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Fifty Miles Wide: Cycling Through Israel and Palestine
BY THE AUTHOR OF INTERSTATE, WINNER OF THE STANFORD DOLMAN TRAVEL BOOK OF THE YEAR
Ten years after breaking a world record for cycling around the world, award-winning travel writer Julian Sayarer returns to two wheels on the roads of Israel and occupied Palestine. His route weaves from the ancient hills of Galilee, along the blockaded walls of the Gaza Strip and down to the Bedouin villages of the Naqab Desert. He speaks with Palestinian hip-hop artists who wonder if music can change their world, Israelis hoping that kibbutz life can, and Palestinian cycling clubs determined to keep on riding despite the army checkpoints and settlers that bar their way. Pedalling through a military occupation, in the chance encounters of the roadside, a bicycle becomes a vehicle of more than just travel, and cuts through the tension to find a few simple truths, and some hope. As the miles pass, the journey becomes a meditation on making change - how people in dark times keep their spirit, and go on believing that a different world is possible.
Ten years after breaking a world record for cycling around the world, award-winning travel writer Julian Sayarer returns to two wheels on the roads of Israel and occupied Palestine. His route weaves from the ancient hills of Galilee, along the blockaded walls of the Gaza Strip and down to the Bedouin villages of the Naqab Desert. He speaks with Palestinian hip-hop artists who wonder if music can change their world, Israelis hoping that kibbutz life can, and Palestinian cycling clubs determined to keep on riding despite the army checkpoints and settlers that bar their way. Pedalling through a military occupation, in the chance encounters of the roadside, a bicycle becomes a vehicle of more than just travel, and cuts through the tension to find a few simple truths, and some hope. As the miles pass, the journey becomes a meditation on making change - how people in dark times keep their spirit, and go on believing that a different world is possible.
384 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 16, 2020
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Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews
July 13, 2020
It isn't easy to find a well-written book about bicycle travel. I've read quite a few of them and had sworn off reading more. But them I heard about Julian Sayarer and gave him a chance. I'm glad I did.
Before reading his first book, "Life Cycles" (2014), my favorite bicycle touring/riding books were, "The Man Who Loved Bicycles" (Daniel Behrman, 1973) and "Land of Lost Borders" (Kate Harris, 2018). Both of these books very effectively invoked the joys of riding a bicycle, one largely in and through Paris, the other on a world tour. Sayarer is at least as good.
"Fifty Miles Wide" is not only a description of Sayarer's ride in and around Israel, Palestine, and (very briefly) Jordan but also his intended purpose of discovering what conditions exist in the area, both physically and mentally. I won't attempt to replicate his work here in a review. Far better to read the original yourself. I will say it is well worth your time.
Whether you have an interest in bicycling literature or current events with regard to the Israel-Palestine situation or simply to enjoy a well-written book, I highly recommend "Fifty Miles Wide."
Before reading his first book, "Life Cycles" (2014), my favorite bicycle touring/riding books were, "The Man Who Loved Bicycles" (Daniel Behrman, 1973) and "Land of Lost Borders" (Kate Harris, 2018). Both of these books very effectively invoked the joys of riding a bicycle, one largely in and through Paris, the other on a world tour. Sayarer is at least as good.
"Fifty Miles Wide" is not only a description of Sayarer's ride in and around Israel, Palestine, and (very briefly) Jordan but also his intended purpose of discovering what conditions exist in the area, both physically and mentally. I won't attempt to replicate his work here in a review. Far better to read the original yourself. I will say it is well worth your time.
Whether you have an interest in bicycling literature or current events with regard to the Israel-Palestine situation or simply to enjoy a well-written book, I highly recommend "Fifty Miles Wide."
March 5, 2021
Not a particularly easy read but certainly edifying. Sayarer is very adept at painting a scene and the odd poetic turn of phrase, which really brings the journey to life. I initially found his style one sided (e.g. ascribing negative thoughts and emotions to Israelis that he sees, and positive or heroic thoughts and emotions for Palestinians he sees) but this does not really persist and by the end of the book I could forgive him lapsing occasionally, given what he learns. He is prone to some bizarre flights of cosmic fancy, which are fine and kind of interesting but a bit odd and felt overdone.
June 30, 2020
Fascinating journey through the lives of the people Julian meets. Less a story of cycling and more an exploration of the conflict between the two nations. Clip in and enjoy the ride.
March 24, 2020
Well-written and gripping set of stories of different people and opinions (from both sides) in a broken land.
If you want to get a sincere and day-to-day kind of look of Israel and Palestine, this book is for you.
I really enjoyed the element of the journey written through the perspective of cycling and I wish I could find such a passion one day as the author is obviously enjoying!
Even though the author claims he is pro-people in the book, I would be interested if any Israelis (or pro-Israelis) would consider reading it as it does not seem like a book that would be easy to comprehend from that side.
Impressive journey with compelling people!
If you want to get a sincere and day-to-day kind of look of Israel and Palestine, this book is for you.
I really enjoyed the element of the journey written through the perspective of cycling and I wish I could find such a passion one day as the author is obviously enjoying!
Even though the author claims he is pro-people in the book, I would be interested if any Israelis (or pro-Israelis) would consider reading it as it does not seem like a book that would be easy to comprehend from that side.
Impressive journey with compelling people!
August 25, 2020
Fifty Miles Wide has an unlikely premise. Who on earth cycles and then writes about it and then who on earth cycles through Palestine and writes about it ? Both unusual scenarios. You could say that this is the best book ever written about cycling in Palestine; then again it might be the only book written about cycling in Palestine.
I have cycled lifelong: from it being a means of transport to school to it being a means of transport to work, to it being my elephant over the Alps and back one summer in the late 80s. BIkes are the future of transport, I have always believed that and maybe finally it is beginning to come true as we reel from the after effects of COVID and wonder if there is a new way of doing things only to discover it has been sitting there in your garden shed all along just waiting to be taken for a whirl. I digress but only minimally because this is a book for those who love cycling and who have felt the hum of your tyres on the road for a whole day, felt the thrum of the saddle on your crotch as you get off at the end of day's ride, and smelt whatever it is that wafts your way along the road. Sayrarer is a cyclist who loves his bike but he has a keen understanding of human nature and a desire to learn about what he encounters. So no the book is not just a cycling book, it is about many, many things and beautiful lyrical passages abound. It is a pleasure to read.
The Israeli/Palestinian conflict is the narrative of the book. Sayarer arrives in Tel Aviv to then cycle his way around Palestine. The book is compartmentalised into the geography of Palestine with chapters on the each chunk. At every point Sayarer observes things both Israeli and Palestinian as he weaves his way between the two political entities that share this same land space. The Kibbutzim, the soldiers at the checkpoints, the street sellers, the hip hop band in Ramallah, the former peace negotiator, the boy cyclist, the foreign engineer toiling to fix things in Gaza ....The cast list is long as the book focuses on the small moments of interaction that Sayarer experiences on a daily basis. Written over 2 weeks the writing is immediate and compelling. Sayarer must have stopped during the day to write because the book fizzes with images and impressions that could only have been formed in the moment.
Sayarer asks questions all the time. In the book he is constantly trying to understand and he asks everyone he meets about their lives and their attitudes to the conflict. Sayarer wants to comprehend and as the book goes on he does draw conclusions. There is history, there is context and there is a rich vein of personal stories to illustrate Sayarer's observations on a strip of land that is but 50 miles wide.
There is a Jordanian vignette but the book's centrepiece is Palestine. I loved reading this on many levels. As Sayarer observes a man with a bicycle is a disarming thing. You cannot be anyone's enemy and the bike will make you friends. Enjoy Sararer's ride through the most complex political stalemate of the modern age.
I have cycled lifelong: from it being a means of transport to school to it being a means of transport to work, to it being my elephant over the Alps and back one summer in the late 80s. BIkes are the future of transport, I have always believed that and maybe finally it is beginning to come true as we reel from the after effects of COVID and wonder if there is a new way of doing things only to discover it has been sitting there in your garden shed all along just waiting to be taken for a whirl. I digress but only minimally because this is a book for those who love cycling and who have felt the hum of your tyres on the road for a whole day, felt the thrum of the saddle on your crotch as you get off at the end of day's ride, and smelt whatever it is that wafts your way along the road. Sayrarer is a cyclist who loves his bike but he has a keen understanding of human nature and a desire to learn about what he encounters. So no the book is not just a cycling book, it is about many, many things and beautiful lyrical passages abound. It is a pleasure to read.
The Israeli/Palestinian conflict is the narrative of the book. Sayarer arrives in Tel Aviv to then cycle his way around Palestine. The book is compartmentalised into the geography of Palestine with chapters on the each chunk. At every point Sayarer observes things both Israeli and Palestinian as he weaves his way between the two political entities that share this same land space. The Kibbutzim, the soldiers at the checkpoints, the street sellers, the hip hop band in Ramallah, the former peace negotiator, the boy cyclist, the foreign engineer toiling to fix things in Gaza ....The cast list is long as the book focuses on the small moments of interaction that Sayarer experiences on a daily basis. Written over 2 weeks the writing is immediate and compelling. Sayarer must have stopped during the day to write because the book fizzes with images and impressions that could only have been formed in the moment.
