Oh noes, dirt. Oh noes, sand. Oh noes, they gots the HIV. Oh noes, it's hot. That pretty much sums up "Long Way Down."

I thoroughly enjoyed "Long Way Round" but I think I just finished LWD so I could avoid putting it on my shelf-o-shame. Once they got through Libya I just lost interest in the book. There were not the same kind of wacky adventures that were had in LWR.

I applaud their work on behalf of the charity organizations but I'm not sure that I'll be reading "Long Way on the Z-Axis" if that ends up happening.

[Matthew · Rating 2 out of 5]

Long Way Round somehow gave you a feel that despite all the support crews this was genuinely just 2 guys on bikes having the trip of a lifetime. This sequel trip however really doesn't. They have a whole army of support staff including an SAS man and a Doctor, they're only riding their bikes for crying out loud. The worst aspect also has to be Ewan's father his brother and his mother all turning up and worst of all his bloody annoying wife! It's written quite poorly as well and becomes quite boring, only the genuine beauty of Africa kept me interested.

[Simon · Rating 1 out of 5]

I have a rule that I don't allow myself to give up once I've started a book. The rule was put to the test. The first book sort of had a point to it. This one didn't. Also the fact that Ewan McGregor's sections are almost readable make the other fellows twaddle completely unreadable. If there is a competition for a pointless person I reckon Charley would be in with a chance.
"Hello Charley. And what do you do?"
"I know Ewan McGregor."
"Yes, fine. But what is it you do?"
"I know Ewan McGregor."

[Susan · Rating 2 out of 5]

I suppose of you knew who these two were or really loved motorcycles, this would be a better book. But for me it was a disappointment.

They rushed through the whole continent barely stopping and then proceeded to have opinions on everything. When clearly they know nothing.

Also it irritated me that it read a bit like a journal without any editing (I'll look this up when I get home but no update - why did you include this then?) There is also a ton of self promotion and crap about how important they are - they are clearly very arrogant!

[Lois · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really wanted to enjoy this book, as I had enjoyed 'Long Way Round', but there was no pattern to the narrative, it was as if the script for the TV series was converted into a book. I found myself skipping pages to avoid the dreary descriptions and abominal grammer. Sorry boy's, i love the TV series and the 'charidee' work you guys have managed to complete, but leave writing to Ghostwriters - or if this was written by a Ghostwriter fire him/her !!!!