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| spudfan Member Since: 10 Sep 2007 Location: Co Donegal Posts: 4667  
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1 First the old favourite (my copy needs replacing as it is disintegrating)
First Overland : London-Singapore by Land Rover Why not? After all, no-one had ever done it before. It would be one of the longest of all overland journeys-half-way round the world, from the English Channel to Singapore. They knew that several expeditions had already tried it. Some had got as far as the deserts of Persia; a few had even reached the plains of India. But no-one had managed to go on from there: over the jungle-clad mountains of Assam and across northern Burma to Thailand and Malaya. Over the last 3,000 miles it seemed there were "just too many rivers and too few roads". But no-one really knew...In fact, their problems began much earlier than that. As mere undergraduates, they had no money, no cars, no nothing. But with a cool audacity, which was to become characteristic, they set to work-wheedling and cajoling. First, they coaxed the BBC to come up with some film for a possible TV series. Then they gently "persuaded" Rover to lend them two factory-fresh Land Rovers. A publisher was even sweet-talked into giving them an advance on a book. By the time they were ready to go, their sponsors (more than 80 of them) ranged from whiskey distillers to the makers of collapsible buckets. In late 1955, they set off.Seven months and 12,000 miles later, two very weary Land Rovers, escorted by police outriders, rolled into Singapore-to flash-bulbs and champagne. Now, fifty years on, their bestselling book, First Overland, is republished-with a foreword by Sir David Attenborough. After all, it was he who gave them that film https://www.bookdepository.com/First-Overland/9781909930360 2 The Impossible Takes a Little Longer This is a true account of an incredible journey across the world, driving a Land Rover. The year is 1957, and the intrepid Eric Edis has an expedition planned on scraps of paper. Not wanting to follow in the footsteps of others, Eric decides to follow his dream and do something that had never been done before; he is going to drive from London to Australia!and back again. After bringing together a team, he sets off on his massive adventure. But there is one thing he can't plan for: Entry to the famous Burma/Ledo Road. Burma was in the grip of conflict, and would not grant land-travel visas to anyone, it was too dangerous. Eric decides to cross that bridge when he comes to it, twice! How do his team get through Burma? Well, on a wing and a prayer mostly, and with an illegal manoeuvre that would make James Bond proud! And remember, these were the days before GPS, SATNAV, and any of the modern aids we take for granted today. All Eric had in Burma was a sketched map and sheer, cussed, unwavering determination https://www.bookdepository.com/Impossible-...ms_b_p2p_1 3 Crossing the Congo : Over Land and Water in a Hard Place In 2013, three friends set off on a journey that they had been told was impossible: the north-south crossing of the Congo River Basin, from Kinshasa, in the Democratic Republic of Congo, to Juba, in South Sudan. Traversing 2,500 miles of the toughest terrain on the planet in a twenty-five year-old Land Rover, they faced repeated challenges, from kleptocracy and fire ants to non-existent roads and intense suspicion from local people. Through imagination and teamwork -- including building rafts and bridges, conducting makeshift surgery in the jungle and playing tribal politics -- they got through. But the Congo is raw, and the journey took an unexpected psychological toll on them all. Crossing the Congo is an offbeat travelogue, a story of friendship and what it takes to complete a great journey against tremendous odds, and an intimate look into one of the world's least-developed and most fragile states, told with humor https://www.bookdepository.com/Crossing-Co...amp;sr=1-1 4 They Found Our Engineer : The Story of Arthur Goddard, the Land Rover's First Engineer The British Land Rover 4x4 has grown from 1948 to become one of the world's leading automotive brands. Exactly how it all came together back in the late 1940's and early 50's has been the topic of interest and debate for many years. This was until two Australian enthusiasts, Michael Bishop and Alex Massey quite literally stumbled across senior member of the original Land Rover development team, Arthur Goddard living in Brisbane, Australia in 2009. The discovery led to many of the myths and tales surrounding the early vehicles to be heard as it happened from Arthur's point of view. Then to a trip by Arthur to visit his old work place in Solihull and to the vehicle that he helped bring to life back in 1948. The book contains both a technical and human side to this incredible story as well as a great reunion between Arthur and his old colleague Spen King who went onto design the Range Rover in the 1960's. This is truly a unique story from the time of post War World two Britain to modern day Australia and how the iconic 4x4 grew up so quickly in the 1950's to become the world leader that it is today. show less https://www.bookdepository.com/They-Found-...1456777586 1982 88" 2.25 diesel 1992 110 200tdi csw -Zikali 2008 110 2.4 tdci csw-Zulu 2011 110 2.4 tdci csw-Masai |
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13th Mar 2019 8:35pm |
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| GREENI Member Since: 22 Aug 2010 Location: staffs Posts: 10382 
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I have this... He's also on Instagram, which is cool to see his daily locales.
