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Muay Thai: Peace, at Last
Michael Goodison is a writer and a fighter, and in Muay Peace, At Last, he documents his travelling adventure to Thailand. Battling an ever-present disinterest with the western way of living, Michael throws off the shackles and dares to live, confronting killer cobras and conversing with Buddhist monks as he prepares for a professional fight in one of the most violent martial arts in the Muay Thai. From elephants lumbering along the lush mountainsides to the rowdy backpacking scene of northern Thailand, and culminating in an adrenaline-thumping confrontation, Peace, At Last is escapism in its purest form, transporting the reader to a world of misadventure, intrigue, culture, and violence.
274 pages, Kindle Edition
Published April 8, 2016
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Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews
December 23, 2017
Well, I have been promised I'd be mentioned in the next book. So clearly I'm biased!
But no honestly, this was a wonderful read! I just absolutely loved it, and this was the reason I picked up kick boxing! Oh and also Michael, who decided he would be brave enough to teach Kiki with two left foot kick boxing!
But no honestly, this was a wonderful read! I just absolutely loved it, and this was the reason I picked up kick boxing! Oh and also Michael, who decided he would be brave enough to teach Kiki with two left foot kick boxing!
June 16, 2022
Loved this book, reignited my love for reading. I love the authors philosophical view on fighting, travel & life. Can’t wait to do my own journey to Thailand and Muay Thai in December, this book has made one of my goals to fight in Thailand.
January 10, 2022
My review is an average of 5 and 1 stars.
The bits deserving 5 stars:
- very captivating story, flowing seamlessly between higher tension and more chilled moments. I read it all in one go during a long flight
- the details around the preparation of the fight
- interesting and relevant insights about MT (ultimately, that’s the main reason for a reader to pick this book up)
However, the book is much more than a martial arts book. The author doesn’t shy away from expressing his personal and unrequested views on western society, but what comes across is a very shallow and inconsistent set of messages (more often rants) that really do a massive injustice to the book.
For instance, let’s take the rants against “progress”. Does he realise that for an Australian to get to Chiang Mai he needs to fly with an airplane? And isn’t inventing and engineering and manufacturing a safe airplane a bright display of “progress” he is so against? Why didn’t he walk & swim there instead?
Whilst I fully agree with him that excessive consumerism is very bad for us, and that our behaviour should follow more our “genetic make-up”, why is he lecturing us against it WHILE writing that each night for two weeks he got drunk at bars which cater mostly to tourists? Why didn’t he volunteer to teach english to the poor locals instead? Out of what international travelling intelligence is he claiming that Thailand is the ONLY place in the world where life is better with “less” rules and limitations… why not Brazil or many other countries? Why not talking instead about the massive inequality between those well off due to tourism (elephant ride anyone?), and those who don’t manage to get exposed to it - and fuelled by backpackers like him who enjoy the high purchasing power of their strong currencies and spending it on drinks while petting cats for hours in a row? Does he know about the massive street protests against the Thai monarchy - of does he just think the Thais exist to cater to drunk backpackers and are happy as they don’t wear ties and suits?
It honestly found it annoying how the author couldn’t see the hypocrisy and shallowness of his own words, from literally one page to the other - and that’s the aspect of this book which deserves 1*.
The bits deserving 5 stars:
- very captivating story, flowing seamlessly between higher tension and more chilled moments. I read it all in one go during a long flight
- the details around the preparation of the fight
- interesting and relevant insights about MT (ultimately, that’s the main reason for a reader to pick this book up)
However, the book is much more than a martial arts book. The author doesn’t shy away from expressing his personal and unrequested views on western society, but what comes across is a very shallow and inconsistent set of messages (more often rants) that really do a massive injustice to the book.
For instance, let’s take the rants against “progress”. Does he realise that for an Australian to get to Chiang Mai he needs to fly with an airplane? And isn’t inventing and engineering and manufacturing a safe airplane a bright display of “progress” he is so against? Why didn’t he walk & swim there instead?
Whilst I fully agree with him that excessive consumerism is very bad for us, and that our behaviour should follow more our “genetic make-up”, why is he lecturing us against it WHILE writing that each night for two weeks he got drunk at bars which cater mostly to tourists? Why didn’t he volunteer to teach english to the poor locals instead? Out of what international travelling intelligence is he claiming that Thailand is the ONLY place in the world where life is better with “less” rules and limitations… why not Brazil or many other countries? Why not talking instead about the massive inequality between those well off due to tourism (elephant ride anyone?), and those who don’t manage to get exposed to it - and fuelled by backpackers like him who enjoy the high purchasing power of their strong currencies and spending it on drinks while petting cats for hours in a row? Does he know about the massive street protests against the Thai monarchy - of does he just think the Thais exist to cater to drunk backpackers and are happy as they don’t wear ties and suits?
It honestly found it annoying how the author couldn’t see the hypocrisy and shallowness of his own words, from literally one page to the other - and that’s the aspect of this book which deserves 1*.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 9, 2020
An interesting and inspiring read from an Australian martial artist who goes to Thailand for a month to have adventures and to fight in a professional muay thai fight against a local fighter. The book doesn't focus much on thai society or culture, but it focuses on the backpacking adventures and life philosophical thoughts of the author. And also it offers interesting insight to the spiritual side and instinctive sight of martial arts and fighting sports.
The book reminded of Paulo Coelho's Hippie which I read earlier this year (and liked very much) and for anyone interesting in travling and muay thai/martial arts, I would recommend reading the book.
The book reminded of Paulo Coelho's Hippie which I read earlier this year (and liked very much) and for anyone interesting in travling and muay thai/martial arts, I would recommend reading the book.
June 12, 2019
Freaking Awesome
Best book that I have read in awhile. The author is a true talent, his writing takes you inside of his soul He is a Muay Thai boxer and his descriptions of how he trained for a fight and the mental aspects were fascinating But the best parts were when he was meeting new people, and going for adventures. And the parts where he talks about how he views materialism and how technology is pulling us all apart. Great book! Did not want it to end.
Best book that I have read in awhile. The author is a true talent, his writing takes you inside of his soul He is a Muay Thai boxer and his descriptions of how he trained for a fight and the mental aspects were fascinating But the best parts were when he was meeting new people, and going for adventures. And the parts where he talks about how he views materialism and how technology is pulling us all apart. Great book! Did not want it to end.
January 16, 2018
Interesting take on life and Muay Thai boxing
Exciting read on Muay Thai and the adventures of an Australian spending some quality time fighting in Chiang Mai. Thank you.
Exciting read on Muay Thai and the adventures of an Australian spending some quality time fighting in Chiang Mai. Thank you.
March 1, 2023
This book was such a mixed bag for me. Some of it was 5 stars, and some of it was 1, even 0 stars. It had lots of really high points, where the author eloquently described his experiences in Muay Thai and went into detail for both the physical, spiritual, and mental aspects of it. The process of training in such a short time for a fight was pretty well described, and the relationship to his corner was quite interesting and at times moving. His journey through Chiang Mai was also interesting. Unfortunately, these two components make up about 40% of the book--the rest is mostly just bad philosophy and casual misogyny. "In the west, we live in a world where..." and so forth.
December 14, 2022
Well for the twenty percent of the time that the author was actually detailing his Muay Thai experience, it was a decent book. Not the best book written book, but decent. However, for the eighty percent of the time that he wanted to rant on with his preachy life philosophy the book became a tedium that was very difficult to finish. I would never read another book from this author no matter what the subject matter. The book was very scatter brained, and that goes for his life philosophy tirades.
January 24, 2020
I enjoyed the book overall. Michael is a good storyteller and his insights about Muay Thai were great. Oftentimes though, it seemed like he just descended into deep, philosophical rambling, sometimes out of absolutely nowhere. Overall, I'd recommend it if you're interested in Thailand, traveling, or Muay Thai.
August 12, 2021
Thoroughly enjoyable read
A very well written book, which is largely not the case when Fighters wrote. I train in Muay Thai but never actually been to Thailand so was great insight of life and training over there. Brilliant read, with a lot of life lessons to be taken it from it. Top drawer!
A very well written book, which is largely not the case when Fighters wrote. I train in Muay Thai but never actually been to Thailand so was great insight of life and training over there. Brilliant read, with a lot of life lessons to be taken it from it. Top drawer!
May 9, 2017
An absolutely fantastic read. Should be required reading for all young men. I hope the author writes more of the same
June 2, 2018
I won this book through Goodreads. Very realistic and exciting. Loved it.
December 24, 2022
I liked it a lot, but only because this is also my deal. I've been maintaining a travel blog for six years, and every post is exactly what Goodison did here: anonyomized, occasionally hyperbolic memoir interspersed with meandering philosophy about bouncing around from place to place and the lessons extracted from the adventures.
The book was kind of about muay thai, but it was really just about the author in Thailand, leaving his old life and forging a new one, even if one he knew to be temporary. It was a quick, enjoyable read. Goodison's a natural storyteller and keeps it simple and engaging even when he goes purple or waxes philosophical which, if you ask me, is the mark of a real philosopher.
And it's the fighter ethos jock mentality he's pushing, of course, so that's always a win. No pain no gain, when the going gets weird the weird turn pro, stand on your own two feet and protect the weak, that kinda stuff. Sometimes trite isn't a bad thing. Sometimes it just means well-worn and dependable. If it ain't broke, right?
He also did well characterizing the type of people you meet in hostels. I knew them. I might not have met these exact ones, but I've met their respective archetypes; and like, if he changed the names to protect the innocent? Maybe I have met these exact ones. In any event, I'm positive he took creative liberties to make the American streamer more likable, and even then, kinda failed.
Definitely worth the read if you like travelogues or care about muay thai at all.
The book was kind of about muay thai, but it was really just about the author in Thailand, leaving his old life and forging a new one, even if one he knew to be temporary. It was a quick, enjoyable read. Goodison's a natural storyteller and keeps it simple and engaging even when he goes purple or waxes philosophical which, if you ask me, is the mark of a real philosopher.
And it's the fighter ethos jock mentality he's pushing, of course, so that's always a win. No pain no gain, when the going gets weird the weird turn pro, stand on your own two feet and protect the weak, that kinda stuff. Sometimes trite isn't a bad thing. Sometimes it just means well-worn and dependable. If it ain't broke, right?
He also did well characterizing the type of people you meet in hostels. I knew them. I might not have met these exact ones, but I've met their respective archetypes; and like, if he changed the names to protect the innocent? Maybe I have met these exact ones. In any event, I'm positive he took creative liberties to make the American streamer more likable, and even then, kinda failed.
Definitely worth the read if you like travelogues or care about muay thai at all.
January 12, 2024
Agreeably surprised. Not a book I would have chosen to read but my son wanted to share it with me. Easy to read, some good descriptions of places and events, nice turns of phrases and some insightful thinking about life in general, particularly about today’s acquisitive society. ‘Capitalism teaches us to always want for more.’
And how could one fail to be positive about someone who about expresses the following sentiment? ‘Reading is a tremendous thing. Not only do books contain all of the collective knowledge from thousands of years of human intellect but books also teach us how to be alone.’
I couldn’t empathise at all with the fighting and aggression but my son tells me that, in his experience, although there is a fair bit of force involved in Muay Thai, it’s all about learning and respect. Like the author, the training has given him an inner calmness and self esteem he’s not experienced before. If this book helps people to find that, it is well worth a read.
And how could one fail to be positive about someone who about expresses the following sentiment? ‘Reading is a tremendous thing. Not only do books contain all of the collective knowledge from thousands of years of human intellect but books also teach us how to be alone.’
I couldn’t empathise at all with the fighting and aggression but my son tells me that, in his experience, although there is a fair bit of force involved in Muay Thai, it’s all about learning and respect. Like the author, the training has given him an inner calmness and self esteem he’s not experienced before. If this book helps people to find that, it is well worth a read.
April 27, 2023
Wasn’t sure what to expect from this book. Wasn’t sure what I wanted in a book about Muay Thai. But Micheal Goodison seemed to know. This book is as multi facilitated as Muay Thai. You get a bit of everything and a wonderful tale too. It’s inspiring in many ways. If you want a book with layers, you’ve found it. I wouldn’t want to say to much about the book as part of the joy is it’s unfolding. Part of joy of travelling is the unknown, not knowing what’s comming next. The same could be said for this book
June 14, 2023
I would rarely give five stars. But this is a superb, self-published book. It might benefit from larger type, with more leading, on brighter paper. That's my only criticism.
Still. This is such good writing. It's reflective, and a great travelogue. I'm enjoying every paragraph. In an era of confessional spilling on "social" media, Michael exercises great restraint in these pages and it's clear what thoughts are important to him. And his insights into the mindset of unarmed combat are superb.
I hope you enjoy reading this book as much as I.
Still. This is such good writing. It's reflective, and a great travelogue. I'm enjoying every paragraph. In an era of confessional spilling on "social" media, Michael exercises great restraint in these pages and it's clear what thoughts are important to him. And his insights into the mindset of unarmed combat are superb.
I hope you enjoy reading this book as much as I.
February 19, 2023
As a Muay Thai enthusiast myself, I have always wondered what it's like to stay in a camp and train in the birthplace of Muay Thai. After reading this book, I could transport myself vicariously through the writer and enjoy the journey in land of Siam.
A well written autobiography of a young man, trying to balance out the heart and the mind while wandering through the streets of Thailand.
Hopefully somewhere in the near future.
A well written autobiography of a young man, trying to balance out the heart and the mind while wandering through the streets of Thailand.
Hopefully somewhere in the near future.
December 27, 2025
It was a struggle to go beyond the first two chapters. The writing is very "broey" masquerading as deep philosophy. But what really irked me the most was talking Thailand and the Thai people as exotic background characters, from a writer who pretty much flaunts his western male privilege from the get go. Disappointed because I was really looking forward to reading an authentic take on the Muay Thai experience in Thailand.
November 8, 2021
If you feel lonely and not at home anywhere in this cold, calculated, and cancerous Western society; if you've dug a hole out of which you can't escape; then read Muay Thai: Peace, At Last.
February 28, 2022
Throughly enjoyed this book
March 12, 2023
Nice relaxing novel about Muay Thai and travelling and how suffering can be the path to happiness
August 22, 2025
The first book I’ve really enjoyed in a long time. Very well written, funny, deep (at times), and thought provoking!
My only problem is that I wish it could have been longer lol.
My only problem is that I wish it could have been longer lol.
May 29, 2025
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews