What do you think?
Rate this book
In Search of Greener Grass: Riding from Reality towards Dreams and Finding Fulfillment
“Well, now I’m committed,” he thought to himself after telling a national TV game show audience that he wanted to ride a motorcycle to Mongolia with his winnings. He felt the fear that commitment always induced in him; he was hoping they might have edited that bit out. Commitments are something he tried to get as far away from as possible, the only other constants in his life being twenty-five years of financial prudence, travel and motorcycle obsession.So there he was, committed to going very, very far on a motorcycle with his meager prize money. Consequently, he spent a winter on eBay and a spring in the garage preparing his $1000 KLR 650 for an uncertain life on the road. Armed with a cynical humor, a strong sense of direction, a vague sense of balance, and no sense of proportion, he embarked on a 15,000-mile solo motorcycle ride to see what would break first; bike, body, or budget. Leaving an indifferent existence in England behind he headed east, looking for purpose, a new life, and a new location to live it. He was in search of greener grass.
Audible Audio
First published April 10, 2012
15 people are currently reading
132 people want to read
About the author
Graham Field
11 books11 followersFree audio book for instant download from my website.
Graham is a compulsive traveller, with a compelling manner of brutal honesty of integrity. His books are authentic experiences from his 37 years of diaries, kept as he's meandered around the planet from foot to bicycle, to motorbike to four wheels.
Travel on his mind, bikes in his blood and little in his wallet, Graham's low budget journeys of humour and honesty have inspired many to hit the road in search of their dreams. A solo traveller at heart, his observations take his readers with him to Mongolia, Iraq, the Arctic Circle and many other distant destinations.
With a life time of travel anecdotes and hard earned wisdom, Graham's view of the planet is unique and contagious.
Graham is the author of eight books, which are all available as audiobooks. Twice nominated as 'most inspiring adventurer' by Adventure Bike TV. He was a resident co-host on Adventure Rider Radio RAW for five years with Sam Manicom and Grant Johnson of Horizons Unlimited. He has written articles for various publications worldwide.
Graham is a compulsive traveller, with a compelling manner of brutal honesty of integrity. His books are authentic experiences from his 37 years of diaries, kept as he's meandered around the planet from foot to bicycle, to motorbike to four wheels.
Travel on his mind, bikes in his blood and little in his wallet, Graham's low budget journeys of humour and honesty have inspired many to hit the road in search of their dreams. A solo traveller at heart, his observations take his readers with him to Mongolia, Iraq, the Arctic Circle and many other distant destinations.
With a life time of travel anecdotes and hard earned wisdom, Graham's view of the planet is unique and contagious.
Graham is the author of eight books, which are all available as audiobooks. Twice nominated as 'most inspiring adventurer' by Adventure Bike TV. He was a resident co-host on Adventure Rider Radio RAW for five years with Sam Manicom and Grant Johnson of Horizons Unlimited. He has written articles for various publications worldwide.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
October 11, 2012
I liked this book.
I've read a couple of reviews who have criticised Graham for (?) not liking Russia and for writing about it negatively. It's true that he does. However, anyone who have overlanded to any serious degree will know each journey is a product of a specific road and a specific time for a specific person. Thus I liked the fact that he wrote what HE experienced - warts and all. I don't think he does it in any 'self-obsessed' way - he simply wrote honestly about what he was going through.
It's true that people will love some countries while others hate them. It is the way it is. Some people enjoy struggling along with no language and not knowing what the hell is going on around them and others like something else; a smile, a handshake, an offer of some companionship. To me, he is just an ordinary guy having a go at something most people will only ever dream of doing - riding so far, on their own, making it up as they go along.
Graham comes across in the text as very much a loner who likes to share his space when he wants to share his space and I could appreciate that. Again, I too never liked 'dorm' situations listening to other people snoring! Not for me thank you.
