What do you think?
Rate this book
Left Beyond the Horizon: A Land Rover Odyssey
Amidst the Scottish Highlands, battered by the elements, stands a neglected Land Rover. It does not seem to be the ideal vehicle for a trip around the world, but Christopher Many believes otherwise. He has the dream of embarking on a tour de force to the frozen wastelands of Siberia, North and South America, and across the continent of Africa – equipped with little more than a passport, credit card and full tank of petrol. His goal? “To explore strange new worlds and boldly go where no Land Rover has gone before.”
Intelligently and with perseverance, Christopher scours the globe from Mongolia to Somaliland to find out what makes the earth “tick”. Soon enough the adventure turns into a sprawling n-dimensional tapestry of philosophical conundrums, rollercoaster emotions and first-hand observations in 100 countries. When he pulls on a few loose threads, a Pandora's box of information is released, often at odds with conventional Western views. Christopher returns eight years later – exhausted, snake-bitten and malaria-infected – but with a few prized cogwheels in his knapsack, a greater understanding of the world we live in, and … with the love of his life.
Equal parts sophisticated lexicon on global affairs and darkly witty travel chronicle, his book presents a vivid picture of the adventures, agonies and joys of world travel, and asks some very “uncomfortable” questions … truly going “where few have gone before”.
Take a ride in Matilda's passenger seat next to this vagabonding philosopher, provided you are not in a rush ...
Intelligently and with perseverance, Christopher scours the globe from Mongolia to Somaliland to find out what makes the earth “tick”. Soon enough the adventure turns into a sprawling n-dimensional tapestry of philosophical conundrums, rollercoaster emotions and first-hand observations in 100 countries. When he pulls on a few loose threads, a Pandora's box of information is released, often at odds with conventional Western views. Christopher returns eight years later – exhausted, snake-bitten and malaria-infected – but with a few prized cogwheels in his knapsack, a greater understanding of the world we live in, and … with the love of his life.
Equal parts sophisticated lexicon on global affairs and darkly witty travel chronicle, his book presents a vivid picture of the adventures, agonies and joys of world travel, and asks some very “uncomfortable” questions … truly going “where few have gone before”.
Take a ride in Matilda's passenger seat next to this vagabonding philosopher, provided you are not in a rush ...
310 pages, Paperback
First published October 30, 2015
12 people are currently reading
38 people want to read
About the author
Christopher Many
15 books1 followerChristopher Many, born in New York City in 1970 to an American father and German mother, has always had an unnerving knack of breaking conventional norms and following his own dreams. More than anything else, he wanted to find out what lies "beyond the horizon". After completing an apprenticeship as a boat builder in Bavaria, Christopher hitchhiked a ride with a sailing boat over the Atlantic. He lived modestly at various locations around the world, alternatively working and backpacking through the Caribbean, Asia, Europe and Australia.
In 1997 Christopher set off on his first motorbike world trip with Puck, his Yamaha XTZ660 Ténéré, and rode from Germany to New Zealand via India. Three years later he returned to Europe, found a job in Scotland, and began to save up funds for his next venture: a round-the-world voyage with an ailing Land Rover he purchased from a Highland farmer for GBP 700 ($1000). He named the Landy Matilda and, between 2002 and 2010, traveled through 100 countries. His book about this journey is called "Left Beyond the Horizon – A Land Rover Odyssey”.
In 2012, Christopher decided to reunite with Puck, and together with his partner Laura Pattara, left on a four year ride from Europe to Australia. His book "Right Beyond the Horizon – A Motorcycle Odyssey" tells the story of his most recent adventures.
Christopher spent 24 months in Australia, during which he rode once around the continent and crisscrossed the Outback on numerous sandy trails. Then, after six years absence, he briefly visited Germany in 2018 ... but only to buy an old, decommissioned Mercedes 308D post-office truck, and to immediately set off again. Currently, Christopher and Laura are vagabonding though Europe with their bright yellow van. The future? Well, that's anybody's guess. Only one thing seems certain: even after 22 years on the road, Christopher has no intentions of settling down with still so much to explore on our wonderfully surreal planet.
