Introduction
Ted Simon left England on the sixth of October, 1973. He was riding a Triumph 500cc motorcycle, with the intention of riding around the world. The journey would take him through 45 countries and over 78,000 miles. He would be gone for over four years. This is the classic motorcycle touring adventure. It is often credited to be the inspiration for Charlie Boorman and Ewan McGreggor’s motorcycle doco/movie “The Long Way Round”.
Ted Simon was a journalist for the Sunday Times before this journey. The book became an adventure classic that inspired thousands to follow his path. It propelled Ted to hero status. If we look at the book as a transition narrative, it becomes easier to describe what Ted Simon was not before he left England. He was not an adventure bike rider as we define one today. Let’s face it, back in 1973 there wasn’t a thing called adventure riding. It was easy to see he was not really competent as an off road rider. He was not a seasoned biker. His strength was his tenacity and his ability to tell stories.
However, he would take his 500cc road bike through some of the harshest roads, tracks and climates on the planet. The journey would change him.
Why should I read it?
This book could change your life, if Ted Simon, a 42 year old journalist with limited motorcycle skills can ride a bike around the world, so can you. You will have to read the book to find out how he did it and who Jupiter is. However, I think there is a Jupiter in all of us. Jupiter’s Travels was published by Hamish Hamilton, London in 1979. It has been republished a number of times since. It has been translated into at least five languages and has sold over 400,000 copies. If you want to know more about Ted Simon check out his web page :Ted Simon’s Web Site
About the book
Jupiters Travels is more than a motorcycle adventure, it is a look into lives of the unseen people of the world. At a time when very little of the actual hardships of life outside the western world was known. This book takes the reader through some of the most politically charged environments on earth in 1973. Ted Simon rode through and around war zones, and through some of the most impoverished places on the planet. He highlights the corruption and authoritarianism of men. Along the way he meets noble people of traditional cultures far removed from his ow. He meets corrupt offical’s, incompetent bureaucracy and petty criminals. He meets genuine helpful people who were once respected warriors and are now farm workers.
As you read through the book, you feel that Ted is changing, from a naive traveller on a motorbike to a seasoned adventurer. There is more to this story than just motorcycle riding. Like all good adventure stories, Ted is on a journey of personal discovery. The people he meets and his descriptions of them are timeless. Somewhere in the book Ted changed, suddenly life got a whole new meaning. I don’t know where it was that he changed, maybe his time in a South American prison, or when he met the priests in a convent in Africa or his experiences with a Guru in India. It’s not a book solely about travel, he talks about his relationships, his fears, and his anxieties.
My opinion
If Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance was a book about the definition of quality, then this book is about Integrity. Throughout the book Ted Simon meets people with integrity, some of them the most impoverished on the planet, but all too willing to share what meagre rations or resources they have with a stranger in need. This should challenge all of us, looking for a better future.
He is helped along the way by people from the kindness of their hearts, just because “it is the right thing to do”. The book highlights the dichotomy between the values of western and the many non western cultures around the world. This book is one of the best adventure motorcycle books I have read in a long time. In my opinion it ranks along side the classic “Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance”. Definitely worth putting at the top of your adventure reading list.
This book is intended for adventurers and would be adventures looking to their own adventure. Ted Simon shows that all you need to do is start, the rest will fall into place.
Where can you buy this book?
The ISBN is 0-9654785-2-1, for those who need such a number. If you want to buy the book then click on the following button:
