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Step By Step
'Equal parts an inspiring account of Reeve's determination and adventurous spirit, as well as a field guide to some of the most remote parts of the world, Step by Step is a vivid and fascinating title. Readers may be surprised to learn of his early life struggles with mental health, owing to his onscreen persona, but this traces his journey to inner peace.' Independent'Incredibly honest... one of the best autobiographies I've ever read.' The Sun - best books of 2019Shortlisted for the 2019 Edward Stanford Travel Memoir of the Year Award 'His story reads like a fast-paced thriller.' Daily Mail'My goodness, it is brilliant. Searingly honest, warm, bursting with humanity. Such brave and inspiring writing.' Kate Humble'[Simon] begins to fill in the gaps in his life story that until recently he has never publicly revealed.' TelegraphPRAISE FOR SIMON REEVE'TV's most interesting globetrotter' Independent'The craziest (or bravest) man on TV' Mail on Sunday'Like all the best travellers, Reeve carries out his investigations with infectious relish, and in the realisation that trying to understand the country you're in is not just fascinating, but also hugely enjoyable' Daily Telegraph'Simon might just be the best tour guide in the world' The Sun* * * * * * * * *In TV adventurer Simon Reeve's bestselling memoir he describes how he has journeyed across epic landscapes, dodged bullets on frontlines, walked through minefields and been detained for spying by the KGB. His travels have taken him across jungles, deserts, mountains and oceans, and to some of the most beautiful, dangerous and remote regions of the world. In this revelatory account of his life Simon gives the full story behind some of his favourite expeditions, and traces his own inspiring personal journey back to leaving school without qualifications, teetering on a bridge, and then overcoming his challenges by climbing to a 'Lost Valley' and changing his life ... step by step.
390 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2018
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About the author
Simon Reeve
13 books267 followersSimon Reeve is an English author and broadcaster. In recent years he's been travelling around little-known regions of the world for a series of BBC television documentaries.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 407 reviews
November 20, 2019
I'm a great fan of Simon Reeve's bitter sweet travel programmes - they are a real exploration of the highs and lows that different countries and places have to offer....and although still quite young, he has carved impressive paths round our globe***. I think he researches and writes all of these documentaries himself too. He is far from being just a pretty-faced front man. He also has a natural warmth and interest in people , which brings out the best in those he talks to. I find his programmes alternately inspiring and distressing - but always gripping. Each one is a roller coaster, and I inevitably feel afterwards that I have learnt something new.
I have always presumed that people who work successfully in serious television have been sprinkled with fairy dust - most of it gleaned from public schools, and then while working for first class degrees at Oxford or Cambridge. It was a shock therefore to read Reeve's autobiography, and learn how very different his life has been.
Reeves was brought up in quite a poor part of London, and he and his schoolmates were real delinquents. They would shoplift, or fill car locks with glue. At one time they broke into a stage school near where they lived which had suffered a fire, and they "quite literally smashed it to pieces" . Then they did the same thing again to the same school. "Within a few weeks we were told the damage was so bad the school could no longer be repaired and they had to move to another building." He'd take rides in stolen cars and set fire to rubbish bins. They would steal petrol from pumps and cars and start fires. At thirteen he started carrying a knife.... "You could buy ludicrous weapons by mail order, just by ticking a box to say you were over sixteen." He ended up with a knife the size of a machete. "I revelled in the secret feeling of power and respect carrying a knife gave me. Nobody looks up to a thirteen-year-old....I thought carrying a knife would give me authority. In the years since I've been held up at chaotic guerrilla checkpoints abroad by kids the age I was back then, carrying Kalashnikovs rather than knives. I've seen the look in their eyes, and sensed how they gloried in a feeling of power."
He argues however that he was never nasty. "I often felt at risk of a random act of violence. Over a few years I was mugged for pocket money, was punched hard in the face by a youth wearing a knuckleduster medallion ring, and was chased by a gang of older boys who threatened to kill me....I was also threatened by another boy with a knife..... I was never a gang member, or a really bad lad, I don't think. I was never a brutal, hard kid. I was never deliberately violent and nobody feared me..." Given my marshmallow ideas of what constitutes anti-social behaviour however, I found these descriptions pretty chilling....
At fourteen he was referred by his school for counselling for three years, and he acknowledges that this helped keep him stable. For me it also indicates that the school felt he had serious problems. It seems to me to be quite a giant step for a school to recommend counselling.
His home life was dysfunctional. His father taught maths at one of the toughest in London, "a place that was traumatising for the staff as well as the pupils". His father was a competitive man, quick to anger, who often didn't think twice before ranting and shouting. Confrontation was often his parenting style. Although he could be softer, the relationship was hugely destructive. He and Reeve fought, verbally and sometimes physically. Reeve also had a fiery temper, and put his foot through a door and his fist into a wall. He bashed his brother who then threw knives at him. There was endless shouting, and sometimes things got so violent that the neighbours called the police to come and break it up. Reeves found the rows incredibly upsetting - they "dominated my feelings and emotions. Over the years of my middle teens the arguments and upheaval at home fed a sense of despair and depression that slowly grew within me....."
Leaving school was a very difficult time for Reeves, and he felt suicidal . He was so pessimistic about his future. He still suffers with depression now, although feels that he has learnt to cope with it better. He sees life in "shades of grey".
Then two things happened that had a massive effect on his life - to the extent his life was completely turned around.
