Lone Traveller: One Woman, Two Wheels and the World [Paperback]

Anne Mustoe (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 2002

'You don't have to be twenty, male and an ace mechanic to set out on a great journey. I've cycled round the world twice now. I'm not young, I'm not sporty, I never train and I still can't tell a sprocket from a chainring or mend a puncture.' So speaks Anne Mustoe in the opening to this fascinating record of her second epic journey cycling around the globe from East to West. Using historical routes as her inspiration, Anne followed the ancient Roman roads to Lisbon, travelled across South America with the Conquistadors, pursued Captain Cook over the Pacific to Australia and Indonesia and followed the caravans along the fabled Silk Road from Xi'an to Rome.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Her wry sense of humour is one of the great charms of Lone Traveller" -- Daily Telegraph

"It's a compelling read, detailing the experiences of a rather curious traveller" -- Independant On Sunday

From the Inside Flap

"You don't have to be twenty, male and an ace mechanic to set out on a great journey. I've cycled round the world twice now. I'm not young, I'm not sporty, I never train, I appreciate good food and wine and I still can't tell a sprocket from a chainring or mend a puncture!"

So speaks Anne Mustoe, a retired headmistress in her sixties, in the opening to this fascinating record of her second epic journey cycling around the globe from East to West.

Using historical routes as her inspiration, Anne Mustoe followed the ancient Roman roads to Lisbon, travelled with the Conquistadors across South America, pursued Captain Cook over the Pacific to Australia and Indonesia and followed the caravans along the fabled Silk Road from Xi'an back to Rome.

Full of exciting stories of police arrest, the threat of guerillas and attacks by wild dogs, Lone Traveller is an engrossing tale one woman's experiences on a remarkable journey.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 240 pages
• Publisher: Virgin Pub (November 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 075350426X
• ISBN-13: 978-0753504260
• Product Dimensions: 0.8 x 5.2 x 7.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,024,789 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

16 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Around the world -- again!, July 23, 2000

By 

Carol Garagan - See all my reviews

This review is from: Lone Traveller: One Woman, Two Wheels and the World (Paperback)

When I heard that Anne Mustoe had written a second book on her travels, I just had to have it. Her first book "A Bike Ride" is one of my favourite travel books, read and re-read over the years.

At age 54, she left her job and set out alone to circle the globe on her bicycle (as detailed in "A Bike Ride"). Once was not enough for the intrepid Mustoe, however, and at 60 she embarked on a second world cycle tour which she describes in "Lone Traveller". Starting from the Colosseum in Rome, she followed Roman Roads to Lisbon. From there she travelled the routes of the Conquitadores across South America, followed in the footsteps of Austrailan explorers through the Outback and embarked on the fabled Silk Road from China to the Mediterranean.

Anne Mustoe is intelligent, articulate and literate. A scholar and former headmistress, her expolits are told in an engaging and delightful fashion. She brings a freshness and immediacey to her writing, unlike the cynical observations of many world-weary travel writers. Mustoe is delighted to immerse herself in new countries and cultures, but without sugar-coating the difficulties met and sumounted along the way. Her amazing joureys make for a breathtaking read -- I had great difficulty in putting this book down.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Lone Traveller: 1 Woman, 2 Wheels and the World, February 9, 2001

By 

Marilyn "Marilyn" (BC Canada) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Lone Traveller: One Woman, Two Wheels and the World (Paperback)

I had the great opportunity to meet Anne Mustoe on my recent travels in Mali, West Africa. She is a great lady and I could hardly wait to get home and read her 2 books. I couldn't put them down. Her descriptions are animated, entertaining and humorous. They are filled with lots of great advice for any traveller who wants to go everywhere, whether on bike or not. She provides an insight into cultures that only a traveller going through many different countries in succession can provide. It is not hard for me to imagine her in Italy or the Gobi desert pedalling along. I anxiously look forward to her next book 2 Wheels in the Dust.

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars She's an Inspiration, March 5, 2006

By 

JM (NYC) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Lone Traveller: One Woman, Two Wheels and the World (Paperback)

I picked up this book about a year ago because it was unique. It was about cycle touring and written by a woman. As I read I became more and more impressed with Anne Mustoe's travel accomplishments and hope to be able to emulate these in my own travels.

This book does not discuss a particular journey, rather it talks about different types of things that she encountered on multiple trips and the people she encountered along the way. She acknowledged in the beginning of the book that another book about scenery would not be appreciated and that it is, as much as we don't want to admit, not fun reading for those who didn't go on the journey. I appreciated the insight on situations and the story-telling aspect.

This book should inspire people to take their own trips, especially women who think "I could never do that, I don't know how to fix a bike" or "I'm too old" or "I can't find anyone to go with". Anne has defied all of the misconceptions of what it takes to travel adventurously.