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13th Mar 2019 8:37pm |
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| williamthedog Member Since: 29 Dec 2012 Location: south wales Posts: 3441 
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+1 for We will be free, it's one of the best books I've ever read.
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14th Mar 2019 6:54am |
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| Rosco Member Since: 03 Dec 2010 Location: Burntwood Posts: 1833 
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The Great 1953 Trek by Diane Stuckley and Ducie Beak
A recollection of a family's emigration from Bath, England to Salisbury, Zimbabwe overland in a SWB Series 1, complete with "pram hood" extension on the rear canvas to provide room to sleep inside 2007 - Stornoway Grey 90 XS SW - Gone
2002 - Black Discovery II - Gone 2014 - Montalcino Red 110 XS SW |
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20th Sep 2019 12:44pm |
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| 22900013A Member Since: 23 Dec 2010 Location: Oxfordshire Posts: 3149 
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Roger Crathorne's "Born in Lode Lane" is worth tracking down, although not cheap now. Plenty of travel stories in that one. 2011 110 USW
1973 Series III 1-Ton 1972 Series III 1-Ton Cherrypicker 1969 IIA 1-Ton 1966 IIA 88" |
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22nd Sep 2019 11:13am |
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| Supacat Member Since: 16 Oct 2012 Location: West Yorkshire Posts: 11018 
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Land Rover with the 'pram' back Just came across this on a Google search and was curious about the setup. Found a few extra photos:
http://thegreat1953trek.blogspot.com/p/photo-album-3.html |
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5th Feb 2022 7:08am |
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| J77 Member Since: 04 Nov 2019 Location: Fife Posts: 3396 
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I’ve read First Overland and Born in Lode Lane. I’m not a big reader but may look at some of the others mentioned here. 24MY 90 D250 HSE, Tasman Blue
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5th Feb 2022 9:04am |
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| gcc130 Member Since: 05 Jun 2015 Location: Wiltshire Posts: 739 |
Where to begin, I have quite a collection of Landrover travel books, mainly using series vehicles.
Barbara Toy wrote 8 or 9 books about her travels in the ‘50’s & 60’s mostly in her 80” Pollyanna and latterly a series 2. Fascinating tales of travel in countries where single female travellers were frowned on or even illegal. Unfortunately most of her books now command ridiculous prices. I’m currently reading Year With Three Summers by Ben Mackworth-Praed, story of the Cambridge Trans-American Expedition, aiming to be the first party to drive the entire length of the American land masses from Tierra del Fuego to the Arctic Circle 1960. No Purdah in Padang by Antonia Deadcock. An account of the Women’s Overland Himalayan Expedition of 1958 using a LWB series 1 Innocents Abroad by Richard Slowe. A seventeen day ego trip across the Sahara, initially using two series 1’s. More recent is Strangers Like Angels by Alec & Jan Forman an account of gap year travels in the seventies in Canada, Antarctica and the Sultanate of Oman in a 109 series Landrover. Includes many of their letters to and from family in the Uk. Left Beyond The Horizon, A Land Rover Odyssey by Christopher Many. Eight years around the world “to explore strange new worlds and boldly go where no Landrover has gone before” Just a small selection of Landrover travel books 😊 |
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5th Feb 2022 10:43am |
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| Steve B Member Since: 22 May 2009 Location: Warwickshire Posts: 586 
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Some great books here, I will try and find some to read.
I have a couple of books to recommend but not Land Rover but good overland travel books worth a look. Click image to enlarge Click image to enlarge |
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5th Feb 2022 1:01pm |
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