On a whim he caught a train up to Scotland, and while there he climbed a mountain. The weather was bad and he was inadequately dressed for the climb. It was very challenging. He passed climbers who suggested that he turn back, but he continued to climb...and eventually he reached the summit. It was a pivotal moment. This gave him a sense of achievement that had hitherto been missing from his life.
Then his father spotted an advertisement in the back of The Sunday Times. The newspaper wanted a small team of boys and girls for their post department, and was holding out the possibility of some journalism training for anyone who worked hard. There were thousands of over-qualified graduates jostling for any job in the media, but this ad was aimed exclusively at non-graduates.
Reeves filled in the form, and sent an accompanying piece of writing - an essay he had written on Schindler's Ark. There were five positions available on the paper. Over 5,000 people applied. Reeves was one of the five who were taken on.
From a life where work was bottom of his list of priorities, it became the most important thing in his life. He worked massively hard, doing even the most menial of chores with enthusiasm, and always walking the extra mile to get everything done as perfectly as possible. Slowly he moved from being a post boy to being someone who helped the journalists with doing the initial research based on newspaper cuttings. He then started occasionally going out on jobs, providing backing for investigative journalists. Then he started writing. He was obviously very good on all these fronts. Eventually he became the youngest staff writer in the history of Times Newspapers.
After a successful career he left the paper to write a book called The New Jackals. It was published in 1998. He was inspired to do this by a bomb exploding beneath the World Trade Centre in New York in 1993. The book explored the person behind the bombing - Ramzi Yousef, a colleague of his called Osama bin Laden, and and gave an overview of terrorism. The book was largely ignored. That is until the September 11 attacks in 2001 on The World Trade Centre, when suddenly everyone wanted to read his book, interview him, and get his views on terrorist activity. The book became a bestseller - one of the biggest-selling non-fiction books in America.
He was working as a freelance writer and author when an acquaintance who worked for the BBC suggested that Reeve audition for a role of documentary presenter,. He went to their head office for an interview....and thus began his television career.....which has been such a success. The book ends with marvellous descriptions of some of his early documentaries. Not only are the countries he visits fascinating, but he also has so much respect for the people he encounters - and I find that most inspiring.
To those who are familiar with his work - this book is every bit as good as his documentaries. I highly recommend it.
***So far he has covered the Mediterranean, Russia, Turkey, Burma, the Caribbean, the Tropic of Cancer, the sacred rivers in India, Greece, Australia, Ireland, the equator, ports round the Indian Ocean and the arctic. Currently we are watching his travels through the Americas.
I have always presumed that people who work successfully in serious television have been sprinkled with fairy dust - most of it gleaned from public schools, and then while working for first class degrees at Oxford or Cambridge. It was a shock therefore to read Reeve's autobiography, and learn how very different his life has been.
Reeves was brought up in quite a poor part of London, and he and his schoolmates were real delinquents. They would shoplift, or fill car locks with glue. At one time they broke into a stage school near where they lived which had suffered a fire, and they "quite literally smashed it to pieces" . Then they did the same thing again to the same school. "Within a few weeks we were told the damage was so bad the school could no longer be repaired and they had to move to another building." He'd take rides in stolen cars and set fire to rubbish bins. They would steal petrol from pumps and cars and start fires. At thirteen he started carrying a knife.... "You could buy ludicrous weapons by mail order, just by ticking a box to say you were over sixteen." He ended up with a knife the size of a machete. "I revelled in the secret feeling of power and respect carrying a knife gave me. Nobody looks up to a thirteen-year-old....I thought carrying a knife would give me authority. In the years since I've been held up at chaotic guerrilla checkpoints abroad by kids the age I was back then, carrying Kalashnikovs rather than knives. I've seen the look in their eyes, and sensed how they gloried in a feeling of power."
He argues however that he was never nasty. "I often felt at risk of a random act of violence. Over a few years I was mugged for pocket money, was punched hard in the face by a youth wearing a knuckleduster medallion ring, and was chased by a gang of older boys who threatened to kill me....I was also threatened by another boy with a knife..... I was never a gang member, or a really bad lad, I don't think. I was never a brutal, hard kid. I was never deliberately violent and nobody feared me..." Given my marshmallow ideas of what constitutes anti-social behaviour however, I found these descriptions pretty chilling....
At fourteen he was referred by his school for counselling for three years, and he acknowledges that this helped keep him stable. For me it also indicates that the school felt he had serious problems. It seems to me to be quite a giant step for a school to recommend counselling.
His home life was dysfunctional. His father taught maths at one of the toughest in London, "a place that was traumatising for the staff as well as the pupils". His father was a competitive man, quick to anger, who often didn't think twice before ranting and shouting. Confrontation was often his parenting style. Although he could be softer, the relationship was hugely destructive. He and Reeve fought, verbally and sometimes physically. Reeve also had a fiery temper, and put his foot through a door and his fist into a wall. He bashed his brother who then threw knives at him. There was endless shouting, and sometimes things got so violent that the neighbours called the police to come and break it up. Reeves found the rows incredibly upsetting - they "dominated my feelings and emotions. Over the years of my middle teens the arguments and upheaval at home fed a sense of despair and depression that slowly grew within me....."
Leaving school was a very difficult time for Reeves, and he felt suicidal . He was so pessimistic about his future. He still suffers with depression now, although feels that he has learnt to cope with it better. He sees life in "shades of grey".
Then two things happened that had a massive effect on his life - to the extent his life was completely turned around.