Sayarer asks questions all the time. In the book he is constantly trying to understand and he asks everyone he meets about their lives and their attitudes to the conflict. Sayarer wants to comprehend and as the book goes on he does draw conclusions. There is history, there is context and there is a rich vein of personal stories to illustrate Sayarer's observations on a strip of land that is but 50 miles wide.
There is a Jordanian vignette but the book's centrepiece is Palestine. I loved reading this on many levels. As Sayarer observes a man with a bicycle is a disarming thing. You cannot be anyone's enemy and the bike will make you friends. Enjoy Sararer's ride through the most complex political stalemate of the modern age.
July 4, 2020
The author is an excellent writer and heroic cyclist. I have read all but one of his books.
Fifty Miles Wide sums up the the cruel apartheid regime meted out to the Palestinians by the Israelis, who have vastly superior military firepower that they inflict on Palestine. Israel is supported by the west, which is why they just ignore rulings of the International Criminal Court.
Imagine having your land stolen, then your house bulldozed because it supposedly creates a security risk to the settlers who are now living on your stolen land. Look on the internet for graphic pictures of Palestinians with missing legs, young kids shot in the head, unarmed protestors being shot, wounded, killed. Imagine your water supply only being turned on for a few hours a day. Imagine settlers attacking you in full view of the Israeli military, the IDF, who are standing by watching, when they are supposed to be protecting you equally. Imagine severe import restrictions. The only positive thing that I read in this book is that some of the Israelis are embarrassed at how Israel treats the Palestinians.
A powerful and thought provoking read. There is one too many apartheid regimes in the world. Let’s hope that we in the West wake up to this and treat is as we did South Africa.
Fifty Miles Wide sums up the the cruel apartheid regime meted out to the Palestinians by the Israelis, who have vastly superior military firepower that they inflict on Palestine. Israel is supported by the west, which is why they just ignore rulings of the International Criminal Court.
Imagine having your land stolen, then your house bulldozed because it supposedly creates a security risk to the settlers who are now living on your stolen land. Look on the internet for graphic pictures of Palestinians with missing legs, young kids shot in the head, unarmed protestors being shot, wounded, killed. Imagine your water supply only being turned on for a few hours a day. Imagine settlers attacking you in full view of the Israeli military, the IDF, who are standing by watching, when they are supposed to be protecting you equally. Imagine severe import restrictions. The only positive thing that I read in this book is that some of the Israelis are embarrassed at how Israel treats the Palestinians.
A powerful and thought provoking read. There is one too many apartheid regimes in the world. Let’s hope that we in the West wake up to this and treat is as we did South Africa.
October 14, 2021
This rewarding book invites engagement, being both thoughtful, and thought-provoking. Through his travels, and more importantly, his many interactions with the myriad characters presented a picture is slowly built. The author's viewpoints are well thought out and leave you with both insights and questions. This is a book to be taken slowly, like the pace of his ride. At one point I thought I would never finish it, then suddenly it rushed away from me, and I fear I did not give it the time it deserves.
I fear I haven't made the book sound very entertaining there, which is unfair: it is. And also quite important, it its own way.
I fear I haven't made the book sound very entertaining there, which is unfair: it is. And also quite important, it its own way.
September 1, 2024
Loved the concept but I found the writing at times a bit heavy.
This is my favourite quote probably of all times:
"I want one country, I say. 'I want one country and one people, just as this is already one land. And in that country, every Palestinian and every Jew shall have one vote to decide the affairs of their life. And you can call this country neither Palestine nor Israel, but some harmony of the two names, just as this land will become a place of harmony for every last person that lives in it.”
This is my favourite quote probably of all times:
"I want one country, I say. 'I want one country and one people, just as this is already one land. And in that country, every Palestinian and every Jew shall have one vote to decide the affairs of their life. And you can call this country neither Palestine nor Israel, but some harmony of the two names, just as this land will become a place of harmony for every last person that lives in it.”
September 2, 2020
Really striking, totally current, and a unique take on the relationship between Israelis and Palestinians. Julian Sayarer uses the mechanism of being the harmless/fairly vulnerable man-on-a-bike to have chats with random people throughout Israel and Palestine (but not Gaza) and ask each of them: 'What do you think should be done?'
June 21, 2026
I wanted this to be better, I appreciate the challenge of providing any form of journey through that conflicted part of the globe but I felt this book was rising through Palestine and not Israel and Palestine. Unpalatable and all as it may have been I got little insite into the Israeli mindset even a glimpse. Sadly I found this overall disappointing.
June 3, 2022
Powerful & thought provoking a good insight to the problems of living in a country that is occupied. Not an easy read after experiencing first hand the difficulties faced on a daily basis by Palestinians going through check points.
Conversations and viewpoints left me with more questions than answers to ponder over. I hated that wall, barbaric!
Conversations and viewpoints left me with more questions than answers to ponder over. I hated that wall, barbaric!
August 1, 2022
Less of a cycling log and more about the authors experience and views of the Palestinian-Israeli question. Fabulous observations and anecdotes of meetings with locals on his journey. Has prompted me to learn more about the history - as well as some of the cycling routes in this fascinating area.
January 8, 2023
Really want to like this - I love cycling, bicycle touring, and wanted to learn more about Palestine - but couldn’t. Too many similes, metaphors, overly dramatic changes in tense - really struggled to finish (as proven by taking over a year and half to do it!)
April 16, 2024
This is not just any travel book: it's so poignant at the moment, so important to understand the situation in Palestine. Julian writes beautifully about his encounter with Palestinians and Israelis and the things he experiences while travelling between these two countries. Must read!
September 29, 2024
Really interesting getting to read about the mini interviews with both Israeli and Palestinian people and how awful it is what they are doing to Palestine.
Preferred the story’s of meeting people rather than the authors personal take on it.
Preferred the story’s of meeting people rather than the authors personal take on it.
February 3, 2026
Hard to pick up in the first place having spent so much time writing on the genocide. Harder still to put down. Short chapters, constant anecdotes and philosophical ruminations. Cycling motif dredges up the inhumane restrictions on Palestinians' freedom of movement from a different angle.
September 6, 2020
Incredibly powerful. An insightful account of a fascinating journey.
October 18, 2020
Well written and thoughtful. It gives an interesting insight to the lives of Palestinians and Israelis living under occupation. Sad, but hopeful.
November 27, 2020
Thought it was fantastic, but felt the ending was too abrupt and would have liked a bit more of a final reflection
September 14, 2021
A must read book that was beautifully written and very insightful. I felt like I was having a coffee with a friend who was talking about their travels rather the. Reading a book.
April 5, 2022
Thoroughly thought-provoking and captures the tension of that part of the world very well. A fascinating, challenging and hopeful read.
May 5, 2022
Amazing first hand insight into Israel and Palestine in a wonderfully descriptive account! Recommend for the travellers and those interested in sensitive and challenging societal & political issues.
June 1, 2020
Fifty Miles Wide is a travelogue about cycling through Israel and Palestine and meeting local people, hearing their stories as well as discovering the complicated history of the area.
Julian Sayarer met a mix of people on his journey: artists, refugees, soldiers, shop keepers and fellow cyclists. He gained insights into their daily lives, their struggles, their survival and their hopes for peace and a different future.
Sayarer blends the hard truths with poetic descriptions of nature and his experiences of one man and his bike on an open road. With this book he gently lends his voice to those whose stories need to be heard, and he tries to make sense of the plight of all these people are who living side-by-side with little room and a maelstrom of force just waiting to ignite. See here for full review https://wp.me/p2Eu3u-fus
Julian Sayarer met a mix of people on his journey: artists, refugees, soldiers, shop keepers and fellow cyclists. He gained insights into their daily lives, their struggles, their survival and their hopes for peace and a different future.
Sayarer blends the hard truths with poetic descriptions of nature and his experiences of one man and his bike on an open road. With this book he gently lends his voice to those whose stories need to be heard, and he tries to make sense of the plight of all these people are who living side-by-side with little room and a maelstrom of force just waiting to ignite. See here for full review https://wp.me/p2Eu3u-fus
April 22, 2021
Could and should have been a good book. Riding a bike around the region is a fascinating way to explore a complex and seemingly intractable conflict.
But unfortunately the author had made up his mind well before he got there. He brings such an anti-Israeli prejudice from the outset that any truly considered analysis is beyond him. If you are looking for new or thoughtful insights you won’t find them here.
Disappointing.
But unfortunately the author had made up his mind well before he got there. He brings such an anti-Israeli prejudice from the outset that any truly considered analysis is beyond him. If you are looking for new or thoughtful insights you won’t find them here.
Disappointing.
Did Not Finish
June 12, 2026Wow, I was really looking forward to this book as I love travel, cycling and have been to Israel. However, I struggled with the author's writing style. His anti-Israel prejudice from the beginning did not help. I was hoping for an on the ground look at different viewpoints. Life's too short and my TBR is long.
Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews