Customer Reviews

Boats, Bikes, and Boxing Gloves: Adventure Writer in the Kingdom of Siam

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Thailand is a small place. Especially northern Thailand. All the expats know each other and are easily recognized in this fictional account of a gay man trying for macho. While there are pieces of truth intersperced though the book, Graceffo seems to need to embellish his characters with nasty habits. Give the candy then take it away. What I found most offensive was his opening statement,"This book is based on true events." In a word..... horsepucky! So many of these 'true events' never happened, that with a single character I was able to count five different things that I know for sure never occured. You see... I was that character.

For anyone who has travelled in South East Asia, they know that every day is an adventure. For most, however, this entails merely learning a couple words ('beer', 'two more', ok 3 words) of the local language. For Antonio Graceffo, he explores the territory outside the safety zone, into the territories of the people's country (not expat landia), and survives brilliantly to record how he does it. The amazing thing is, he doesn't write to boast, he writes to tell you the reality, the beauty of people's lives who thrive every day under extreme circumstances. Read this book, and you'll come to find out for yourself.

There is something about the negative reviews below that has me thinking they were all (or most of them) written by one person with a personal axe to grind with the author. While he may be no Paul Theroux yet, Graceffo writes witty honest prose about the people and places he has visited. I thoroughly enjoyed the book. I will come right out and admit that I have had the pleasure of meeting Antonio and hanging out with him when he was living in Taiwan and writing outdoor related articles here. I was and am still amazed by his tireless work ethic, especially at the time when he was first developing his writing chops and earning little or no money for his efforts. In spite of what the naysayers say (or one disgruntled expat that crossed his path, whatever the case may be) Antonio is the real deal, and certainly not one afraid to venture off the beaten path.

Boats, Bikes, and Boxing Gloves is an astonishing true account of Antonio Graceffo's adventures in the jungles of Thailand. Although the production values of the book cry out for a second edition, since it was tacked together and supplemented from a series of Graceffo's articles in adventure and fight magazines, Graceffo's first-hand experiences with the hill tribes around Chiang-Mai bear witness to the struggle of a vanishing way of life trapped between the commercial forces of Thailand and the surrounding brutality of southeast asia. What I love most about this book is Graceffo's honesty; his refusal to paint the colorful and dangerous world he sees with rose-colored glasses, and his willingness, indeed, his obsession, to live like the locals. It is at once hilarious and shocking, but also educational and touching. Rather than a detached, "scholarly" account, Graceffo's book is up-close and personal. Refreshingly so. He pulls no punches and makes no bones about criticizing some of the bizarre absurdities of primitive life, and yet, avoids falling into the trap of promulgating any political agenda. I often and repeatedly laughed out loud, yet at other times shook my head in sadness and wonder. The characters he meets roaming around Thailand are as remarkable as his own incredibly brave, often quixotic, forays into Thai kick-boxing, Burmese bicycling, and boating around Cambodia, and more, and are made all the more remarkable because they are so obviously true. This is a very different and unique type of book than any I have ever read, and will appeal to anyone who is interested in adventure, asia, or Muay Thai Kick-Boxing. Graceffo will make you both question, and be grateful, for your life here at home, and transport you into the whole different world. I recommend it.

Antonio Graceffo first contacted us at Hackwriters.com when he first quit his job and arrived broke in Asia. He began submitting his extraordinary tales of adventure no matter how hungry he was, or what kind of situation he was in. This is a man who really got to grips with making contact with other nations and living the life like Indiana Jones. He really did paddle down whole rivers, make kick-boxing movies, live with the hilltribes and somehow always found an internet connection to send his reports back. Brave, slightly crazy, he is an inspiration to anyone who seeks adventure in wild territory. Read this book, you may want to quit your job and try it yourself. Make sure you have the guts Antonio Graceffo has, it's tough out there.

As an editor by profession and having seen Graceffo's unedited work in all its glory, I can tell you that the positive reviews below, with all their correct punctuation and dictionary-standard spelling, are quite clearly not written by the author of the book.

I haven't yet read "Boats, Bikes, and Boxing Gloves" in its entirety, but having had the pleasure of viewing excerpts as they were written, I very much look forward to getting my hands on a copy. Graceffo has a writing style that is blunt and to the point, and this boxer with a humourous bent certainly doesn't pull his punchlines.

Graceffo's insights may be stinging in their honesty, so his style may be one best enjoyed with a guilty laugh or a flashlight under the bedcovers, but enjoyed nonetheless.

Controversial? Never hurt Rushdie. OK, that may not be the best example. Blunt? Truth often is. In the closet? Not something that I care to fantasize about, but each to his own.

If you are as confused by the mixed reviews as I was about the bad ones, there is only one option available to you: buy the book and see for yourself.

(I should make it clear that I do know the author; he saved my life on a river-tracing expedition in the mountains of northern Taiwan - not once, but twice. I should also make it known that I know good writing when I see it ... as I also know that persons portrayed in an accurate and unflattering light in a new book will do all they can to put others off reading it while also attempting to raise questions about the credibility of the author ;-)

Buy it and enjoy it. Discover what it is 'they' are trying to hide! :-)

Antonio's books are well written, witty and have a personal style that set them apart. What I don't understand is the sniping at him on a personal level... unless this sniping has some other hidden agenda.

I was in Cambodia in 2004 working on a photo story on the Khmer Rouge, Antonio offered to help me and I can tell you he was happy to take big risks with dangerous people. I would not hesitate to work with him again; in fact I hope I get the chance one day. From my personal experience I can say his integrity is 100%.

My advice is read his work and make your own mind up. The truth has a way of upsetting some people.

An honest & funny account of a gweilo in the Orient. He surely made the efforts to understand the Asian cultures. A good laugh and a good chance to reflect ourselves.

As a kickboxer in Canada who has traveled SE Asia, I loved reading the descriptions of training and boxing in the book. Say what you what about the author's personal character, he DEFINITELY knows how to write fight stories in a humourous and engrossing fashion.
As for the negative reviews featured here, it sounds like a case of traveler's jealousy towards travel writers to me. (I mean, who on earth questions an author's sexuality in a book review?)

After reading the book, I'd have to say most of the positive ones were his. What trash!