On a whim he caught a train up to Scotland, and while there he climbed a mountain. The weather was bad and he was inadequately dressed for the climb. It was very challenging. He passed climbers who suggested that he turn back, but he continued to climb...and eventually he reached the summit. It was a pivotal moment. This gave him a sense of achievement that had hitherto been missing from his life.
Then his father spotted an advertisement in the back of The Sunday Times. The newspaper wanted a small team of boys and girls for their post department, and was holding out the possibility of some journalism training for anyone who worked hard. There were thousands of over-qualified graduates jostling for any job in the media, but this ad was aimed exclusively at non-graduates.
Reeves filled in the form, and sent an accompanying piece of writing - an essay he had written on Schindler's Ark. There were five positions available on the paper. Over 5,000 people applied. Reeves was one of the five who were taken on.
From a life where work was bottom of his list of priorities, it became the most important thing in his life. He worked massively hard, doing even the most menial of chores with enthusiasm, and always walking the extra mile to get everything done as perfectly as possible. Slowly he moved from being a post boy to being someone who helped the journalists with doing the initial research based on newspaper cuttings. He then started occasionally going out on jobs, providing backing for investigative journalists. Then he started writing. He was obviously very good on all these fronts. Eventually he became the youngest staff writer in the history of Times Newspapers.
After a successful career he left the paper to write a book called The New Jackals. It was published in 1998. He was inspired to do this by a bomb exploding beneath the World Trade Centre in New York in 1993. The book explored the person behind the bombing - Ramzi Yousef, a colleague of his called Osama bin Laden, and and gave an overview of terrorism. The book was largely ignored. That is until the September 11 attacks in 2001 on The World Trade Centre, when suddenly everyone wanted to read his book, interview him, and get his views on terrorist activity. The book became a bestseller - one of the biggest-selling non-fiction books in America.
He was working as a freelance writer and author when an acquaintance who worked for the BBC suggested that Reeve audition for a role of documentary presenter,. He went to their head office for an interview....and thus began his television career.....which has been such a success. The book ends with marvellous descriptions of some of his early documentaries. Not only are the countries he visits fascinating, but he also has so much respect for the people he encounters - and I find that most inspiring.
To those who are familiar with his work - this book is every bit as good as his documentaries. I highly recommend it.
***So far he has covered the Mediterranean, Russia, Turkey, Burma, the Caribbean, the Tropic of Cancer, the sacred rivers in India, Greece, Australia, Ireland, the equator, ports round the Indian Ocean and the arctic. Currently we are watching his travels through the Americas.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 30, 2018
I’ve always enjoyed Simon Reeve’s BBC documentaries, so as soon as I knew that this book was being published, I had to get copy, especially on audio as he reads it himself.
If you’ve watched any of his travel documentaries, you’ll remember his enthusiasm for meeting new people and travelling to dangerous countries around the world. He always comes across as excited and full of life with not a worry in the world. This book opens up his early life to reveal a completely different person who struggled with mental health issues and problems with his father’s authority as a teenager, something that you’d never imagine from his on screen personae.
He was so open about these issues that I wanted to give him a big hug and tell him everything would be okay. He talks about how desperately depressed he was, how disinterested he was with school and his future.
His account of how he got lucky with a job as The Times mail boy and how he progressed on the paper was fascinating. As was his research for his book “The New Jackals: Ramzi Yousef, Osama bin Laden, and the Future of Terrorism” that sank without a trace in 1999.
The stories of his first travel documentaries were really interesting revealing how he waned to be more Michael Palin than Alan Wicker on TV.
I can’t recommend this book highly enough, especially if you too have enjoyed Simon’s travel documentaries.
If you’ve watched any of his travel documentaries, you’ll remember his enthusiasm for meeting new people and travelling to dangerous countries around the world. He always comes across as excited and full of life with not a worry in the world. This book opens up his early life to reveal a completely different person who struggled with mental health issues and problems with his father’s authority as a teenager, something that you’d never imagine from his on screen personae.
He was so open about these issues that I wanted to give him a big hug and tell him everything would be okay. He talks about how desperately depressed he was, how disinterested he was with school and his future.
His account of how he got lucky with a job as The Times mail boy and how he progressed on the paper was fascinating. As was his research for his book “The New Jackals: Ramzi Yousef, Osama bin Laden, and the Future of Terrorism” that sank without a trace in 1999.
The stories of his first travel documentaries were really interesting revealing how he waned to be more Michael Palin than Alan Wicker on TV.
I can’t recommend this book highly enough, especially if you too have enjoyed Simon’s travel documentaries.
March 24, 2025
After a troubled childhood in West London and leaving school with no qualifications, Simon Reeve gets himself a lowly job on The Sunday Times. Beginning with doing menial work he soon comes under the wing of seasoned reporters and begins to assist them in uncovering stories, occasionally having to deal with gangsters and terrorists. Eventually he begins to write his own reports.
After a bomb explodes under the World Trade Centre in February 1993, he begin writing a book about Islamic Terrorism titled “The New Jackals” which was published in 1998 and, at the time, largely ignored. Unsurprisingly, three years later, after September 11th, it became a must read.
This kickstarted Simon’s career for the BBC as a travel writer, visiting some of the most remote and dangerous parts of the globe. This is an eye-opening and often heart-wrenching read full of excitement and discovery. Something of a cross between Michael Palin and “Bald and Bankrupt”.
After a bomb explodes under the World Trade Centre in February 1993, he begin writing a book about Islamic Terrorism titled “The New Jackals” which was published in 1998 and, at the time, largely ignored. Unsurprisingly, three years later, after September 11th, it became a must read.