I particularly liked his honesty about what he felt when he was camping out in the wilds on his own - again, I understood it. Sometimes people may think that going overland on a motorcycle across countries like Mongolia and Russia is all glamour and 'Long Way Round' - it isn't. It's hard, grueling, and sometimes downright scary. And he writes about it. I like that. And he did it with a limited budget on an Ebay special. Hats off to him.
The writing style itself is easy to get along with, flowing along through the ebbs and flows of a journey where end products are always unknown. Making it up as he went along - it felt 'real' to me.
So, for me, well worth a read and buy. I liked it. Nuff said.
I've read a couple of reviews who have criticised Graham for (?) not liking Russia and for writing about it negatively. It's true that he does. However, anyone who have overlanded to any serious degree will know each journey is a product of a specific road and a specific time for a specific person. Thus I liked the fact that he wrote what HE experienced - warts and all. I don't think he does it in any 'self-obsessed' way - he simply wrote honestly about what he was going through.
It's true that people will love some countries while others hate them. It is the way it is. Some people enjoy struggling along with no language and not knowing what the hell is going on around them and others like something else; a smile, a handshake, an offer of some companionship. To me, he is just an ordinary guy having a go at something most people will only ever dream of doing - riding so far, on their own, making it up as they go along.
Graham comes across in the text as very much a loner who likes to share his space when he wants to share his space and I could appreciate that. Again, I too never liked 'dorm' situations listening to other people snoring! Not for me thank you.
I particularly liked his honesty about what he felt when he was camping out in the wilds on his own - again, I understood it. Sometimes people may think that going overland on a motorcycle across countries like Mongolia and Russia is all glamour and 'Long Way Round' - it isn't. It's hard, grueling, and sometimes downright scary. And he writes about it. I like that. And he did it with a limited budget on an Ebay special. Hats off to him.
The writing style itself is easy to get along with, flowing along through the ebbs and flows of a journey where end products are always unknown. Making it up as he went along - it felt 'real' to me.
So, for me, well worth a read and buy. I liked it. Nuff said.
March 28, 2024
There is a new addition to the Tiger Coward Adventure Motorcycle Library, In Search of Greener Grass by Graham Field.
This is a brilliant daily travel journal that takes us on a 105-day journey from England to South Korea. I loved this book!
My executive summary is that this is a story of an optimistic cynic who is an experienced traveler and motorcyclist, but rookie overlander. It is not surprising that this book is popular because it is so good.
The fact that I liked this book so much is as much an enigma as the author. I tend to be a positive person and subscribe to the adage; "if you don't have anything nice to say, then don't say anything at all." However, Field doesn't filter his thoughts, compliments, and especially not his criticisms. All are well articulated and very funny.
The author's greatest criticisms are of people like me. He is not a fan of overdressed, over planned, over teched riders on overpriced modern bikes. I will surely chuckle the next time I put my trip spreadsheet in the pocket of my Klim riding suit after I load the trip plan onto the Garmin XT on my Tiger 1200!
I would love to ride with Graham, if only to experience his disdain. 🤣
Disdain aside, there is so much to love about this book, and here are my top 5 things that I loved:
1. Graham Field himself.
Graham Field is a legend! He is the author of several books, a presenter at bike shows, and until recently, a co-panelist on the monthly Adventure Rider Radio Raw monthly podcast.
He has been a motorcycle enthusiast since he was a boy, an owner of an array of motorcycles, a bicycle traveler, and a backpacker.
He portrays himself as an everyday guy and novice traveler, but this is a ruse. He is an experienced and deeply insightful world traveler with a brilliantly cheeky sense of humour.
There is so much to admire about Graham Field, even if it doesn't appear that he admires those things in himself.
2. The humour.
I found this book to be laugh out loud funny. The author's descriptions of people and sights, whether they be good or bad, are brilliantly funny.
The funniest of all is the self-deprecating humor as Field describes his triumphs and challenges.
Be prepared to laugh!
3. The background story.
Astonishingly, the story begins with Field being a successful contestant on a British game show. With the winnings from that endeavor and a year of relentless savings, he had enough money to buy a dirt cheap motorcycle and set out on an epic trip with a £50 per day budget.
