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Winter reading recommendations?

Posted: Wed Nov 15, 2017 11:10 am
by restlessshawn
Have run out of things on my kindle just now so any recommendations to get me through the winter?

I read quite a lot of non fiction, travels, life story type stuff, mostly cycling related really but doesn't have to be...*
I have no interest in books about actual racing or fiction based cycling books like Lance's

Just finished Dave Barter's OCCD which I enjoyed, especially the Irish end to end as I've done it...though it has got me thinking about a LEJOG...



*actually I've read a lot of cycling travel books!

Re: Winter reading recommendations?

Posted: Wed Nov 15, 2017 11:18 am
by Single Speed George
if you climb or mountaineer , i would recommend Mic Fowlers 2 books , some of the best biographical wrighting i have come across , allways entertaining even on the most harrowing acounts of things , cant reccomed them enough ! ... but think you would have to be in to climbing to enjoy them.

Re: Winter reading recommendations?

Posted: Wed Nov 15, 2017 11:29 am
by HopeValleyPaul
438 days by Jonathan Franklin. All about a Mexican fisherman who gets washed across the Pacific Ocean with next to nothing in his boat.
The best book I’ve read this year.

Re: Winter reading recommendations?

Posted: Wed Nov 15, 2017 11:35 am
by restlessshawn
HopeValleyPaul wrote:438 days by Jonathan Franklin. All about a Mexican fisherman who gets washed across the Pacific Ocean with next to nothing in his boat.
The best book I’ve read this year.

Wasn't there a bit of doubt of the authenticity at the time? Still might be worth reading by the sounds of it

Re: Winter reading recommendations?

Posted: Wed Nov 15, 2017 11:36 am
by restlessshawn
Single Speed George wrote:if you climb or mountaineer , i would recommend Mic Fowlers 2 books , some of the best biographical wrighting i have come across , allways entertaining even on the most harrowing acounts of things , cant reccomed them enough ! ... but think you would have to be in to climbing to enjoy them.

I've read some mountaineering type books, white spider, joe simpson stuff, and some Everest accounts...but I don't and never will climb ;)

Re: Winter reading recommendations?

Posted: Wed Nov 15, 2017 11:53 am
by whitestone
General exploring books: Shipton and Tilman. Mostly mountaineering but in later years Tilman did some pretty hairy sea voyages.

In a similar vein Wilfred Thesiger's Arabian explorations and Wally Herbert's polar trips.

All the above might be regarded as a bit "dry" by today's "wow" and false jeopardy standards.

Re: Winter reading recommendations?

Posted: Wed Nov 15, 2017 12:17 pm
by Borderer
I have read Graeme Obree's biography 'The Flying Scotsman' recently which was very good.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/190 ... 1909715115

Also Sarah Outen's excellent account of circumnavigating the globe under her own steam, ie rowing the oceans and cycling the land. Her account of crossing Canada in -30C temps (while camping!) might prove the incentive you need to stop being soft and get out there this winter. And she did it all on a bike weighing 70kg :shock:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/147 ... 27831f96fc

Re: Winter reading recommendations?

Posted: Wed Nov 15, 2017 12:29 pm
by javatime
Julian Sayarer wrote a good book about cycling around the world (and his reasons for doing it) based on the politics of adventure. His book about being a cycle courier in London is good too.

Re: Winter reading recommendations?

Posted: Wed Nov 15, 2017 12:35 pm
by restlessshawn
Borderer wrote:I have read Graeme Obree's biography 'The Flying Scotsman' recently which was very good.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/190 ... 1909715115

Also Sarah Outen's excellent account of circumnavigating the globe under her own steam, ie rowing the oceans and cycling the land. Her account of crossing Canada in -30C temps (while camping!) might prove the incentive you need to stop being soft and get out there this winter. And she did it all on a bike weighing 70kg :shock:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/147 ... 27831f96fc

Yeah I read Obree's book and enjoyed it

Sarah's Outen's looks interesting (8.99 on kindle!) In a similar vein I read these and enjoyed them. Much longer trip though something like 10 years

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Jason-Lewis/e/ ... sr=1-2-ent


might prove the incentive you need to stop being soft and get out there this winter
wow it's like you know me :lol: I the back of my head I'm already thinking of hanging up my sleeping bag till March :oops:

Re: Winter reading recommendations?

Posted: Wed Nov 15, 2017 12:38 pm
by restlessshawn
javatime wrote:Julian Sayarer wrote a good book about cycling around the world (and his reasons for doing it) based on the politics of adventure. His book about being a cycle courier in London is good too.

looks good, just downloaded that (hopefully better than the Mark Beumont book) so far that's

169 days later
438 days
the Year (D Barter)

on my kindle...I see a pattern

Re: Winter reading recommendations?

Posted: Wed Nov 15, 2017 12:48 pm
by Borderer
might prove the incentive you need to stop being soft and get out there this winter
wow it's like you know me :lol: I the back of my head I'm already thinking of hanging up my sleeping bag till March :oops:[/quote]

No excuses :lol: My 13 year old and I slept out in sub-zero temps last week. If he can do it, so can you :-P

Re: Winter reading recommendations?

Posted: Wed Nov 15, 2017 2:30 pm
by Wotsits
http://www.chrismcdougall.com/born-to-run/

Some really good insights that are also relevant to other endurance type events & quite a good story to go along with it too!

This is also quite a good read-
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/282 ... n-the-cold

Re: Winter reading recommendations?

Posted: Wed Nov 15, 2017 3:04 pm
by Dan_K
Last Man Off by Matt Lewis is a good read...

Re: Winter reading recommendations?

Posted: Wed Nov 15, 2017 8:09 pm
by Bearbonesnorm
The Year by Mr Barter ... superb read. Both interesting and humbling in equal measure.

Re: Winter reading recommendations?

Posted: Wed Nov 15, 2017 8:41 pm
by jameso
Cycling home from Siberia by Rob Lilwel and Travels with Rosinante by Bernard Magnouloux are great touring books.
As far as my feet will carry me, for an incredible and supposedly true story of a journey across Siberia.

Re: Winter reading recommendations?

Posted: Wed Nov 15, 2017 9:31 pm
by Trail-rat
Cycling home from syberia I thought was crap. He's al Humphreys mate and it shows in his writing style. I can't stand their style.

Try "ghost trails" and "be brave be strong " by Jill homer -

How ever in that note dividing the great by John Metcalfe is a good read.


Jupiter's travels by Ted Simon -motorbike travel in1970.

Long ride for a pie by Tim mulliner also iOS.

Currently working my way through "this road I ride " by Juliana Buhring. - she's had some life to date for sure.

Re: Winter reading recommendations?

Posted: Wed Nov 15, 2017 9:40 pm
by Bearbonesnorm
Sorry Shawn, I missed the bit where you said you'd already downloaded The Year.

Nick Crane's always worth a read - Journey to the centre of the earth is a favourite.

Millican Dalton, A search for romance and freedom by MD Entwistle.The story of someone who should never be forgotten and who's spirit (I hope) lives on amongst us.

Re: Winter reading recommendations?

Posted: Wed Nov 15, 2017 10:31 pm
by restlessshawn
Some great suggestions here thanks.

I read rob lillwall book a while back and I found the kind of "I've got faith" religious mentions got up my nose

Off to google some of these

Jupiters travels I had read maybe 5 times, great book

Re: Winter reading recommendations?

Posted: Wed Nov 15, 2017 10:35 pm
by RIP
"Journey to the centre of the earth is a favourite" - seconded. One of the most inspiring books I've ever read. From the BP point of view the amount of kit they [didn't] take for a journey of that length/unpredictability was incredible.

Re: Winter reading recommendations?

Posted: Wed Nov 15, 2017 11:09 pm
by Trail-rat
Another good read I feel should be mandatory for hill types is Cairngorm John by John Allan

Good without being a preachy we are not worthy type.

Re: Winter reading recommendations?

Posted: Wed Nov 15, 2017 11:28 pm
by Scattamah
Tim Moore's books are good. I've just revisited 'Gironimo' and enjoyed it 2nd time around as much as the first.

Greetz

S.

Re: Winter reading recommendations?

Posted: Wed Nov 15, 2017 11:53 pm
by ScotRoutes
The Living Mountain by Nan Shepherd will strike a chord with many of those who stravaig the wild places in a non-competitive frame of mind.

Re: Winter reading recommendations?

Posted: Thu Nov 16, 2017 12:47 am
by techno
ScotRoutes wrote:The Living Mountain by Nan Shepherd will strike a chord with many of those who stravaig the wild places in a non-competitive frame of mind.
It's an outstanding book, beautifully written and inspiring book. Never fails to give me itchy feet.
Any of Robert McFarlanes books are worth a look too.

Re: Winter reading recommendations?

Posted: Thu Nov 16, 2017 8:42 am
by Dave Barter
restlessnative wrote:
*actually I've read a lot of cycling travel books!

I just finished Peter Hook's "How not to run a club" which is a brilliant account of the rise and fall of the Hacienda night club in Manchester. I really recommend this along with:-

"The inside story of Viz" - Chris Donald
"Lonely Boy" - Steve Jones if you like a bit of punk history written by a thief

Re: Winter reading recommendations?

Posted: Thu Nov 16, 2017 9:03 am
by Charliecres
If you’re interested in climbing, this is a good collection of fiction: https://www.amazon.co.uk/One-Step-Cloud ... 0871566389

The Boardman-Tasker Omnibus is also excellent (very much non-fiction, obvs).

I also enjoyed this - office worker heads to Alaska to build and live in a remote log cabin over winter https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/aw/d/034089 ... 0819257058