This kickstarted Simon’s career for the BBC as a travel writer, visiting some of the most remote and dangerous parts of the globe. This is an eye-opening and often heart-wrenching read full of excitement and discovery. Something of a cross between Michael Palin and “Bald and Bankrupt”.
August 12, 2021
What a fascinating life this author has led! An adventurer who never stops seeking the special places in the world, in all of its forms, both beautiful and disturbing. Fun fun read. Thanks to Nicola, I found my way to this book.
October 20, 2019
I encountered Simon Reeve via his programmes on the BBC. In them he introduced me to some places I was aware of and a number that I was not. In both cases he always opened my eyes to aspects I was unaware of and often things that were unsettling. He did this openly and with good humour. He always seemed to respect and be concerned about the people who featured in the programmes. The idea of reading his biography was enormously appealing.
Fortunately it came up to expectations! So if you want to know how much someone might get for their kidney in Moldova or the price of a (fake) diplomatic passport in Somalia this may interest you. It goes far beyond that taking in arms dumps in what was part of the Soviet Union which was scary and fascinating. However interesting - to me - was the parts about him personally and his thoughts on modern travel and tourism. He left school with virtually no qualifications and almost committed suicide.
He tries to make his programmes honest and so reveals what camera crews have often not shown in African reserves for example. He experiences in the DRC were powerful. He also made a series on "unrecognised states" - fascinating. Without question one of my favourite books of this year and this will be an all time favourite non-fiction book. Maybe not perfect so 4.5/5 but very happily rounded up.
Fortunately it came up to expectations! So if you want to know how much someone might get for their kidney in Moldova or the price of a (fake) diplomatic passport in Somalia this may interest you. It goes far beyond that taking in arms dumps in what was part of the Soviet Union which was scary and fascinating. However interesting - to me - was the parts about him personally and his thoughts on modern travel and tourism. He left school with virtually no qualifications and almost committed suicide.
He tries to make his programmes honest and so reveals what camera crews have often not shown in African reserves for example. He experiences in the DRC were powerful. He also made a series on "unrecognised states" - fascinating. Without question one of my favourite books of this year and this will be an all time favourite non-fiction book. Maybe not perfect so 4.5/5 but very happily rounded up.
April 5, 2020
‘I had been a teenage delinquent who left school without qualifications and went on the dole. I suffered from mental health issues and was a whisker from suicide.’ That was Simon Reeve, not me. I worked very hard when I was a teenager. Working at Safeway whilst doing my A levels and then getting a job immediately after. That was me and not Simon Reeve.
I had been catching-up on some of the BBC travel series by Simon Reeve that I hadn’t seen before including Equator which was his first major one back in 2006. This is where the book starts. Gabon, West Africa. He had contracted malaria. All part of the job when you visit these areas. Nonetheless, it’s best avoided. I will quite happily watch all his travel shows and learn a lot. I had read Tropic of Capricorn by him and it was so sanctimonious it could put you off him for life as an author. I have read nothing by him since and didn’t intend to until now when I found this in the bargain bin. OK, let’s give it a go.
He goes over his teenage delinquency and mental health issues. His mental health is really quite serious. After this while looking for a job he gets the advice to ‘Take things step by step’.
After this the book takes a turn. He spends a lot of time going over a couple of his first TV documentaries, ‘Meet the Stans’ and ‘Places that Don’t Exist’. All very interesting indeed. He goes over his ‘Equator’ journey. That is where it ends even though he has done a lot more travel docs.
It was an OK read, just.
I had been catching-up on some of the BBC travel series by Simon Reeve that I hadn’t seen before including Equator which was his first major one back in 2006. This is where the book starts. Gabon, West Africa. He had contracted malaria. All part of the job when you visit these areas. Nonetheless, it’s best avoided. I will quite happily watch all his travel shows and learn a lot. I had read Tropic of Capricorn by him and it was so sanctimonious it could put you off him for life as an author. I have read nothing by him since and didn’t intend to until now when I found this in the bargain bin. OK, let’s give it a go.
He goes over his teenage delinquency and mental health issues. His mental health is really quite serious. After this while looking for a job he gets the advice to ‘Take things step by step’.
After this the book takes a turn. He spends a lot of time going over a couple of his first TV documentaries, ‘Meet the Stans’ and ‘Places that Don’t Exist’. All very interesting indeed. He goes over his ‘Equator’ journey. That is where it ends even though he has done a lot more travel docs.
It was an OK read, just.
September 22, 2018
If Michael Palin was the man for travel shows in the 80s and 90s, Simon Reeve is the man for the 21st century. This autobiographical book gives an insight into a troubled history in his youth, to his success with the BBC. Some of the stories he tells along the way are incredible. Fundamentally you learn about the man that you never new, and I couldn’t put the book down when I started reading it.
October 10, 2018
I was looking forward to this book as I'm a huge Simon Reeve fan, I liked it but I didn't love it. I expected far more personal autobiography, however most of that is limited to the early parts of the book, then it's basically a travel book around different countries. Still worth a read but I expected more.
