The Full Montezuma [Import] [Paperback]

Peter Moore (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 28, 2005

Peter Moore’s wicked sense of humour and eye for the bizarre add to the pleasure of this cautionary tale for anyone planning to cross a continent with their significant other. From Mexico to Jamaica, Honduras to ancient Mayan sites and golden beaches, follow the highs and lows of one couple’s journey.

Product Details

• Paperback: 469 pages
• Publisher: Bantam (June 28, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0553817019
• ISBN-13: 978-0553817010
• Product Dimensions: 5 x 1.2 x 7.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,113,015 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

My name is Peter Moore and I'm an Australian travel author.

Basically, my job is to go on grand journeys and write about them. I've travelled overland from London to Sydney (The Wrong Way Home), from Cape Town to Cairo (Swahili for the Broken-Hearted) and around Italy on a forty-year-old Vespa (Vroom with a View). I also travelled around Central America with a girl I'd only just met (The Full Montezuma). I'm just finishing a book about driving around Australia in an old car with a new wife (Crikey!).

I'd like to think that my books convey the stuff that I love about travelling - the people you meet and the crazy situations you find yourself in. I constantly find myself in situations that you couldn't make up. Like sheltering in a coffin shop during a riot in Addis Ababa. Or being assured by an Iranian nuclear physicist that my country would be safe in the event of a nuclear war. And I'm constantly overwhelmed by the hospitality of people in even the poorest countries

If I had to describe my books I'd say they were kind of like a cross between Bill Bryson and Paul Theroux. But whereas Bill and Paul can flash their platinum Amexes, I have to be a bit more careful with my pennies. But to be honest I've found that's the best way to meet the locals.

Anyway, I hope you enjoy my books. As Oprah would say "they'll make you laugh, they'll make you cry, they'll change your life."

Well, at least I wish she'd say that.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Our Aussie Average Joe Roughs it in Central America, March 10, 2006

By 

Michael H. Frederick (Gaithersburg, MD USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Full Montezuma (Paperback)

I discovered Peter Moore's books in a famous bookstore (Munro's) in Victoria, British Columbia. The bright colors of the volumes and kookie pictures on the covers made me want to collect all of them then and there. Space, however, dictated that I select just one. That's how I found "The Full Montezuma." I obviously enjoyed it because I've now tracked down two more of his books (they're not as yet available in the States - a fate partially rectified with "Vroom With A View" hitting our market this spring) on a subsequent trip to Canada, " The Wrong Way Home" and "Swahili For the Broken Hearted."

"The Full Montezuma" is a traveler's tale of roughing it through Central America with a girl Moore started a relationship with just before his departure from Sydney. Referred to as the "GND" (Girl Next Door) throughout the text (we never get to know her name), the story gives a good insight not only into what it's like to suffer through horrible roads on Latin American public buses, but getting to know a lover under some very trying conditions. I think most readers would cringe right off the bat, knowing that nurturing a new relationship in these circumstances is a recipe for disaster.

Moore refers to himself as a cross between Paul Theroux and Bill Bryson. I can see that but would describe his style more as a poor man's version of the Theroux-Bryson mix. I say this not only because his budget obviously dictates doing everything on a very thin shoestring but, also, considering the references he relies on to describe things.

Whereas Theroux might, in his elitist way, name-drop the likes of V.S. Naipal and Graham Greene, Peter conjures examples from the TV cartoon "The Simpsons," and other programs such as "M.A.S.H.", "Seinfeld" and "The Addams Family." Obviously references to American pop culture aren't for everyone but for every person who wearies of being made to feel guilty because they haven't read the classics, I find this refreshing. This is a bloke I can relate to when I want an easy read while on the road myself.

In "The Full Montezuma," Moore and the GND wander through Mexico, Guatemala, Belize, Honduras, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama, Jamaica and Cuba. They did the trip right after Hurricane Mitch, a fact that made some of their plans a bit tenuous, giving the folks back home cause for concern. I particularly enjoyed learning what they found in Nicaragua (a country that was too dangerous to visit until recently), Jamaica and Cuba. The fact that Cuba is (ridiculously) a destination that Americans are banned from going to made Moore's experiences even more entertaining. I've long had the feeling that Jamaica should be avoided (except by those going to fenced-in resorts) and "The Full Montezuma" confirms what I've read.

Moore's laid-back writing style makes for a quick and easy read but leaves one hankering for more. He admittedly shoots for some lame humor, a fact that the GND didn't always appreciate, but it makes the guy even more endearing. I get the feeling it would be a bit trying to travel with Moore, as he's loathe to spend a penny over an extremely tight budget. This naturally caused some friction with the GND while on the road and kudos to her for completing the trip. Peter discovers that she's more the sit-on-the-beach, pina colada type, a fact that makes it even more impressive that she tolerated many months of Third World travel, the hard way.

As much as I enjoyed the book I felt it unfair to give a 5-star review mainly because of the numerous spelling and grammatical errors found throughout the text. These should have been caught and corrected by an editor so I don't think it's really Moore's fault. I also found it (maybe unfairly) annoying that the GND was only referred to as the GND. Was this a privacy issue? Whatever the case I think it would have been almost a relief to see her name in print from time to time.

I think America is in for a treat when Moore's books become available here. I wish him the best of luck and great success. He comes across as a really nice guy. He even answers his e-mails, a fact I confirmed twice! Now that's a down-to-earth author. I'm looking forward to his latest work, "Crikey!," a book about traveling around his native Australia with his newlywed wife. Will the guy never learn?!

5.0 out of 5 stars Volkan Akkurt: Moore and the GND, March 10, 2011

By 

Volkan Akkurt "Layka" (NY) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Full Montezuma (Paperback)

Moore and the GND: What a great chemistry. The book is honest, funny and has many interesting stories about their backpacking as well as their relationship. Volkan Akkurt

5.0 out of 5 stars hysterical aussie slang author, May 3, 2009

By 

gregorio (boston, ma) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Full Montezuma (Paperback)

i've read swahili for the broken hearted and absolutely fell in love with peter moore and his fantastic stories. after living in australia for a while, i appreciate all his slang and aussie references. definitely a great read!