To keep costs at a minimum, accessorizing was kept to a minimum. An example of this is that instead of buying a tool kit holder, he strapped his toilet brush holder to the frame of his bike and put his tools in that. What a legend!
He camps, stays mostly at cheap hotels, and couch surfs liberally. He says never invite him to stay if you don't mean it, because he will surely take you up on the offer. On that note, Graham, you have an open invite to stay with Tiger Barb and I if you are ever in Central Ontario.
Absolutely brilliant and epic.
4. His honesty about his skills and anxiety.
The author has ridden Harley Davidson tourers and choppers, sport bikes, and now an Adventure Bike, but he is honest about his skills and the mistakes that he makes. That makes the story relatable and the author accessible.
He is also honest about the butterflies that he gets when heading somewhere new and his anxiety when he is on the road. I can certainly relate to that. I worry so much that sometimes I worry that I have nothing to worry about.
His honesty about his emotions on and off the bike is a key element of making this story so good.
5. His abrasiveness.
Now, don't freak out. In the 2024 culture of being outraged about everything, all of the time, some will find Field's abrassiveness too much. I liked it.
The book is 10 years old, and the author isn't a politician or a leader who is expected to speak, live, and write without offending people, and he doesn't even try.
He is a motorcycle rider who finds women attractive, rudeness unattractive, and he expresses his opinions openly.
He honestly describes his experiences with culture, bureaucracy, and people. Both positively and negatively.
Perhaps I found this attractive because it is a contrast to the current climate of being offended all the time, about everything, or it could be because his observations are expertly expressed and delightfully funny. Either way, I liked it, and I laughed a lot.
In summary, I liked everything about this book and I recommend it!
I am currently reading Notes From the Road Vol. III, by Derek Mansfield.
This is a brilliant daily travel journal that takes us on a 105-day journey from England to South Korea. I loved this book!
My executive summary is that this is a story of an optimistic cynic who is an experienced traveler and motorcyclist, but rookie overlander. It is not surprising that this book is popular because it is so good.
The fact that I liked this book so much is as much an enigma as the author. I tend to be a positive person and subscribe to the adage; "if you don't have anything nice to say, then don't say anything at all." However, Field doesn't filter his thoughts, compliments, and especially not his criticisms. All are well articulated and very funny.
The author's greatest criticisms are of people like me. He is not a fan of overdressed, over planned, over teched riders on overpriced modern bikes. I will surely chuckle the next time I put my trip spreadsheet in the pocket of my Klim riding suit after I load the trip plan onto the Garmin XT on my Tiger 1200!
I would love to ride with Graham, if only to experience his disdain. 🤣
Disdain aside, there is so much to love about this book, and here are my top 5 things that I loved:
1. Graham Field himself.
Graham Field is a legend! He is the author of several books, a presenter at bike shows, and until recently, a co-panelist on the monthly Adventure Rider Radio Raw monthly podcast.
He has been a motorcycle enthusiast since he was a boy, an owner of an array of motorcycles, a bicycle traveler, and a backpacker.
He portrays himself as an everyday guy and novice traveler, but this is a ruse. He is an experienced and deeply insightful world traveler with a brilliantly cheeky sense of humour.
There is so much to admire about Graham Field, even if it doesn't appear that he admires those things in himself.
2. The humour.
I found this book to be laugh out loud funny. The author's descriptions of people and sights, whether they be good or bad, are brilliantly funny.
The funniest of all is the self-deprecating humor as Field describes his triumphs and challenges.
Be prepared to laugh!
3. The background story.
Astonishingly, the story begins with Field being a successful contestant on a British game show. With the winnings from that endeavor and a year of relentless savings, he had enough money to buy a dirt cheap motorcycle and set out on an epic trip with a £50 per day budget.
To keep costs at a minimum, accessorizing was kept to a minimum. An example of this is that instead of buying a tool kit holder, he strapped his toilet brush holder to the frame of his bike and put his tools in that. What a legend!
