Customer Reviews

Two Wheels Through Terror: Diary of a South American Motorcycle Odyssey

5 star:		(25)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I won't bother outlining the story, the editorial review does a good job of that. I just want to say how much I enjoyed this book and how much I admire Glen Heggstad after reading it. I've done a few solo cycle trips - nothing on this scale, of course - and his writing captured perfectly the atmosphere of the journey. His tale of capture and release is chilling and suspenseful, but his story of the rest of the trip is just as good. The beautiful scenery, the huge variations in weather, the characters (good and bad) he meets on the road, and the solo tourer's feeling of isolation and necessary resourcefulness when faced with adversity all combine for a great adventure story. And of course, no great story is complete without insights into the character of the writer, and how his journey has changed him. That's here, too. If you read and enjoyed "One Man Caravan" or "Jupiter's Travels", buy this book; but be forewarned: after reading it, your next purchases may be a Kawasaki KLR650 and a World Atlas.

Sometimes you have to give in to the stresses of life--and other times you have to gut it out no matter what gets in your way. Glen Heggstad set out with a goal to ride from Palm Springs to Tierra del Fuego. Communist rebels in Columbia delayed him setting that goal for five weeks. No one could fault him for giving up, going home, healing up, dealing with the emotional trauma, and putting back on the 55 pounds he lost.

No one, except Glen himself. He got another bike shipped in from the states and completed his journey. He wouldn't let the terrorists win.

This is adventure writing at it's finest--a true story of striving through impossible odds to complete a journey--to reach a goal--to finish the job he started. Heggstad's DEFINITELY full of himself--but it isn't arrogance--it's well-deserved and accurate self-esteem. He's a larger-than-life figure, living a larger-than-life life. His writing is filled with a bravado attitude that would be an exaggeration for most people--not for Heggstad.

His kidnapping and captivity only take up a small portion of the book. The rest is devoted to his travels--depicted richly and vividly. It's a biker's dream come true--just get on the bike and keep going. THAT'S what this book's about: the ride, and the people you meet along the way. That's why Glen made the journey--the same reason all motorcyclists make the journey.

I couldn't put it down--well, except for times it motivated me to get on my bike and go for a ride.

As a former martial art student of Glen from over 7 years ago I can tell you that he tells events exactly as they happen. This is the most exciting book I have ever read.

Glen Heggstad is certainly an interesting and complicated character. While not dwelling on his background, he gives us glimpses of a rough and tumble past that molded his persona. This persona is centered on his martial arts experience but is spiced with activities both noble and possibly shady. Taken as a whole, it provides him with a code of ethics that he follows even if it's a bit off center.

For instance, he describes the soulless poverty in South American countries with a sense of moral outrage coming from a man who has the back of the oppressed. He pontificates on the evils of capitalistic excess and seems to feel America is responsible for their condition - or perhaps more fairly, their inability to improve their condition. He says he loves his country but fears his government. Agree with him or not, on the surface Glen seems to be a man that comes to the defense of the used and abused. But this isn't the whole picture. He lists several friends who dropped everything in an attempt to secure his release from the ELN. One who is described as a soul mate of sorts is the owner of an infamous brothel in Nevada. It may be a legal business but aren't women exploited for sex dealing with the same economic realities as the peasants south of the border? Surprisingly, he doesn't let this affect his friendship. Complicated indeed!

Because of the delay caused by the ELN, Glen finds himself rushed to complete the trip before the onset of the rainy season and freezing weather further south. The reader feels his haste as he races through the balance of the trip without writing much about the details. We are left wanting to know more about the people he met along the way.

What saves the book for me are the vivid descriptions Glen has of his surroundings and experiences during the trip. His description of riding through the Altiplano in Bolivia is poetic. He gives the reader a real sense of what it's like to make this trip. Overall, it's an easy read with a heavy dose of excitement adventure. Contrary to another reviewer's claim, this tale will probably scare many people away from making this epic journey instead of inspiring them!

Note: A lot of conversational profanity is used. If you find this offensive, this isn't a book for you.

I began collecting and reading every motorcycle-related book I could find on Amazon.com. When I came across this read, I could'nt put it down. Now made into a National Geographic special, this is one of my top three adventure stories of all time - of all genres.

The narrative is so amazing, so captivating, that I got on my own motorcycle and rode to Mazatlan in part to find Glen, to hear his story first hand. In talking to him over the course of two days in Mexico, I found that Glen's insights into the nature of people all over the world in turn changed my own world view. Governments may not get along all of the time, but people around the world certainly do.

I took Glen's advice. I "put my foot through the TV screen", got on my motorcycle, and got gone. I've been south of the border five times in the past fourteen months alone. To say that my horizons have been broadened would be an understatement of great proportion. You may not do something like this after reading his book, but you will feel like you are there riding with him at every border he crosses.

Mr. Heggstad is a crossroads of many unique qualities, any one of which would alone make an interesting individual. At 6' 4" and seemingly made of steel, he casts a potentially intimidating shadow. However, he is probably one of the most compassionate, and passionate, individuals who ever believed in what they think. I found his answer to the question on whether he had any regrets intriguing - he replied "I wish I could have spent one more day everywhere I went".

If anyone else had been released from captivity from insurgents, most would have made bee-line to the U.S. border and home. Not Glen. He went the OTHER direction and continued his journey, in part to prove that the guerillas may have captured his body, but not his soul, or spirit.

Any fan of adventure tales and/or motorcycle adventure travel will consider this a must-read and a valuable collectable for their library.

Five Stars! Thanks Glen!

I knew the book would be good, but I could not believe how it had me at up all night reading it. It was so well written that I could see every mile he rode in my mind. What a fantastic man and adventure.

Glen Heggstad has GRIT and FORTITUDE. If your looking for a motorcycle travel/adventure book that'll keep you on the edge of your seat, gripping the tank with your knees and holding tightly on to the grips, pick up Glen's book. A very entertaining and exciting ride... ah... er... I mean READ.

I loved everything about this book. Glen Heggstad's way of describing not only the places he travels, but the way they affect him is truly inspiring. It's as much the story of a man changing, as as it is the story of a motorcycle odyssey. I'd recommend this book to anyone, whether they ride a motorcycle or not. This book has honestly changed me as a person, and changed how I see the world and the people living in it. All for the better. I learned more about the world reading this book than I have in years of government press releases and media reports.

I couldn't put this book down once I started reading it... As a motorcycle rider, I've dreamed of international riding, but never had the gumption to undertake something of this magnitude.

Glen's writing style in this, his first book, is a bit amateurish and rough around the edges, but the story is of such gripping immediacy that I can forgive his occasional repetitions and minor inconsistencies of style (I'm married to a technical writer, so I'm a bit sensitive to this sort of thing).

I think the title is a somewhat unfortunate choice, as his kidnapping by the Columbian terrorists was really only one episode of the journey, but on the other hand it was a life changing event and undeniably had a major impact in Glen's outlook.

Heggstad, from the beginning, focused more on his personal thoughts and feelings of his journey than he did on where, when, and who. I thought this was a unique approach to an old story. When I picked this up I thought it was just going to be a daily diary of where he went; its much more than that.