June 4, 2023
spoj autobiografije i putopisa. nisam prije gledala reeveove dokumentarce za bbc, ali s obzirom da je drugi dio knjige posvećen upravo njima ("meet the stans" (kazahstan, kirgistan, uzbekistan i tadžikistan) i "places that don`t exist" (nagorno karabakh, somaliland, tajvan, transdnjestria)), bacila sam oko i na njih. niti jedan nisam uspjela odgledati do kraja - što zbog stravično loše kvalitete videa, a što jer me nije uspio uvući u priču.
s druge strane, knjigu nisam mogla ispustiti iz ruku. iako počinje s oboljenjem od malarije u gabonu, brzo se prebacuje na same svoje početke te priča o vjetrovima koji su ga kroz život bacali, počevši od odrastanja u siromašnoj i djelomično disfunkcionalnoj obitelji, preko kriminala u ranim tinejdžerskim godinama i, slijedom, depresije i suicidalnosti, do pronalaženja smisla svog postojanja u putovanjima i otkrivanja kutnih dijelova svijeta - bilo perom, bilo okom kamere.
makar globalno poznat i cijenjen prvenstveno kao bbc lice dokumentaraca, čini mi se da je mnogo vještiji kao autor. piše spretno i duhovito, pismo mu je prožeto iskrenošću i empatijom. nalazi pravi omjer između javnog i privatnog, politike se dotiče taman onoliko koliko treba da bi prosječan čitatelj dobio sveukupnu sliku (iako je politika njegova prva ljubav, još tamo iz redakcijskih dana i kada je, na svojevrstan način nakon prvog napada na blizance 1993. predvidio ono što će se dogoditi 2001.) i tekst ležerno klizi, bez obzira piše li o čudnovatim običajima neke zabiti, o tragediji siromaštva, o opasnosti terorizma ili o važnosti brige za prirodu.
preporučujem kao zanimljivo, brzočitajuće štivo - a možda te povuče i na filmski doživljaj (https://www.youtube.com/@shootandscri...)
s druge strane, knjigu nisam mogla ispustiti iz ruku. iako počinje s oboljenjem od malarije u gabonu, brzo se prebacuje na same svoje početke te priča o vjetrovima koji su ga kroz život bacali, počevši od odrastanja u siromašnoj i djelomično disfunkcionalnoj obitelji, preko kriminala u ranim tinejdžerskim godinama i, slijedom, depresije i suicidalnosti, do pronalaženja smisla svog postojanja u putovanjima i otkrivanja kutnih dijelova svijeta - bilo perom, bilo okom kamere.
makar globalno poznat i cijenjen prvenstveno kao bbc lice dokumentaraca, čini mi se da je mnogo vještiji kao autor. piše spretno i duhovito, pismo mu je prožeto iskrenošću i empatijom. nalazi pravi omjer između javnog i privatnog, politike se dotiče taman onoliko koliko treba da bi prosječan čitatelj dobio sveukupnu sliku (iako je politika njegova prva ljubav, još tamo iz redakcijskih dana i kada je, na svojevrstan način nakon prvog napada na blizance 1993. predvidio ono što će se dogoditi 2001.) i tekst ležerno klizi, bez obzira piše li o čudnovatim običajima neke zabiti, o tragediji siromaštva, o opasnosti terorizma ili o važnosti brige za prirodu.
preporučujem kao zanimljivo, brzočitajuće štivo - a možda te povuče i na filmski doživljaj (https://www.youtube.com/@shootandscri...)
February 14, 2021
Simon Reeve's TV shows are excellent. His book is also very good - his story of how he ended up making his shows is fascinating. But his writing lets him down in this one, his style coming across as something that would work with a TV image as a backdrop. "Astounding", "stunned", "astonishing" are stock phrases which may work with the Kazakh mountains as a backdrop but didn't paint a picture (of why) in my mind. I'd have loved to give this one 4 or 5 stars as Simon comes across as all round nice guy but I think 3 1/2 feels about right.
December 28, 2018
I think if more people watched Simon Reeve's programmes and read his books the world would be a better place. Thanks for showing us the light and the shade Simon. It is priceless.
April 7, 2021
See on võrratult hea raamat. Kuna mulle Simon Reeve'i saated meeldivad, siis ootasin pikisilmi selle raamatu eesti keelset versiooni. Pean ütlema, et sama muhe nagu ta on kaamera eest, on ta ka kirjutades. Temas lihtsalt on tohutult südamilikkust ning oskust näidata nii head, kui halba, ilma seda otseselt kellelelegi ette hõõrumata. Kõik otsused ja järeldused saad sa teha ise.
Ning mulle meeldib ka Simoni meeldetuletus, et kui sul on võimalik reisida (eriti veel lennukiga ja kaugetesse eksootilistesse paikadesse), siis pea meeles, et see on tegelikult väga väheste privileeg. Ära võta seda enesestmõistetavana.
Üks muhe seik ka raamatust: "Nagu inglased pakuvad tassi teed, sirutavad inimesed endises Nõukogude Liidus käe taskusse või kapi poole ja võtavad välja pudeli surmavat raketikütust. Kord läksime BBC meeskonnaga filmima ühte algkooli. Kooli direktor võttis välja viina ja käis peale, et jooksime. Kell oli pool üheksa hommikul ja ülejäänud päev oli üsna ähmane. Mul pole midagi väikese joogi vastu, aga ma olen täielik kergkaallane, ja kui pudel avati, tuli see tühjaks juua. Ja nende viin on piisavalt kange, et mu sisikond korralikult läikima lüüa." lk 254
Ning mulle meeldib ka Simoni meeldetuletus, et kui sul on võimalik reisida (eriti veel lennukiga ja kaugetesse eksootilistesse paikadesse), siis pea meeles, et see on tegelikult väga väheste privileeg. Ära võta seda enesestmõistetavana.
