In Search of Greener Grass

 “Essential reading before you start that big trip” – Motorcycle Sport and Leisure

A refreshingly cynical and humorous account of a solo overland motorcycle journey from England to Mongolia and beyond on an eBay purchased £700 KLR 650

Short listed for ‘Overland Magazine Book of 2012’

So you find yourself on a TV quiz show and you are asked, “What will you do if you win the money?” Naturally your answer is going to be, “Ride a motorcycle to Mongolia.” And if this quirky start to, ‘In Search of Greener Grass’ doesn’t give you an instant hit of what to expect, then please read on.

This is a book that twists and turns from the very first page. Each subsequent page soaks you to the eyeballs with yet another graphically described adventure. But Graham Field has a very different way of looking at things, and he challenges some preconceived ideas. With just the preparation stage in chapter one, you’ll be surprised and in fact, I’ve read very few books that deal with the pre-trip wrangling’s and battles as well as this. You can tell that he’s a very experienced motorcyclist and traveller; there’s a stack of experience on offer. Something I particularly liked, is that as the adventure on his KLR 650 unfolds, he weaves in exactly how the kit choices he made worked, or didn’t.

His word pictures are excellent and with them he sends you from disasters that hurt, to pretty girls, to tales of the unexpected and to being lost as he crosses the dusty plains of Kazakhstan and Mongolia. It’s kind-hearted, funny, genuine and delightfully honest, and woven into the tale is some very good travel advice. One of my favourite quotes is, ‘Thinking outside the guidebooks, that’s where I like to take my trips.’

He even approaches some usually taboo overlanding topics; saying things that many travellers would not dare to utter. At times his bluntness risks offense, but then almost magically he puts his thoughts into perfectly reasoned acceptability. I particularly liked his excellent way of describing both solo travel, and that with other people he meets along the way. A lesser talented author or less genuine person, could have come across as being pompous and self-opinionated. Not in this case – simply honest, thought provoking and refreshing. He frequently laughs at himself, and that readily adds to the fun.

I laughed a lot and I learnt a lot. ‘In Search of Greener Grass’ is a great window into the people and cultures along Graham Field’s route to Ulan Bator and beyond. It’s a wonderfully eclectic mix of life on the road and everything.

3 item combo special.

So, for example, buy a book, t-shirt and the 2CD audio book and da-daaa! you get a free replica pannier box. What do you think? Pretty good eh?