Customer Reviews

With Both Hands Waving: A Journey Through Mozambique

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I was looking forward to this book as it was the only travelog i could find on Mozambique, a country I'll be visiting this year. I believe the author is a writer of travel articles for magazines and this was reflected in the style of writing.ie it tended to flit from place to place without really getting under the skin of any location.
The book generally describes a journey overland through mozambique with 3(?) travelling companions. That question mark says a lot-- i didnt feel I really got to know any of the characters-- i finished the book a weeks ago and I really can't remember whether there were 4 or 5 people in the party and I can only remember one of their names.
Also, for an adventurous journey--very little actually happened! A good travel book is made by the mishaps and adventures experienced, but the scenarios described were certainly nothing to have your friends on the edge of their seats when you got home. Also, the reader never really gets to know the people. They seem to be mostly observed from the window of a land rover.
I know you can't make up mishaps and adventures which don't happen but I wonder if the author would have had more to write about had he made the trip alone, using his wits rather than a vehicle (like the tourists on bikes that he seems to pity-if they write a book it may be worth a read!