Üks muhe seik ka raamatust: "Nagu inglased pakuvad tassi teed, sirutavad inimesed endises Nõukogude Liidus käe taskusse või kapi poole ja võtavad välja pudeli surmavat raketikütust. Kord läksime BBC meeskonnaga filmima ühte algkooli. Kooli direktor võttis välja viina ja käis peale, et jooksime. Kell oli pool üheksa hommikul ja ülejäänud päev oli üsna ähmane. Mul pole midagi väikese joogi vastu, aga ma olen täielik kergkaallane, ja kui pudel avati, tuli see tühjaks juua. Ja nende viin on piisavalt kange, et mu sisikond korralikult läikima lüüa." lk 254
April 27, 2021
Mu esimene emotsioon (kestis peaaegu pool raamatut) oli tohutu pettumus. Ma olin asunud enda arvates lugema reisiraamatut, aga sattunud hoopis elulooraamatu otsa. Võin selles hooletuses võtta osa süüd küll endale, aga olgem ausad, tutvustus tagakaanel on ikka ka sutike eksitav.
Elulooline külg oli nii ja naa. Ehk natuke paljusõnaline ja tarbetutesse kordustesse laskuv, sest sõnumi "kuidas pätipoisist kasvas inimene" oleks saanud kontsentreeritumalt edasi anda. Minu antipaatiat suurendas kahtlemata ka see metslase moodi ebainimlik lõhkumine, rüüstamine, hävitamine, millega ta nooruses tegeles. Ma mõtlen, mis küll peab sellise inimese peas toimuma, et ta läheb selliseid tegusid korda saatma? Mul hakkas ühel hetkel koguni tema keskmisest veidi keevaverelisemast isast kahju, sest no mida sa kahe sellise huligaaniga teed. Kui ma lugesin tema purjus/pilves peaga klassiekskursioonidest, või siis juba vanema noormehena sõpradega nädalalõpureisidest Euroopas, meenusid mulle oma reisidel nähtud briti poissmeestekambad ja...
Heakene küll. Kui olin end autori pikkadest patukahetsustest läbi närinud, siis tuli see, miks ma raamatu kätte võtnud ju olingi :) Ja see oli küll hea, seda ma ütlen.
Elulooline külg oli nii ja naa. Ehk natuke paljusõnaline ja tarbetutesse kordustesse laskuv, sest sõnumi "kuidas pätipoisist kasvas inimene" oleks saanud kontsentreeritumalt edasi anda. Minu antipaatiat suurendas kahtlemata ka see metslase moodi ebainimlik lõhkumine, rüüstamine, hävitamine, millega ta nooruses tegeles. Ma mõtlen, mis küll peab sellise inimese peas toimuma, et ta läheb selliseid tegusid korda saatma? Mul hakkas ühel hetkel koguni tema keskmisest veidi keevaverelisemast isast kahju, sest no mida sa kahe sellise huligaaniga teed. Kui ma lugesin tema purjus/pilves peaga klassiekskursioonidest, või siis juba vanema noormehena sõpradega nädalalõpureisidest Euroopas, meenusid mulle oma reisidel nähtud briti poissmeestekambad ja...
Heakene küll. Kui olin end autori pikkadest patukahetsustest läbi närinud, siis tuli see, miks ma raamatu kätte võtnud ju olingi :) Ja see oli küll hea, seda ma ütlen.
December 24, 2020
What an engrossing read!
Simon Reeve writes an excellent autobiographical account of his life, starting from his troubled youth through to becoming the successful TV documentary presenter he is today.
The book follows his extraordinary travel adventures across many nations, visiting obscure places and talking with the locals. With much empathy for those struggling in poverty and war, he describes his visits to often dangerous parts of the world. His conversational writing and enthusiastic descriptions made me feel we were chatting personally.
I was so impressed I watched the TV show made about the book. I was not disappointed. A well deserved 5 stars.
Simon Reeve writes an excellent autobiographical account of his life, starting from his troubled youth through to becoming the successful TV documentary presenter he is today.
The book follows his extraordinary travel adventures across many nations, visiting obscure places and talking with the locals. With much empathy for those struggling in poverty and war, he describes his visits to often dangerous parts of the world. His conversational writing and enthusiastic descriptions made me feel we were chatting personally.
I was so impressed I watched the TV show made about the book. I was not disappointed. A well deserved 5 stars.
December 31, 2019
I discovered Simon Reeve only in 2019 on BBC. I think he is virtually unknown in the US for his work on travel documentaries, which is a shame. These are not touristy travel guides but in-depth explorations of various fascinating areas of the world. While the scenic parts are covered, the series show the day-to-day living conditions, political and economic issues of every area Simon visits and does it through his eyes and his interactions with local 'real' people.
The book is an auto-biography of Simon Reeve's life from his days as a troubled youth to a world-traveling, famous explorer and movie maker. The book is a exhilarating read and gives deep insight into the quite surprising twists and turns of Simon's life. Way before his career with the BBC he spent several years researching and writing a book about the first World Trade Center attack in 1993. His book was almost ignored but the terror attack on 9/11 suddenly propelled Simon onto the media stage because he had all the factual background information that the media largely lacked. Taking that chance of a door opener and turning it into something sublimely positive with his later work that explains vast areas of the world to a large audience is a great accomplishment.
Large parts of the book explain how he and his tiny team put these travel adventures together - far from the notion of a big-budget crew that I envisioned and it also explains that the authenticity of his series is genuine and not an accident. Everything is very personal and Simon himself.
One of the most rewarding characteristics of Simon's work and also this book is his positive, open mind and enthusiasm towards anything new and towards any new personal encounters. May he never lose his sense of curiosity and wonder.
The book is an auto-biography of Simon Reeve's life from his days as a troubled youth to a world-traveling, famous explorer and movie maker. The book is a exhilarating read and gives deep insight into the quite surprising twists and turns of Simon's life. Way before his career with the BBC he spent several years researching and writing a book about the first World Trade Center attack in 1993. His book was almost ignored but the terror attack on 9/11 suddenly propelled Simon onto the media stage because he had all the factual background information that the media largely lacked. Taking that chance of a door opener and turning it into something sublimely positive with his later work that explains vast areas of the world to a large audience is a great accomplishment.
Large parts of the book explain how he and his tiny team put these travel adventures together - far from the notion of a big-budget crew that I envisioned and it also explains that the authenticity of his series is genuine and not an accident. Everything is very personal and Simon himself.
One of the most rewarding characteristics of Simon's work and also this book is his positive, open mind and enthusiasm towards anything new and towards any new personal encounters. May he never lose his sense of curiosity and wonder.
May 4, 2019
Simon Reed writes openly about his early struggles with mental health issues, as he literally travels "Step by Step" out of serious depression. He shares his early aspirations to join MI6 and walking into their headquarters looking for a job, before getting his first break as a post boy for the Sunday Times newspaper, later researching the bombing of the World Trade Center and writing "The New Jackals: Ramzi Yousef, Osama bin Laden and The Future of Terrorism" which became the one and only book written on al Qaeda when the Twin Towers fell.
Although he did not set out to be on television, fate had other ideas and "Meet the Stans" became his first groundbreaking series, that has led to many others.
He shares many of his travel adventures to places less travelled by others, with intelligence, good humour and empathy for those struggling with poverty, war and basic human rights.
Highly recommended.
Although he did not set out to be on television, fate had other ideas and "Meet the Stans" became his first groundbreaking series, that has led to many others.
He shares many of his travel adventures to places less travelled by others, with intelligence, good humour and empathy for those struggling with poverty, war and basic human rights.
Highly recommended.
March 20, 2025
Wow! What an amazing read. This is, without a shadow of a doubt, one of the best books I have ever read in my whole entire life! I loved it from start to finish. Simon is an excellent storyteller and everything he says is inspiring, entertaining and profound. This book gave me a real sense of perspective of how very lucky and privileged I am. We all need reminders of that every now and then! His book has made me want to get out and explore even more, not just to faraway places but also on my doorstep. As he said during a talk I saw in Leeds, sometimes turning left instead of right on your daily walk provides a sense of adventure. What a fantastic man. He reminds me of a crossover between Attenborough and Louis Theroux, but I think really he's better than both of them! Not that it's a competition.
In conclusion, this is one of the most amazing books I have ever read and I'd encourage everyone to read it.
In conclusion, this is one of the most amazing books I have ever read and I'd encourage everyone to read it.
February 10, 2021
Well-written and interesting memoir. This book is not just a travel book, but is about the journey to becoming a travel broadcaster, as well as some sections about the travel. Simon Reeves is a thoroughly professional but very accessible television presenter who, in his television series, is all about the place, the history, the good and the bad, and the people, rather than about himself. He appears on camera but does not big-note himself or make himself the focus. I've enjoyed every one of his programs.
Now, I've also enjoyed his book, and learned much more about him and his work. I didn't know, for example, that he was the first author ever to mention Osama bin Laden when he, Reeves, was writing his book about the World Trade Center truck bomb. Very prescient! He has had his own troubles in life, and shares them with us without being overly sentimental or whingeing about the hardships. Just a delight to read and I shall be seeking out more of his work.
Now, I've also enjoyed his book, and learned much more about him and his work. I didn't know, for example, that he was the first author ever to mention Osama bin Laden when he, Reeves, was writing his book about the World Trade Center truck bomb. Very prescient! He has had his own troubles in life, and shares them with us without being overly sentimental or whingeing about the hardships. Just a delight to read and I shall be seeking out more of his work.
May 11, 2021
10/10. Fantastic story from a thoroughly likeable bloke.
July 1, 2021
Ei ole ilukirjanduslik šedööver (mida ta ei peagi olema), kuid haarav ja inspireeriv kindlasti. Nii mõnedki lood on kergelt öeldes jahmatavad, üks näidetest on see, kuidas 20ndates Simon kirjutab raamatu "The New Jackals" (1998), mis räägib uue ajastu terroristidest ning sellest, kuidas juba enne 2001. a plaaniti kaksiktornide rünnakut. Kõik on raamatus kirjas, kuid raamatu avaldamise hetkel ei tunne selle teema vastu keegi huvi, kuniks kõik juhtubki. Seda raamatut või siis uurimustööd võib mõneti pidada alguseks, kui Simonit avalikult märgati. Palju sarnaseid jahmatavaid lugusid jagub veelgi, edaspidi peamiselt juba tema rännakutelt. Simoni lood viivad meid vähemtuntud piirkondadesse, nii nagu ta ise nimetab, alati kontrastide - valguse ja varju otsingutele. Põnev ja liigutav!
January 1, 2020
'I have always been taken by a line used by Archbishop Desmond Tutu about the arrival of Christianity on the continent: ‘When the missionaries came to Africa they had the Bible and we had the land. They said “Let us pray.” We closed our eyes. When we opened them, we had the Bible and they had the land.’ (Simon Reeve).
I love Simon Reeve. His travels are not for the erudite, he doesn't aim to teach history, context or anthropology. And yet he always manages to show us forgotten parts of the world, people's daily lives, their battle against climate change and against the forces of corruption, greed, fanaticism, despotism in a non patronising manner. His travels are small vignettes, pieced together into a geographical theme, with minimal commentary and just enough for us to add our own thoughts. Perhaps because of his lack of a strict high level education, he is so popular in that he fills the gaps of other travel writers bottom up almost, unbridled by political, educational or historical bias. An empirical approach that works well in the midst of a lot of unnecessary talk.
I love Simon Reeve. His travels are not for the erudite, he doesn't aim to teach history, context or anthropology. And yet he always manages to show us forgotten parts of the world, people's daily lives, their battle against climate change and against the forces of corruption, greed, fanaticism, despotism in a non patronising manner. His travels are small vignettes, pieced together into a geographical theme, with minimal commentary and just enough for us to add our own thoughts. Perhaps because of his lack of a strict high level education, he is so popular in that he fills the gaps of other travel writers bottom up almost, unbridled by political, educational or historical bias. An empirical approach that works well in the midst of a lot of unnecessary talk.
November 8, 2022
I really enjoy Simon's travel documentary series for the BBC (I've watched his Pilgrimage series multiple times). In this memoir he recounts his childhood, very difficult and destructive teenage years, and how he came through mental health lows to find a career in journalism and TV making. There's a lot of stories from his early travels in this book (he always chooses lesser known destinations), and Simon tells them with his characteristic simplicity and directness and humour. Very fun and interesting and enlightening.
December 10, 2021
More like a 2.5 rounded down. I've never seen Reeve's TV shows but from the early stages of the book I could sense his urge, almost immediately, to exaggerate everything to the point that it often feels like a colonial gaze. E.g. Wandering around a supermarket car park in Gabon pointing out expensive cars as though everybody should be poor and deprived was an extraordinarily narrow-minded passage.
January 8, 2019
Fascinating read! So many interesting stories that reflect the different outlooks on life all over the world. As in his programmes, Simon Reeve manages to draw parallels between cultures and counties. He helps to demonstrate that we are all fundamentally the same and our path in life is almost purely down to the place in which we were born.
May 16, 2021
To be honest I didn't know anything about Simon before I started reading the book as a recommendation from my best friend. It's a book about his journey, from the troubled teenager to the book writer that was the first one to write about Al Qaeda and the fantastic journalist who traveled in all sort of forgotten places. One important thing I took from the book is that sometimes it's better to take important changes step by step, to let yourself time and space to assimilate them and the way they change you. It was a fantastic book about travelling in unrecognized nations, or in the wilderness of the Stan countries, about people you meet on the journey, their stories and the traditions.
Even if his documentaries can be seen as a bit too old for 2021, I still plan to watch them now and have also a visual image of the powerful stories he transposed in this book.
Highly recommend it for people interested in travelling but also in learning from people's experiences.
Even if his documentaries can be seen as a bit too old for 2021, I still plan to watch them now and have also a visual image of the powerful stories he transposed in this book.
Highly recommend it for people interested in travelling but also in learning from people's experiences.
December 29, 2019
Having travelled in my armchair with Simon Reeve on many of his journeys I found this autobiography very interesting. It was good to learn about Simon’s early years in journalism which gave him opportunities to explore challenging situations and laid the foundations for future adventures. Simon writes with the same ease that he demonstrates when meeting people along the way on his travels, reading his book is like having him chatting to you in your sitting room. This book provides an insight into the man, his motivation for adventure and a glimpse behind the scenes as he travels to remote and often dangerous areas of the world.
July 10, 2022
Simon Reeve is one of those people who if you met you'd say to him 'I bet you've had an interesting life!'. From a depressive drop-out with no direction and one GSCE to a brave TV presenter who travels to some of the most deprived and dangerous areas of the world. Simon worked his way up from the bottom in life and seems like a genuine guy who deserves every bit of his success. This part memoir, part travelogue (covering his first two and a bit TV shows for the BBC) is a real eye opener and I couldn't put it down.
February 20, 2022
Tele-ekraanidelt tuntud rännumehe elust pajatav raamat sisaldab nii ootuspäraseid ja tuttavlikke reportaaže eksootilistest kohtadest, kuhu ta reisinud on, kuid ka midagi ootamatut - ülevaadet oma metsikust nooruspõlvest ning sellest kuidas ta üldse ajakirjanikuks sai. Väga huvitav lugemine, eriti see, kuidas ta oma 98.a. ilmunud esimeses raamatus kirjeldab Bin Ladeni ja teiste ohtu Ameerikale, sh kaksiktornidele. Ja keegi seda raamatut enne 9/11t ju ei lugenud.
August 23, 2025
I chose this book because of the Kindle discount without knowing that much about Simon Reeve, his life or his documentaries. I was pretty shocked by what he went through growing up - physical abuse, mental health struggles, suicide attempt, criminal activity - and basically being on the almost certain path to prison. And yet, here he is travelling around the world to the most remote and inaccessible places, publishing books and making documentaries. It's a fascinating story and a read well worth your time.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 12, 2020
You should really all know by now that I love Simon Reeves. By extension- I heartily enjoyed his book.
The book details his epic travelling adventures (give his documentaries a watch if you haven’t), his struggle with depression, how he tried to warn people of the threat of Osama Bin Laden before 9/11, and much more.
The book details his epic travelling adventures (give his documentaries a watch if you haven’t), his struggle with depression, how he tried to warn people of the threat of Osama Bin Laden before 9/11, and much more.
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