For further information about Christopher Many's voyages and books, please visit the author directly on his book's Facebook Page (https://www.facebook.com/Hinter.dem.H...). The site is public, so even if you do not have a Facebook account yourself, you can nonetheless enjoy Christopher's updates from the road, photos, and much, much more. If you require special information about Christopher's "Horizon" series, you are welcome to visit his book info webpage (http://www.christopher-many.com). Foreign language translations can be purchased in German and Portuguese ... and for the visually impaired, a copy in Braille can be ordered through BLISTA and the Library for the Blind. The author strongly believes that everybody should be allowed to travel the world through literature.
…..
LEFT BEYOND THE HORIZON: https://www.amazon.com/Left-Beyond-Ho...
RIGHT BEYOND THE HORIZON: https://www.amazon.com/Right-Beyond-H...
In 1997 Christopher set off on his first motorbike world trip with Puck, his Yamaha XTZ660 Ténéré, and rode from Germany to New Zealand via India. Three years later he returned to Europe, found a job in Scotland, and began to save up funds for his next venture: a round-the-world voyage with an ailing Land Rover he purchased from a Highland farmer for GBP 700 ($1000). He named the Landy Matilda and, between 2002 and 2010, traveled through 100 countries. His book about this journey is called "Left Beyond the Horizon – A Land Rover Odyssey”.
In 2012, Christopher decided to reunite with Puck, and together with his partner Laura Pattara, left on a four year ride from Europe to Australia. His book "Right Beyond the Horizon – A Motorcycle Odyssey" tells the story of his most recent adventures.
Christopher spent 24 months in Australia, during which he rode once around the continent and crisscrossed the Outback on numerous sandy trails. Then, after six years absence, he briefly visited Germany in 2018 ... but only to buy an old, decommissioned Mercedes 308D post-office truck, and to immediately set off again. Currently, Christopher and Laura are vagabonding though Europe with their bright yellow van. The future? Well, that's anybody's guess. Only one thing seems certain: even after 22 years on the road, Christopher has no intentions of settling down with still so much to explore on our wonderfully surreal planet.
For further information about Christopher Many's voyages and books, please visit the author directly on his book's Facebook Page (https://www.facebook.com/Hinter.dem.H...). The site is public, so even if you do not have a Facebook account yourself, you can nonetheless enjoy Christopher's updates from the road, photos, and much, much more. If you require special information about Christopher's "Horizon" series, you are welcome to visit his book info webpage (http://www.christopher-many.com). Foreign language translations can be purchased in German and Portuguese ... and for the visually impaired, a copy in Braille can be ordered through BLISTA and the Library for the Blind. The author strongly believes that everybody should be allowed to travel the world through literature.
…..
LEFT BEYOND THE HORIZON: https://www.amazon.com/Left-Beyond-Ho...
RIGHT BEYOND THE HORIZON: https://www.amazon.com/Right-Beyond-H...
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
March 13, 2016
A good read
It is difficult to put into words my feelings about this book. Many subjects are discussed and I am unsure how much I agree and how much not.
Regardless how you feel about the political views and thoughts mentioned, the book is well written ( only a few grammatical errors) and enjoyable.
The author takes you along on his eight year journey by providing snapshots that highlight the path along his trail. Between these snapshots are commentary and thoughts relating to the places he is currently at.
It is difficult to put into words my feelings about this book. Many subjects are discussed and I am unsure how much I agree and how much not.
Regardless how you feel about the political views and thoughts mentioned, the book is well written ( only a few grammatical errors) and enjoyable.
The author takes you along on his eight year journey by providing snapshots that highlight the path along his trail. Between these snapshots are commentary and thoughts relating to the places he is currently at.
Want to read
March 18, 2016When I was offered this book for Christmas I must admit I thought it was mainly a book about Land Rover and a few trips, little I knew I was about to discover an open minded globetrotter. As he warns in the beginning you will find social and political a views but this time by someone who traveled and witnessed first hand, what an enjoyment. Highly recommend for those who consider reading a way of travelling.
July 30, 2022
Livro com uma leitura dinâmica e rápida. Separado em capítulos por cada pais visitado.
Uma visão de quem passou um tempo considerável em cada local passando informações interessantes sobre a cultura e experiências vividas.
Uma visão de quem passou um tempo considerável em cada local passando informações interessantes sobre a cultura e experiências vividas.
August 24, 2025
Absolute must read if you like travel and the ways of the world
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews