Alastair Humphreys: Around the World by Bike

By: Alastair Humphreys

Narrated by: Alastair Humphreys

Length: 20 hrs and 9 mins

Publisher's Summary

At the age of 24, Alastair Humphreys set off to try to cycle round the world. By the time he arrived back home, four years later, he had ridden 46,000 miles across five continents on a budget of just £7,000. 

From frozen Siberia tundra to the jungles of central Africa, Alastair recounts his extraordinary adventures in two parts - Moods of Future Joys and Thunder & Sunshine - brought together in audiobook for the first time. 

Moods of Future Joys is the story of the first stage of this epic journey. Struggling with the enormity of the challenge he had set himself, Alastair recounts the hardships of the expedition with great honesty. His ride through Europe, a turbulent Middle East and down Africa is buoyed by the kindness of strangers and the thrill of the freedom of the open road.

In Thunder & Sunshine, Alastair continues his journey from South Africa back to Yorkshire, via the whole of the Americas, South to North, Siberia, Japan, and back through China, Central Asia and Europe. 

A tale of physical and mental endurance, of taking on wilderness, loneliness and danger in a time before mobile phones and GPS - this is a refreshingly original account from one of today's great adventurers.

©2019 Alastair Humphreys (P)2019 Bonnier

Great Adventure Story

Great story of modern adventure to be enjoyed be all, more so if you are a cyclist.

Author depicts his journey and allows you to ride along with him during his experience.

Around the world in 20 hours

I always love a good audiobook read by the author. It brings so much more to the story. Author does a great job bringing you along on his journey and does not shy away from his real thoughts as his ride progresses. Definitely recommend.

Fantastic adventure

Every morning as I step onto the treadmill at my local gym I pressed play on this book for my hour long cardio. As I looked out the floor to ceiling windows of the gym I was blessed with the view of the back of a Taco Bell and McDonalds. While my eyes say the world in front of my the story took me mind away to far off lands and memories of my own adventures through life. Such a fantastic tale of travel and adventure. Every morning it made me long to go out and travel again. I will get the opportunity to again soon. I guess it is time to pick my bags and finally see Asia.
Great book and narration. I am sad it is over. For now.
Scott Shirley

Amazing adventure

Alastair takes you on a honest journey around the world. The book never seems to slow or get bogged down. Just constant forward motion both on the bike and in this book. Quite enjoyable!

Alastair, you are my guru!!!!!

This is such an epic story! I have no idea why it is not at the top of travel book rankings. Neither do I have an idea why on two occasions in my life when I was given a clean slate to start it all over again, I failed to hop on my bike and go around the world like Al. The world is suffering from Comfort Crisis (btw. this is a title of another great audiobook) and bicycles can be so good at curing the global disease of 'comfortosis'.

worth it, but I tuned out a lot

Good narrating. some of the story is interesting. He pontificate a lot, which is boring.

what a story!

this is an incredible story of a young man who set out to "see and experience" the world by bicycle; not just circumnavigate. listening to him tell his story; it will certainly serve as inspiration for my own big adventure.

thank you!

way more than just cycling around the globe.
getting to know the world is closer!
and there is the way the story is told. just thank you!

Great outlook on the world

The author takes you around the world from the seat of the bicycle. Al is a great human being that always see the good in people.

Must read for any adventurer or anyone longing for adventure from home

I lived vicariously through Alastair. I visited all these places through him while being forced to stay home through the pandemic. It’s an amazing read, especially right now

Great inspiration for anyone interested in bike packing and travel!

Really enjoyed Alastair’s epic ride around the world. Honestly told, warts and all tale of what can happen when you stop day dreaming, take a leap and just begin your journey.

Boring

I listen to books whilst I run and normally the hours fly by but this one dragged. I didn't finish it, it just felt like I was listening to a list of random places where nothing exciting really happend

😴

Perfect book to fall asleep to, even if you're not tired! Great adventure. Somehow made dull.

really enjoyed his story. Narration is excellent

Alastair seems like a decent guy, loved his all round attitude to life and his" feck it, why not" ideology. Inspiring in a rather contrasting way. Humble attitude to a monumental achievement. Bravo.

What an adventure

Loved the adventure aspect and Al's performance was fantastic.

really enjoyed hearing the differences between what we enjoy in the UK and the developed world and how the attitudes of the people are so different in these far flung lands.

Boring and distasteful.

I had high hopes listening to this great adventure. But halfway through, all I heard was how impoverished Africa is (like no one knew that) and how different (in distasteful manner) their way of life is. I couldn't bear to listen to an elaborate and eloquent moaning. After listening to some chapters I had to delete it in my library.
He even narrated as far back in 1970s how one African country was in turmoil due to independence from its coloniser and yet, failed to state that some of it maybe due to exploitation by its coloniser?

Absolutely LOVED this and lost myself in it

Absolutely loved losing myself in this whilst out running and cycling, refilled my mind with dreams of travel and adventure and inspired me to get out and do something about it!

An amazing account of an incredible journey

I absolutely loved this book, Alastair is an inspiration and I’m so pleased he not only undertook this epic journey, but also took the time to write about it and then read it to me!

A genuine modern day adventure.

A superb true story of a young lad setting out on a round the world cycling adventure that would eventually last 4 years. The tale is genuinely inspirational as to what can be achieved. Even if you are not interested in cycling, or planning something as long and as challenging, I doubt anyone could listen to this and not be inspired to travel, or cycle, somewhere new.

The descriptions of far off lands, the climates, customs and conditions and, most notably, the friendly and generous attitudes shown towards the author, a stranger to the people he met, is a tonic in a world where we are often brainwashed to view foreigners with suspicion, and sometimes even hostility.

A well written travel account

Humphreys is a gifted writer. His text is filled with similes that bring his adventure to life, and literary allusions that add additional texture to his text. My only disappointment was his somewhat unbalanced account of the break up of the former Yugoslavia. That aside this is a brilliant book.