Aimé Tschiffely had been teaching in an English-American school in Argentina for almost a decade when he conceived his astounding plan: to travel from Buenos Aires to New York—10,000 miles—on horseback. In April 1925, Tschiffely set out with two native Argentine horses, Mancho and Gato, and with rugged determination, the trio traversed the Pampas, scaled the Bolivian Andes, struggled through Peruvian sands, swam the crocodile-infested rivers of Columbia, and fought their way through the jungles of Panama. They crossed Central America through countries devastated by years of war to finally reach Washington D.C., followed by a reception in New York. The three had been together, exclusively, for more than two years; during that time, Tschiffely developed a remarkable relationship with his horses—an affinity that has seldom been equaled. This colorful account is a true classic of travel literature and perhaps one of the greatest animal stories ever written.
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Editorial Reviews
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"- The word 'classic' is not lightly to be thrown about. But if this doesn't become one, the spirit of the race must be waning. Sir John Squires in The Daily Telegraph - 'It may be that this is the greatest animal story ever written Current Literature - Written so confidently it makes one feel one is sharing in each experience Punch
From the Publisher
Aimé Tschiffely had been teaching in an English–American school in Argentina for almost a decade when he conceived his astounding plan: to travel from Buenos Aires to New York—10,000 miles—on horseback. In April 1925, Tschiffely set out with two native Argentine horses, Mancha and Gato, and with rugged determination, the trio traversed the Pampas, scaled the Bolivian Andes, struggled through Peruvian sands, swam the crocodile–infested rivers of Columbia, and fought their way through the jungles of Panama. They crossed Central America through countries devastated by years of war to finally reach Washington D.C., followed by a reception in New York. The three had been together, exclusively, for more than two years; during that time, Tschiffely developed a remarkable relationship with his horses—an affinity that has seldom been equaled. This colorful account is a true classic of travel literature and perhaps one of the greatest animal stories ever written.
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9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Adventure/Travel literature from the golden age of that genre.,
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This review is from: Tschiffely's Ride (Paperback)
An Argentinian by the name of Tschiffely travels by horseback across South and Central and North America 3 years from Buenos Aires to Washington DC. He was very famous in his time, meeting with President Coolidge, articles and speeches in National Geographic, newspapers, etc.. every country along his path gave him golden receptions. I'm sure most peoples grandparents remember him (although he is probably mostly forgotten today!). Parts of this book were printed in National Geographic Magazine (in the 1930s).Written in a straight forward but very readable and enjoyable style, it is one adventure after the next, each page is literally a new encounter. It can be an exhausting read at times. One admires Tschiffely's physical strength and morally strong character (not withstanding the opium den experiment). As well as his affection, bond and care for his horses and all living creatures (this is also a horse lovers tale). Latin America in the 1930s was a time when cars, electricity, TV's and radio, phones, etc.. existed only in isolated pockets, when Spanish conquistador history still lay heavy over the land. Brilliant first person encounters and observations of the individuals and cultures that history books would not as well convey, and that are now lost to modernity. It is also interesting how nearly impossible it was to travel north/south in Latin America even just 70 years ago due to geography (by comparison travel by horse east-west across America would be a less interesting story being done so often). Overall a very good book. At times things seems to repeat (another town, another fiesta) and the authors ability to keep things new escapes him toward the end (perhaps due to his malaria) so it starts to feel like a journal, but that is a minor quibble for a classic travel adventure book.
12 of 14 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Tschiffley's Ride,
By A Customer
This review is from: Tschiffely's Ride (Paperback)
Wow. What an adventure. For those who want to travel dangerously but vicariously, pick up this book. Well written riveting adventure.
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
The most amazing story ever told...,
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Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)
This review is from: Tschiffely's Ride (Paperback)
well okay maybe not but I enjoyed this book from cover to cover. Despite, or maybe because of, the simple matter-of-fact writing style this tale of an amazing, yet true, journey held my interest and I enjoyed every page.The book is basically a diary of Tschiffely's ride from inception to end, he writes simply of the trails taken, the hardships and joys and the people he met along the way. This is a tale of a bygone era when great adventures were undertaken without enormous budgets or near hysterical live reportage. Pages describe what must have been terrifying events with endearing understatement and the sort of modesty that most modern day heros cannot muster. Not only does this book put you into a different time and place but it encourages you to consider the possibilities within yourself.
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