He camps, stays mostly at cheap hotels, and couch surfs liberally. He says never invite him to stay if you don't mean it, because he will surely take you up on the offer. On that note, Graham, you have an open invite to stay with Tiger Barb and I if you are ever in Central Ontario.
Absolutely brilliant and epic.
4. His honesty about his skills and anxiety.
The author has ridden Harley Davidson tourers and choppers, sport bikes, and now an Adventure Bike, but he is honest about his skills and the mistakes that he makes. That makes the story relatable and the author accessible.
He is also honest about the butterflies that he gets when heading somewhere new and his anxiety when he is on the road. I can certainly relate to that. I worry so much that sometimes I worry that I have nothing to worry about.
His honesty about his emotions on and off the bike is a key element of making this story so good.
5. His abrasiveness.
Now, don't freak out. In the 2024 culture of being outraged about everything, all of the time, some will find Field's abrassiveness too much. I liked it.
The book is 10 years old, and the author isn't a politician or a leader who is expected to speak, live, and write without offending people, and he doesn't even try.
He is a motorcycle rider who finds women attractive, rudeness unattractive, and he expresses his opinions openly.
He honestly describes his experiences with culture, bureaucracy, and people. Both positively and negatively.
Perhaps I found this attractive because it is a contrast to the current climate of being offended all the time, about everything, or it could be because his observations are expertly expressed and delightfully funny. Either way, I liked it, and I laughed a lot.
In summary, I liked everything about this book and I recommend it!
I am currently reading Notes From the Road Vol. III, by Derek Mansfield.
March 4, 2023
I met Graham at the BMF in Peterborough while selling his second book Ureka. He recommended I read this book first. I'm glad I did because it is the best book I've ever read. Brutally honest and very funny. It set the seed to my own travelling and made me realise just how doable it could be. £5000 from a game show and an £800 motorbike from eBay already had me hooked. I really felt invested in the journey and was so completely lost in the book that I really thought I was in Mongolia, until the school kids started making lots of noise in the cafe I happened to be in at the time. I was sad to reach the end. It was a genuine insight into solo travel across different countries for an extended period of time. Meeting Graham was my first experience of this and seeing him enthusiastically chatting about the trip was inspiring. The dream of doing a trip of my own is still there all because of that meeting and reading this book. Monklet, his mascot was a great way to break the ice and I thought it was an unusual item to pack, but it worked. Monklet ended up being one of the memorable bits of the book among other things, but I won't spoil the fun here. I have re-read this book a couple of times.
Some people may not like the chronological way it is written, but I liked the diary format because it gave you a sense of how much you can do in a day while travelling and the difficulties you may and do encounter along the way. I'm not sure I would have felt any different about Russia had I experienced what Graham did there. It is an individual perspective and a certain amount of respect is due. It's a big country to be riding solo without backup.
Some people may not like the chronological way it is written, but I liked the diary format because it gave you a sense of how much you can do in a day while travelling and the difficulties you may and do encounter along the way. I'm not sure I would have felt any different about Russia had I experienced what Graham did there. It is an individual perspective and a certain amount of respect is due. It's a big country to be riding solo without backup.
May 14, 2020
I just finished In Search of Greener Grass. I love the honest and raw take on overland motorcycle travel, and Graham's humor throughout the book. Often times authors only focus on the good things that happen throughout a trip and quickly gloss over the things that do not go so well, or go outright badly. It is refreshing to hear the emotions Graham goes through when he talks about both the good and bad throughout a trip. He also accurately captures the vastly different types of people that you meet while on the road, from those who are truly out to experience the people and countries they travel through, to those who seem to only travel to "tick the box" to say they have done it, and do not seem interested in what is happening around them.
I would definitely recommend In Search of Greener Grass for anyone who loves travel and wants a raw unadulterated look into overland motorcycle travel
I would definitely recommend In Search of Greener Grass for anyone who loves travel and wants a raw unadulterated look into overland motorcycle travel
November 22, 2024
This is my absolute favourite book of Graham's. I like it so much that I'll probably read this again and again (and I don't often read a book twice!). I also keep buying copies for friends (bikers and non-bikers) as I know a wide variety of people will enjoy reading it.
