Customer Reviews

The Lead Goat Veered Off: A Bicycling Adventure on Sardinia, Second Edition with Photos

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

The wonderful aspect of Sardinia is that it's like being in Italy prior to World War II. The people in the small villages are still accustomed to the old ways that are no longer found in continental Europe. Neil describes his and Sharon's experiences while cycling there for three months. It's a humorous account of their experiences and the people they met on the island. And it's not just a good story, but he has deftly described the essence of bicycle touring. "Do we eat to ride, or ride to eat?" -- a quote from Sharon. Neil is a gifted writer and I would have given the book five stars if it had some photos. Fortunately, if you check out their website, http://cyclelogicpress.virtualave.net, you will find some great photos with rather witty captions. The Sardinia adventure was just a small part of a long bicycle tour and I hope The Lead Goat Veered Off is just the first installment.

The title of this book reached out and grabbed me - insisting that I read the first page - then the second - and then I was hooked! Neil Anderson has a great gift - not just for his skills in writing but also for making the reader a participant in the entire journey.
Neil and Sharon, with me as a phantom companion rode together through some awe-inspiring scenery and slept together in some definite character building places. Neil's special brand of humor kicks free in this witty and madcap adventure - as free as Neil himself feels as he attempts to win the on-going contest he and Sharon have for the "fastest velocity" by rocketing recklessly past her on the downhills. Both a fun and an informative read! Top Notch.

I just finished "The Lead Goat Veered Off" second of 2 great reading
books by Canadians Neil Anderson (and his wife Sharon). This is an
entertaining read of their exploits as they travel though Corsica and
Sardinia on their 2+ year world cycling trip. If you didn't read the
first book "Partners in Grime" that's o.k. but it helps. They are both GREAT books. Really enjoyed them both.

I highly recommend this book - a good read by a pretty good author, and a fun story. I've thought of cycling just about everywhere in the world, but I never thought of Sardinia. If you read it, bear in mind that by the time these two got to Sardinia, they had to be fairly hardened cyclists, able to climb hills that might deter the rest of us. But again, good story, fun read, highly recommended.

I cant wait for the next Biking Adventure...I've read both books by Neil Anderson..Wonderful writer, Excellent at conveying the adventure to words.
Neil and Sharon are so much fun to travel with. I love the interaction they have with others and each other and the area, real life!! Its so much fun to read. Neil is so honest in his writing.
Its not drawn out but its kept at a great pace life/biking adventure and just all around what a true travel adventure would be like. The GoOD tHe BAd ANd the UglY..:)
I hope another book is in the making. NEEd MOre!!

I read both of Neil's books and they are both ones I will never give up. I am an avid reader of cycling adventure books and Neil's sense of humor is second to none. Sharon and Neil share personal struggles and combine it with a simple way of seeing the world with a sense of awe and excitement. The book is broken into short stories and it is easy to read. You will only be disappointed after you have finished both books and now you have to wait for the third. Highly recommended.

The Lead Goat Veered Off is one of the most entertaining cycle touring narratives that I have read and there are plenty of them on my shelf. Neil Anderson has a wonderful knack for putting you right there next to him on the adventures that he and his wife share. From the hilarious to the absurd (being stuck in their tent for three days in a snowstorm with only oranges to eat comes to mind) to the sometimes arduous nature of touring (mountains that don't seem to have a summit) to the human stories that are both funny and touching. Something that this book communicates very well is that one of the best ways to see a country is by bicycle. Due to the slower pace and reliance on local products and services, interaction with the people and culture of the area are particularly rich. As is noted in many cycle touring books, there are people all over the world that are happy - if not insistent - to take you in, feed you, entertain you and live in your memories forever. This book is broken down into short chapters dealing with specific events or subjects, making it very easy to read snippets here and there during a busy life. Perhaps one of the most valuable things about this book is that it spurs you to think about your own life - is busy really what you want?

It takes guts to chuck life as most people know it, load all your world on a bicycvle and set off for unplanned destinations, it's frightening enough. But when your wife agrees to go along on your cockamamie trip, that's true love. One thing I can say, when you start reading this book, you certainly won't veeer off, you will keep reading to the last word.

Jim Foreman