Riding the Continent

by Hamilton Mack Laing, Trevor Marc Hughes (Editor)

Literary Nonfiction. Hamilton Mack Laing was an illustrious early British Columbia writer and naturalist. But few know him as how he described himself in his a motorcycle-naturalist. For several years beginning in 1914, Laing used the motorcycle to access the natural world, believing it gave him a distinct advantage over other forms of transportation. During this period in his life he would take on a transcontinental journey, riding across the United States from Brooklyn to Oakland in 1915. His previously unpublished manuscript of this journey has been hidden away for nearly a century. Now, its pages telling the tale of his "six-weeks' perambulation" will be available to readers for the first time. RIDING THE CONTENT tells the story of a pioneering motorcyclist and independently thinking naturalist as well as an unusual road trip. As Laing put it, "the lure of the unending road is a call that will not be denied." Laing's tale explores the beauty of North America's bird life, describes the sights, scenery and people he encountered, and takes us along for the ride on a 1915 Harley-Davidson he named Barking Betsy. Also included are a foreword by Laing biographer and B.C. historian Richard Mackie and an afterword by editor and motorcycle travel writer Trevor Marc Hughes.

230 pages, Paperback

Published December 15, 2019

Reviews

[Patir Hirs · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m reading a lot of what I would call “Quest” books lately and this one is of that type. I thoroughly enjoyed it. You do have to be a bit of a bird enthusiast, but even those descriptions are a unique addition to the narrative.

[Tyson Sommerville · Rating 3 out of 5]

interesting idea but a little on the dull side as it's more of a day by day journal that happened to get published so I found it a slow read.