The book is very real, you follow Graham through his journey across wilderness and his description of others and situations he encounters really makes me laugh! This book gets under the surface of travel and adventure and will inspire you to get out there too.
The book is very real, you follow Graham through his journey across wilderness and his description of others and situations he encounters really makes me laugh! This book gets under the surface of travel and adventure and will inspire you to get out there too.
January 3, 2023
I think a person that is or is not a motorcyclist would enjoy this book The author lets you see his real feeling about his journey and those he meets. His honesty is sometimes brutal but always refreshing. I think Graham Field is an amazing story teller and takes you along on his adventure to experience the joy and the pain of overland travel. A book well worth the time to read.
October 13, 2019
Suffers a bit from the "I went here and did this, then I went there and did that" style of travel writing. Although the places Graham went and things he did there were interesting to read, the narrative is restricted by chronology so his ideas never fully come to fruition.
November 1, 2024
A man won some money and took off on a motorcycle. The story ebbs and flows and you really feel exasperated when Graham is frustrated with the local traffic signage or the inability to just find basic needs as he moves through his journey. If reading this doesn't spark your wanderlust nothing will.
August 16, 2019
Brilliantly written and utterly inspirational. You could touch the grasslands of Mongolia in this book.
March 13, 2020
Loved reading this book. I really liked the way he writes and felt a connection. He makes you feel like you are on his journey with him and can relate to his passion for motorbikes.
January 23, 2022
Awesome story about Graham's motorcycle trip from the UK to Mongolia. His story makes a journey of this kind look achievable. The way Graham writes is witty and fun!
July 25, 2022
I listened to this book while driving, and for a couple of hours, the wheel morphed into a clutch I gave gas to. The whole adventure felt so vivid that I could see the wild Mongolian horses running besides me on the hills - even while I was on barren land.
April 28, 2016
I don’t like the music the author listens to, so when the book starts off with a music festival in Sweden, So I didn’t expect to like it much. Turns out he only mentions the music a couple of times in the book and the rest is about adventure motorcycling.
Graham’s very down to earth honest writing style was fun to read. All adventures have their frustrations and too many authors gloss over the bad bits. When the author was in awe of something, we knew about it, and when something was annoying him, we knew about it. I really liked this.
I read this book twice since getting it as the first time I was not in really concentrating on it and am so glad I did because like with all books, I read things that I completely missed the previously.
Graham’s very down to earth honest writing style was fun to read. All adventures have their frustrations and too many authors gloss over the bad bits. When the author was in awe of something, we knew about it, and when something was annoying him, we knew about it. I really liked this.
I read this book twice since getting it as the first time I was not in really concentrating on it and am so glad I did because like with all books, I read things that I completely missed the previously.
December 23, 2015
A Classic
Love graham's raw and refreshing honesty and his dorky humor. I am certainly going to buy his other books. Great opportunity to discover the world from an unusual, hilarious and at times politically incorrect point of view.
Love graham's raw and refreshing honesty and his dorky humor. I am certainly going to buy his other books. Great opportunity to discover the world from an unusual, hilarious and at times politically incorrect point of view.
November 27, 2018
My first foray into adventure motorcycle travel books. As an avid watcher of (that) TV show that Graham won the money on to fund his trip to Mongolia and beyond, I have found the use of the diary-style writing very well suited to travel logging and subsequently used it for my book.
An easy to read, no flowers, does what it says on the tin kinda book, written in a down to earth and sometimes comical manner. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this one and the following books by Graham. He, as well as others, have inspired me, as I hope to pass this inspiration on to others and inspire them.
An easy to read, no flowers, does what it says on the tin kinda book, written in a down to earth and sometimes comical manner. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this one and the following books by Graham. He, as well as others, have inspired me, as I hope to pass this inspiration on to others and inspire them.
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews