Off the Road: Explorers, Vans, and Life Off the Beaten Track Hardcover – Illustrated, 10 Nov. 2015

Wonderful book

Such a beautiful book, all of my obsessions between lovely hardback covers. I certainly recommend​.

loved it

If you have ever done a proper road trip or have been daydreaming about one, the book is likely to appeal. The subtitle sums it up quite well - 'Explorers, Vans and Life off the Beaten Track'. Only add lots of 4x4s, the odd estate car, converted full size bus or motorbike.The book starts with a very useful section, namely what some essentials for long term road trips are, whether in summer, winter, in the desert or wherever else you are likely to go. This is useful information for first time explorers, as well as a good reminder for the rest.The remaining book is built up around individual travellers, their vehicles and the trips they have undertaken. Each combination gets several pages and is likely to spur a real sense of 'Fernweh' (wanderlust would be the closest to an English translation).For those who are into the topic some of the explorers may be familiar. And what is also helpful is the range - from desert to the Arctic, from a motorbike to a proper full scale bus - all covered here.The book will definitely help you prepare for a trip, or to dream about the next one, or just allow some more daydreaming, before your next proper road trip becomes reality.

I was expecting a lot from this book, but was very disappointed. It's basically a coffee table book - a series of samey magazine-type articles illustrated with some admittedly stunning photographs. But it's practically the same story in each article, and to be honest is not a lot of good for either planning or actually completing any sort of trip. Its a book for dreamers, and that's fine - just don't expect it to be the expedition planner you were hoping for. If you're planning a trip, and want some guidance, you'd be better off with Chris Scott's 'Overland's Handbook'. Some of the photos are spectacular, but there's precious little information on either the locations, nor how they got there. The 'what equipment to take' and the 'what vehicle to use' pages are almost embarrassing - like something out a Ladybird book. A real shame - this could have been so much better.