Running with the Moon: A Boy's Own Adventure: Riding a Motorbike Through Africa (Paperback)

by Jonny Bealby (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

Jonny Bealby was devastated when his fiancee, Melanie, died unexpectedly while they were travelling in Kashmir. Two years later, still heartbroken and utterly disillusioned, he took on the challenge of a lifetime. Setting out with only his motorbike for company, he began a daring and dangerous journey around the African continent in a desperate attempt to unearth some meaning in his life. Bittersweet, bold and beautifully told, Running with the Moon is a tale of true love and loss, of exploration, adventure and courage.

About the Author
Jonny Bealby was born in Lincolnshire in 1963. He has visited more than fifty countries and has had articles featured in a variety of publications including, the Observer, the Daily Telegraph, Traveller, and Manchester United Magazine.

Product Details

• Paperback: 352 pages
• Publisher: Random House UK (September 17, 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0099436655
• ISBN-13: 978-0099436652
• Product Dimensions: 7.6 x 5 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.5 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #682,992 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Uncovering Africa through the eyes of a lonesome traveller, April 27, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Running with the Moon: A Boy's Own Adventure (Hardcover)

"Running with the Moon," an autobiography by JonnyBealby recounts the adventures of a man on a motorbike travellingthrough Africa in hopes of finding insights and answers to his lifeafter the sudden death of his fiance. What makes this book so notable is the fact that a journey of the sort undertaken by the author would be impossible in todays age due to the political state of the majority of African countries in the present. After the death of his fiance while travelling in Kashmir Jonny Bealby returns to an England which is not the same. Day to day life having changed into a struggle of lost hopes and loves. Challenged by this austere new world and compounded by his confusion he decides to undertake a journey across Africa apon a motorcycle. Accompanied by his best friend Neil, the two prepare for their journey and set off, a Yamaha Tenere under each...A fascinating insight into the beauty and sadness of a man who uncovers Africa for the reader and once again reclaims the peices of himself lost to him by past tragedies. Defianitely a must for the reader with a soft side for travel and adventure.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Mathiessen on a Motorcycle, July 7, 2004

By	Mark Hammond (San Francisco, CA United States) - See all my reviews

What a shockingly delightful and profoundly moving book! Not only is Bealby a highly accomplished adventure motorcyclist, he proves to be a most estimable writer -- call him Mathiessen on a motorcycle. I've read plenty of ham-handed motorcycle adventure accounts; this one is of the highest caliber, on par with Robert Fulton Jr.'s "One Man Caravan."

Bealby chronicles his heroic odyssey on a Yamaha Tenere through unforgiving regions of Africa with humility and gratitude. You'll find no chest-beating or tedious complaints here. The work is gorgeously written, richly textured, and acutely observant of both man and nature. Seductive, sensory, lyrical, and rhapsodic, this book immerses you in exotic -- even surreal -- territory with superb grace. Motorcyclist or not, you will revel in this awesome adventure.

Proving his literary virtuosity, Bealby expertly weaves the tragic tale of the death of his beloved Mel throughout his ultimately cathartic and redemptive account. A truly magical work. Buy it. Three cheers to Jonny Bealby!

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Classic Motorcycle Adventure Tale, January 2, 2003

By	"gs2offroad" (North Bend, WA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Running with the Moon: A Boy's Own Adventure (Hardcover)

There are many books in the motorcycle adventure travel genre, but few have been written by someone who is a good writer. Jonny Bealby does a great job of relating his journey across Africa from the northern deserts to the tropical jungles on a Yamaha Tenere with an appropriate mix of story telling, philosophy, and motorcycling. This book is the same league as "Obsessions Die Hard" by Ed Culberson in terms of adventure, entertainment and readability. Highly recommended for the armchair adventurer!