Customer Reviews

Spokesongs: Bicycle Adventures on Three Continents

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Reading Spokesongs was like a wonderful journey into places I have only dreamed about. Willie writes on such an absorbing and personal level that after reading each chapter, I found myself looking up and almost blinking when I realized I was still in Seattle. He takes us with him as he travels the world and what a wonderful adventure we are invited to share!

Willie Weir is a wonderful story-teller. His lighthearted accounts of daily adventure in unfamiliar lands have an "Innocents,Abroad-like" quality that is very engaging. Read this book!

This book not only appeals to recreational bikers who dream of biking in "other worlds", but gives an arm-chair traveler a glimpse into the backroads of countries, into the lives of real people living real lives. In a wonderful easy reading, humouous manner, Willie Weir has made us all believe that if we can dream it, we can do it..if we're willing to go for a week without clean underwear or everyday predictability.

Willie has a great way of communicating the absurd and outrageously funny, while still standing back far enough from the culture he is cycling through to paint the everyday experience for us, as well as suck us into the feeling of adventure that courses through his journey. We get to share in his lonley moments and in his fear and disgust at what he finds along the roads and tracks he peddals. I certainly hope we get more "Spokesongs" from Willie Weir in the future, but meantime buy two copies of this one, one for yourself to read every few months, and one for someone you love!

Stephen Counsell

This is a delightful little book that you will read and reread many times. But be cautious, it will cause you to dust off that bike and go for a ride yourself, even if it is just a spin around our own neighborhood. If you are one of the lucky ones, you just might find yourself at a Joe (Kurmaskie, the Metal Cowboy) and Willie show. Friends who have gone to the Joe and Willie Show gave it enthusiastic reviews. But no matter, get the book yourself.

This is a delightful little book that you will read and reread many times. But be cautious, it will cause you to dust off that bike and go for a ride yourself, even if it is just a spin around our own neighborhood. If you are one of the lucky ones, you just might find yourself at a Joe (Kurmaskie, the Metal Cowboy) and Willie show. Friends who have gone to the Joe and Willie Show gave it enthusiastic reviews. But no matter, get the book yourself.

In "Spokesongs", Willie Weir demonstrates the rare combination of indomitable spirit and poetic soul. "Spokesongs" will thrill you with its daring adventure and touch you with its sensitive portrayal of Willie's personal interactions. "Spokesongs" is a great read and a perfect gift.

Beginning with his ride out of Delhi, India, where he felt "as if all 8.4 million residents of that city were on the same road" and "bicycles are at the very bottom of the vehicle caste system," Willie Weir has an uncanny way of summing up situations in a few wry, descriptive sentences. His sense of humor is infectious, and usually quite ironic. Yet, he also confronts the serious isues of racisma nd discrimination in all three countries. In the Balkans, where he toured in 1996, he is constantly faced with war-torn villages, food shortages, and ethnic hatred. One particular day he eats lunch with a Muslim family, then shares dinner with a Croat one, and realizes he has the privilege of being "able to pass back and forth between the camps without being threatened."

Willie has a delightful writing style that makes the reader feel as if she is riding along with him & experiencing the country he is in. He has had some amazing experiences. I have used this book as gifts many times. I look forward to his next adventure!

Besides being funny, Spokesongs is an inspiration to all travellers. Willie Wier seeks to find the best in every culture and has the ability to share his experiences in an entertaining way.