Customer Reviews

The Whole Story: A Walk Around the World

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I have just finished reading Ffyona Campbells brilliant new book "The Whole Story " and for the first time i have been unable to put the book down like no other . I bought this book for £1 in my local bargain bookshop and I consider it to be the best £1 i have or ever will spend .The journey Ffyona takes is truly epic in milage and emotional terms as she walks and confronts her true inner self along the route . Ffyona finds herself sitting next to a person she once was on a flight to America and for any one to admit their personal failings must be saluted .I have read before that in order to tell a true autobiography /travel account then the author must be truthful and when you finally find the inner truth then the telling of the story must be easy .A truly well writen book from start to end from a truly couragous person .My ambition now would be to srtive to be like Ffyona and meet such agreat person of the 20th century . bravo Ffyona !

Through her journey, Ffyona learned and shows us what it is and what it takes to be "human",what true courage is, as she bares her soul. Without embellishing anything,the author faces her demons and finds herself, she speaks about the process of growing:the pain,the lessons and joys of life...How she became who she is,why... As the aboriginals she admired, she made her journey...it's pure and beautiful.

Grit and determination against the odds shines through in this woman with tremendous endurance to the point of inflicting self-suffering. A frank, open account of how she undertook her epic walk around the world - even to the point of admitting where she cheated and had to return to satisify her guilt.

Its been tough work looking for this book . After picking up after much work, i guess its well paid. Her strong charater , honesty and bravery definetly inspire me. As a vivid traveller myself, i must say frankly say, i doubt if I would have that kind of determination like Ffyona's. Though bitchy and spoilt at times ( which is quite a while, i think ) she manages to get her way through each and every tough times. Lucky. Her effort to bond backs with her family paid off with her will to prove herself. The reasn she gave for waking was " To prove to my dad " or something like that..! Ffyona, AWESOME!! A hi 5 to you!

This book takes around the world on Ffyona's epic walk which started out in England, and took her to Australia, America, Africa and Europe. The way in which the story is written gives you the idea of being there yourself. The story not only tells you of the glory and beautiful sights Ffyona has seen on her trip, but also of hardship and despair. Sometimes even so much despair, that you want to tell the lonely walker "Snap out of it. You're doing this to yourself". But even so, this story is very, very inspiring. And although after having read the book I know Ffyona won't like it, I want to say this: I think she's a hero.

In its simplicity the book is invincibly entering into something deeply philosophical. Very plaintively a finger has been laid on all the maladies of the earth. The sick earth, or sickened. Man stopped long time ago. Why? We don't know. May be he was insecure, may be greedy, may be ... but none is an excuse befitting to exonerate him. But perhaps not everybody stopped. Some refused. They understood the true, or more true nature of life. That it flows. As long as it's alive it flows. Or as long as it flows, is alive. When it stops starts the permeation of death. Ugliness and disease. Stench, scum... There is no end.

Speaking broadly, there were, are, people called tribals, aboriginals. The man who stopped, permeated by death devoured these people, tried to devour them all, in the name of civilisation, in the disguised name of sickness. Strangely as the common logic doesn't operate here, contrary to the man who devoured last, the man who got devoured, won. The sensible in the devouring man appears to be begging.

The other man is always walking.

It appears the sensible in the stopped man or rather the man who stopped, longs to walk now. In order to be healed. To not to contradict life anymore. To follow it, and flow.

That a girl of 16 would lead us to all this, is amazing. Salute Ffyona.